Assistive Technology Act of 1998/Title II/Subtitle B

Subtitle B — Other National Activities

Sec. 211. Small Business Incentives.

(a) DEFINITION—

In this section, the term ``small business´´ means a small-business concern, as described in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)).

(b) CONTRACTS FOR DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND MARKETING—

(1) IN GENERAL—

The Secretary may enter into contracts with small businesses, to assist such businesses to design, develop, and market assistive technology devices or assistive technology services. In entering into the contracts, the Secretary may give preference to businesses owned or operated by individuals with disabilities.

(2) SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM—

Contracts entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be administered in accordance with the contract administration requirements applicable to the Department of Education under the Small Business Innovative Research Program, as described in section 9(g) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(g)). Contracts entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not be included in the calculation of the required expenditures of the Department under section 9(f) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 638(f)).

(c) GRANTS FOR EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER—

The Secretary may make grants to small businesses to enable such businesses—

(1) to work with any entity funded by the Secretary to evaluate and disseminate information on the effects of technology transfer on the lives of individuals with disabilities;

(2) to benefit from the experience and expertise of such entities, in conducting such evaluation and dissemination; and

(3) to utilize any technology transfer and market research services such entities provide, to bring new assistive technology devices and assistive technology services into commerce.

Sec. 212. Technology Transfer and Universal Design.

(a) IN GENERAL—

The Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research may collaborate with the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer established under section 11(e) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710(e)), to promote technology transfer that will further development of assistive technology and products that incorporate the principles of universal design.

(b) COLLABORATION—

In promoting the technology transfer, the Director and the Consortium described in subsection (a) may collaborate—

(1) to enable the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to work more effectively with the Consortium, and to enable the Consortium to fulfill the responsibilities of the Consortium to assist Federal agencies with technology transfer under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq);

(2) to increase the awareness of staff members of the Federal Laboratories regarding assistive technology issues and the principles of universal design;

(3) to compile a compendium of current and projected Federal Laboratory technologies and projects that have or will have an intended or recognized impact on the available range of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities, including technologies and projects that incorporate the principles of universal design, as appropriate;

(4) to develop strategies for applying developments in assistive technology and universal design to mainstream technology, to improve economies of scale and commercial incentives for assistive technology; and

(5) to cultivate developments in assistive technology and universal design through demonstration projects and evaluations, conducted with assistive technology professionals and potential users of assistive technology.

(c) GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS—

The Secretary may make grants to or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with commercial, nonprofit, or other organizations, including institutions of higher education, to facilitate interaction with the Consortium to achieve the objectives of this section.

(d) RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONSORTIUM—

Section 11(e)(1) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710(e)(1)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``; and´´ and inserting a semicolon;

(2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period and inserting ``; and´´; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

``(K) work with the Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to compile a compendium of current and projected Federal Laboratory technologies and projects that have or will have an intended or recognized impact on the available range of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998), including technologies and projects that incorporate the principles of universal design (as defined in section 3 of such Act), as appropriate.´´.

Sec. 213. Universal Design in Products and the Built Environment.

The Secretary may make grants to commercial or other enterprises and institutions of higher education for the research and development of universal design concepts for products (including information technology) and the built environment. In making such grants, the Secretary shall give consideration to enterprises and institutions that are owned or operated by individuals with disabilities. The Secretary shall define the term ``built environment´´ for purposes of this section.

Sec. 214. Outreach.

(a) ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN RURAL OR IMPOVERISHED URBAN AREAS—

The Secretary may make grants, enter into cooperative agreements, or provide financial assistance through other mechanisms, for projects designed to increase the availability of assistive technology for rural and impoverished urban populations, by determining the unmet assistive technology needs of such populations, and designing and implementing programs to meet such needs.

(b) ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR CHILDREN AND OLDER INDIVIDUALS—

The Secretary may make grants, enter into cooperative agreements, or provide financial assistance through other mechanisms, for projects designed to increase the availability of assistive technology for populations of children and older individuals, by determining the unmet assistive technology needs of such populations, and designing and implementing programs to meet such needs.

Sec. 215. Training Pertaining to Rehabilitation Engineers and Technicians.

(a) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS—

The Secretary shall make grants, or enter into contracts with, public and private agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education, to help prepare students, including students preparing to be rehabilitation technicians, and faculty working in the field of rehabilitation engineering, for careers related to the provision of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services.

(b) ACTIVITIES—

An agency or organization that receives a grant or contract under subsection (a) may use the funds made available through the grant or contract—

(1) to provide training programs for individuals employed or seeking employment in the field of rehabilitation engineering, including postsecondary education programs;

(2) to provide workshops, seminars, and conferences concerning rehabilitation engineering that relate to the use of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities; and

(3) to design, develop, and disseminate curricular materials to be used in the training programs, workshops, seminars, and conferences described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

Sec. 216. President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities.

(a) PROGRAMS—

The President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities (referred to in this section as ``the Committee´´) may design, develop, and implement programs to increase the voluntary participation of the private sector in making information technology accessible to individuals with disabilities, including increasing the involvement of individuals with disabilities in the design, development, and manufacturing of information technology.

(b) ACTIVITIES—

The Committee may carry out activities through the programs that may include—

(1) the development and coordination of a task force, which—

(A) shall develop and disseminate information on voluntary best practices for universal accessibility in information technology; and

(B) shall consist of members of the public and private sectors, including—

(i) representatives of organizations representing individuals with disabilities; and

(ii) individuals with disabilities; and

(2) the design, development, and implementation of outreach programs to promote the adoption of best practices referred to in paragraph (1)(B).

(c) COORDINATION—

The Committee shall coordinate the activities of the Committee under this section, as appropriate, with the activities of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the activities of the Department of Labor.

(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE—

The Committee may provide technical assistance concerning the programs carried out under this section and may reserve such portion of the funds appropriated to carry out this section as the Committee determines to be necessary to provide the technical assistance.

(e) DEFINITION—

In this section, the term ``information technology´´ means any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information, including a computer, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources.

Sec. 217. Authorization of Appropriations.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title, and the provisions of section 203 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that relate to research described in section 203(b)(2)(A) of such Act, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000.