Funding for School*
*This page has been adapted from the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative fact sheet “Public Schools” available at www.dati.org.
School age children with disabilities who need assistive technology (AT) devices and services to benefit from their education may be entitled to it, free of charge, from their school districts. The type of AT that a student may need varies from simple and inexpensive (e.g., pencil grip) to more expensive devices (e.g., amplification system). Below are explanations of the federal laws that provide these benefits and how AT may be accessed through each of them.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The IDEA is the primary mechanism by which students with disabilities acquire the AT they need to benefit from their education.
Read more about IDEA
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act defines an “individual with a disability” more broadly than the IDEA, and can sometimes help students receive services, including AT, who are not covered by the IDEA. Two provisions of the ADA offer additional protections for students in public schools.
Read more about Section 504
Other Funding Options to Consider
Public and Private Medical Insurance
- Some AT is considered both “medically necessary” and needed for a student’s education. In these cases there are advantages to pursuing funding through a family’s health insurance provider rather than the school district, but the device should still be listed on the student’s IEP. See “Funding for Medically Necessary AT.”
The Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program
- If a school district does not consider a device necessary (including after appeal), and the device is not medically necessary, the MATLP is a loan program than can help families purchase needed AT. Read more about MATLP
The Hearing Aid Program for Infants and Children (at MDPH)
- Hearing aids are an example of AT best owned by the student, and not the school district. This program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health can help income-eligible families (whose health insurance won’t cover the expense) afford a hearing aid. Read more about MDPH