Adult Special Education

Resource Directory for Post-secondary Students with Disabilities

Assistive Technology BC

Assistive Technology BC provides technology support to reduce barriers encountered by students with disabilities as they work towards their educational and employment goals.

Through this program, adults with disabilities who are post-secondary students, or who are clients of the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities, are eligible for special technology support services. These include assessment, consultation, loan of adaptive technology, and training on the use of technology. The goal is to facilitate independence with reading, writing, and communication at work and at school.

AT-BC provides services to persons with disabilities under three programs:

  1. The Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities, under the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance, loans adaptive technology to people with disabilities who have been approved for services under the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities. This equipment helps adults with disabilities to prepare for and obtain employment.

  2. Students who demonstrate financial need through the B.C. student loan process are eligible to receive funding through the Canada Study Grant for the Accommodation of Students with Permanent Disabilities, a federal program managed by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. This program helps students in diploma or degree programs overcome barriers to meeting their educational goals.

  3. Public post-secondary institutions are also eligible for loans of equipment to increase on-site access for students with disabilities through PILAT (Programs for Institutional Loans of Adaptive Technology) through the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. Equipment is loaned when buying it would be onerous because few students need it, or when the institution is planning on purchasing the technology and needs the equipment while waiting for the order to arrive.

Criteria

  • The person has a verifiable permanent physical disability and/or sensory impairment that significantly interferes with access to post-secondary education or employment.
  • The physical disability or sensory impairment is the primary factor preventing the person from meeting educational/vocational goals.
  • The person is:
    • enrolled or is in the process of enrolling in at least two credit courses* in each of two semesters of an academic year in a post-secondary institution, or
    • is seeking training or employment support through the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities.
  • The person needs adaptive technology to eliminate barriers caused by the disability.
  • The referring agency can demonstrate that it has developed and is implementing an educational/vocational plan with the person, which includes strategies for addressing needs arising from the disability.
  • The referring agency can demonstrate that it is using its own resources and community supports in implementing the applicant's educational/vocational plan.
  • The referring agency agrees to work with program staff in incorporating technical and/or non-technical accommodations into the educational/vocational plan.

*Exceptions may be considered. Requests must be accompanied with appropriate rationale.

Contact Person:

Gladys Loewen, Project Manager
Address: 108-1750 West 75th Ave.
Vancouver BC V6P 6G2
Phone: (604) 264-8295
Fax: (604) 263-2267
E-mail: info@at-bc.ca
Website: http://www.at-bc.ca