Season's greetings to you and yours!
The Holidays are a time to reflect, and looking back on this past year the thing I am most grateful for is the staff at ATP. I want to express my gratitude for their dedication to serving Nebraskans throughout this pandemic. They have shown amazing resourcefulness and resilience as we navigated this past year and figured out ways to safely provide services.
This message includes highlights of our Partnership program accomplishments for 2020 and a glimpse ahead to the coming year for all our services.
On behalf of everyone at ATP, I hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday and we look forward to serving our state next year. -Tobias J. Orr, Director
• Independent Living
May Faith, Program Supervisor
2020
I am most proud of how quickly and well the staff has worked on Nebraska Health and Human Services projects when we moved to working remotely.

While we were slowly making progress moving that direction to make it so everyone was able to work on the go, the whole team had to adapt within a week to working outside of our offices. While it wasn’t without its challenges, everyone did a good job adapting and working through the headaches of abruptly becoming fully remote.

Monthly Technology Specialist meetings were not a practice for the team prior to COVID-19 restrictions, however, everyone's willingness to try to improve things was apparent. Staff stepped up with agenda topics and led the conversation.
2021
Now that the monthly meetings have been a success our goal is to recruit guest presenters to enhance our understanding of processes or equipment/technology.

We hope to explore additional grant funds that could be used to assist individuals to make their homes more accessible.

• Education
Brian Wojcik, Education Program Supervisor
2020
Coordinating with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) we have launched an intensive professional development experience related to assistive technology services in schools for 21 professionals across Nebraska. We also launched a webinar series on a variety of topics related to assistive technology practices in schools.
2021
The Education program will continue to provide support to every IEP/IFSP team in Nebraska by offering professional
development and technical assistance. We will also
ensure that the ATP Education Statewide Loan Pool meets the needs of the state by
reflecting common and contemporary AT on the market.

• Education Accessibility
Lilly Blase, ADA Coordinator
2020
Americans with Disabilities (ADA) school Special Education (SPED) reviews continued this year and went virtual after March. One project created an ADA accessible Life Skills kitchen with a laundry area at a smaller class D school. New cabinets were installed during the summer with most of the ADA appliances delivered this fall. The district's architect located the kitchen next to the resource room and an accessible restroom with a roll-in shower. All plans and appliance specifications, and access reviews were done from submitted documents, product online specs, and photos of the new space.
The NDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program started their federally required Methods of Administration (MOA) Office of Civil Reviews (OCR) during the 2019-20 school year. A preselected group of high schools and one community college were visited for civil rights, Title VI, Title IX, and ADA compliance.The pandemic ended on-site visits and the review process moved to virtual Zoom interviews with Google used for sharing documents and materials.
2021
During the coming year reviews will continue as schools submit budgets and projects to the SPED Office of NDE. We will continue to operate electronically and conduct reviews virtually whenever possible.

• Resource Coordination
Angie Ransom, Resource Coordinator
2020
During the Coronavirus Pandemic ATP continued to provide statewide resource coordination for Nebraskans needing assistive technology (AT). The requests for funding assistive technology items include home and vehicle modifications, durable
medical equipment, communication technology, and much more. Requests have been received from Covid patients needing assistance to return home. In some cases individuals are not able to receive rehabilitation in a facility and their family has taken on the responsibility of caring for them in their home and are not equipped with an accessible entrance and bathroom.
2021
ATP will continue to respond to the increased demand for assistance and will utilize equipment reuse whenever possible for immediate response to requests for long and short term needs.

• Advisory Council
The ATP Advisory Council was able to meet in April 2020 by Zoom. This was a new opportunity for this
council and made it possible to solicit input on goals and objectives. The Council will meet again using Zoom on January 15, 2021.

Marketing
Nancy Noha, Marketing Specialist
2020
The pandemic has impacted marketing and printed materials with the cancellation of in-person conferences and training. We need to rely on social media to promote ATP and other agency webinars, online workshops, and summits. 2021
Links are listed below to join us to connect to technology, webinars, and trainings! We will be exploring opportunities to promote ATP during other organization webinars, identifying website resource listings, enhancing our website, and increasing the sharing of success stories.
Join us on Facebook and Twitter and Subscribe on YouTube
• Employment
Brooke Harrie, Program Supervisor
2020
ATP supports Nebraska VR by helping consumers be successful on the job with the help of assistive technology. One example is Kevin (in photo above) who experiences severe COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) along with other respiratory issues. He works in the schools as a janitor which requires a lot of walking and physical activity. He was having difficulty breathing on the job and was fearful of losing his position of over 18 years due to the limitations his diagnoses were causing. 
His insurance would not cover the cost of a portable oxygen concentrator (POC). Kevin worked with an ATP technology specialist and resource coordinator who were able to locate an available POC through our Reuse Program. The device was properly sanitized and provided to Kevin at no cost. He was trained on how to use the device and he is able to continue working in the job that he loves.
2021
This next year Nebraska VR technology specialists will be focusing on providing services to Pre-Employment Transition Students (or Pre-ETS). The
pandemic has caused multiple disruptions in the lives of teachers and students. ATP staff will work to provide technology recommendations and
services to meet the needs of students in school, work and the Project SEARCH programs so these students can continue to be successful in achieving their long-term vocational goals.
ATP coordinates iCanConnect (Nebraska Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program), which provides equipment/training for individuals who are deaf blind to be able to connect and communicate.
2020
Tracy (in photo above), a consumer worked with a technology specialist to identify the best solutions to assist her in telecommuting with friends, family, and with her employer. Tracy was provided a laptop computer and an upgrade to her screen reader program called JAWS. along with training on the software to ensure she was able to utilize it effectively.
2021
Increasing awareness of this program and services will be a focus for the coming year. Watch this video to learn more.
• Equipment Reuse
Steve Miller, Equipment Loans, Reuse, and Donations
2020
The reuse program did not experience any down time with the Pandemic. When the offices closed equipment drop off and pick up became a curbside service. Appointments are required to meet a staff person at one of ATP's offices to pick up or drop off equipment. This adjustment keeps equipment available to those who often need it immediately when released from the hospital due to COVID 19. A shortage of wheelchairs has become a problem with the many hospital discharges. Read several stories below* how reuse equipment listed on AT4ALL.COM made a difference this year.
2021
Moving ahead the reuse network will be recruiting new partners in communities across the state to help connect individuals to equipment and increase donations to expand available inventory of wheelchairs and other often requested items.
*A sister of a consumer with an intellectual disability contacted ATP after her brother had surgery. The reuse program was able to loan them a ramp and walker during his recuperation and supplied a wheelchair, reacher, crutches, toilet seat riser, and bath bench to use indefinitely. The family was so appreciative because they did not know how they were going to make their home accessible

*A student at the University of Nebraska Kearney broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. Thanks to the equipment loan program he was able to borrow a wheelchair with a leg lift, a threshold ramp, a walker, dressing stick, sock aid, and crutches. The student is from another country and has no family here to assist him. AT came to the rescue!

* Reuse equipment responds to a variety of situations. A consumer on Hospice was weak and not able to leave his home to shop. Thanks to the loan of a power wheelchair he is able to be more independent. Another family is utilizing a hospital bed on the second floor of their home as a result of the networking of ATP and a local hospital.

• Office Support
Lori Swanson, Accounting Associate
Liz Lohse, Associate
2020-2021
Reducing paperwork is an on-going goal for both accounting and client services. Working remote required the development of electronic processing for service authorizations.

Keeping up with the accounting policies and procedures is a challenge and there is a need to continue to recruit and process contractors and vendors for accessibility modifications and equipment.