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Presenter(s)
Myisha Reed
California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
660 J Street, Suite 270
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-325-1690
Fax: 916-325-1699
Email: myisha@cfilc.org
The Community Research for Assistive Technology (CR4AT) project is a collaborative project between the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC), a statewide trade organization of Independent Living Centers, and the California State University, Northridge - Center on Disabilities. It is funded through a five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Independent living center staff and university researchers work together to collect information on assistive technology experiences from consumers across California. CR4AT uses a Participatory Action Research (PAR) model for this project, where consumers are actively involved in directing the project's activities at all levels.
The third year of this project was dedicated to surveying California consumers. Community researchers (independent living center staff) were provided training in survey standards, design and dissemination. Participants then developed survey content using focus group results from the second year of the project. A survey pilot was done with local consumers and necessary changes were made.
In October 2003, the project launched the CR4AT Assistive Technology & Consumer Survey. The questions examine the personal AT experiences of consumers with regard to health, function, funding, employment, independent living and underserved populations. The survey is available in both English and Spanish. Consumers are able to provide their responses via telephone, mail, in-person meetings and the internet.
This presentation will discuss the results of the Consumer Survey to date. The survey is scheduled to run until the Summer of 2005.
The project is currently in the fourth year of its activities, which includes the Action Phase. Results of the survey will be distributed widely and used to further the systems change activities of the project throughout the fourth and fifth years.
CR4AT welcomes active participation. Session attendees are encouraged to make suggestions and provide feedback on project activities. CR4AT always seeks to establish connections with other stakeholders to improve the experiences of AT consumers.
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