Cure SMA Rallies Public in Urging Congress To Expand Access to Assistive Technology | mySMAteam

Connect with others who understand.

sign up Log in
Resources
About mySMAteam
Powered By
SMA
NEWS

Cure SMA Rallies Public in Urging Congress To Expand Access to Assistive Technology

Written by Victoria Menard
Posted on September 23, 2021

  • Assistive technology (AT) includes devices and services that help those with disabilities function more easily in day-to-day life.
  • Per the Assistive Technology Act, all U.S. states and territories receive federal funding to provide access to and education about AT.
  • Cure SMA has created a letter template for people to ask their congressional representatives to fund expanded access to AT devices and programs.

The nonprofit Cure SMA is rallying public support in urging Congress to make assistive technology more accessible for people living with disabilities. Congress is currently considering whether to reauthorize the Assistive Technology Act, which last year provided more than 72,000 people with training on AT devices and loaned nearly 50,000 AT devices to those in need.

Assistive technology refers to devices and services that help individuals with disabilities — including those associated with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) — more easily function in everyday life. They include mobility devices, screen readers, voice recognition technology, and more.

Cure SMA has created a letter template that people can fill out online and have automatically sent to their congressional representatives. The letter urges Congress members to include $50 million in funding for the Assistive Technology Act in the next federal budget.

Congress passed the Assistive Technology Act in 1988 to increase awareness of and access to assistive technology. The legislation was reauthorized in 2004 so that states no longer had to compete to receive funding. Now, each U.S. state and territory receives federal funding to operate statewide AT programs. Programs like the Assistive Technology State Grant Program, for instance, help provide assistive devices and training to those who need them.

However, as Cure SMA reported, people still face barriers to accessing these technologies. Citing a 2017 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Cure SMA noted that restrictions in insurance coverage can prevent people from accessing AT-related devices and services. “Overall, coverage for assistive products and technologies is frequently limited and varies considerably across insurance coverage and disability benefit models,” said Linda Resnick, a co-author of the study.

Another barrier: AT is advancing too quickly for legislation, education, and reimbursement programs to keep pace.

Visit Cure SMA’s Advocacy page for more information about the organization’s efforts.

Posted on September 23, 2021
All updates must be accompanied by text or a picture.

Become a Subscriber

Get the latest news about spinal muscular atrophy sent to your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Victoria Menard is a writer at MyHealthTeam. Learn more about her here

Related Articles

If you’re living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), you can have a happy and healthy pregnancy, ...

6 Facts About Pregnancy With SMA

If you’re living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), you can have a happy and healthy pregnancy, ...
When your child receives a diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), you may fear the worst. Yo...

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Life Expectancy: What’s Known and What’s Unknown?

When your child receives a diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), you may fear the worst. Yo...
Most people aren’t familiar with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) until it affects their child. Whet...

Parenting a Child With SMA

Most people aren’t familiar with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) until it affects their child. Whet...
It is natural to feel overwhelmed when your child is first diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorde...

Pediatric Neuromuscular Disorders: 9 Things To Know

It is natural to feel overwhelmed when your child is first diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorde...
The SMA community officially recognizes August as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month. In Au...

UCSF Health and mySMAteam Partnership: SMA Awareness Month 2022

The SMA community officially recognizes August as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month. In Au...
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic condition that causes a decline in muscle strengt...

Living With Adult Onset SMA: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outlook

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic condition that causes a decline in muscle strengt...

Recent Articles

Welcome to mySMAteam — the place to connect with others living with spinal muscular atrophy. Thi...

Getting Started on mySMAteam (VIDEO)

Welcome to mySMAteam — the place to connect with others living with spinal muscular atrophy. Thi...
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging technique for visualizing the muscles, org...

Can MRI Detect Spinal Muscular Atrophy?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging technique for visualizing the muscles, org...
If your child was recently diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) — or if you were recently...

Can You Walk With Spinal Muscular Atrophy? 4 Things To Know

If your child was recently diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) — or if you were recently...
If you or a loved one is living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), you may be researching to lea...

SMA and ALS: 5 Differences and 3 Similarities

If you or a loved one is living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), you may be researching to lea...
This is a short guided meditation by Dr. Christiane Wolf on self-kindness, which gives you more s...

Self-Kindness When Struggling: 6-Minute Guided Meditation

This is a short guided meditation by Dr. Christiane Wolf on self-kindness, which gives you more s...
When a child is born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare neuromuscular disorder, it’s the ...

Understanding How SMA Gene Therapy Works

When a child is born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare neuromuscular disorder, it’s the ...
SMA News
SMA News

Thank you for subscribing!

Become a member to get even more:

sign up for free

close