The following is a list of Arizona organizations that provide assistive technology (AT), related support services as well as other types of disability services.
TOPICS
Adapted Driving Evaluation & Training Programs
DriveAble Solutions – This organization teaches people with disabilities to drive or to drive again.
Driving to Independence – Facilitates mobility and independence in the community through safe driver skills. To meet this goal we provide comprehensive Driver Evaluation, Training, Vehicle Assessment and Recommendations specific to each driver’s needs.
Adapted Sports & Recreation
Adapted Park and Recreation Programs by City – Arizona’s larger cities often have adapted recreation programs for their residents with disabilities. By clicking on the names of the cities listed below, the link will take you to that city’s Adapted Recreation Program:
Foundation for Blind Children SHARP Program – The Sports, Habilitation, Arts and Recreation Program (SHARP) is a multi-faceted, year-round program that provides training in daily living skills, adaptive sports, assistive technology, computers, social skills and career exploration.
Ability 360 Sports and Fitness Center – Provides exceptional adaptive sports, recreation, aquatic, and fitness programs that promote the independence, health, and overall well being of people with disabilities and their family members.
Aging / Seniors
The Area Agency on Aging, Region One: Maricopa County (AAA) – AAA is part of a national network of organizations established to respond to the needs of older adults. As a private non-profit corporation, the Area Agency on Aging, Region One, plans, coordinates, develops and delivers services for seniors (60 years and older), persons of any age who are HIV positive, adults (18-59 years) with disabilities and long-term care needs, and family caregivers of older adults.
Foundation for Senior Living (FSL) – For more than 30 years, the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL) has worked to improve the quality of life for seniors, adults with disability and their family caregivers. FSL’s Home Improvements Program offers a wide range of services, including emergency and minor home repairs, medical or safety accessibility modifications, and major renovations.
Arizona AT Evaluation & Training Providers
Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ACBVI) – The mission of the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ACBVI) is to “enhance the quality of life for people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired.” In keeping with this mission, the Assistive Technology Center was established in January of 1996. Individuals who are blind or visually impaired, as well as others with mobility impairments can increase the quality of their lives with the help of various technologies and computers.
Collaborative Technology Solutions LLC – Collaborative Technology Solutions LLC provides assistive technology assessments and assistive technology training services for individuals with disabilities.
Foundation for Blind Children (FBC) – FBC provides resources to more than 2,000 Arizona children, including hundreds of rural children who do not have access to advanced assistive vision technology. The center will provide state-of-the-art vision technology, training on use of smartphone devices (iPhone, BlackBerry, etc.) as well as special Braille note takers, laptops, closed circuit television, magnifiers and translation software, evaluations and assessments of blind and visually-impaired students.
IHD AT Center – The Assistive Technology (AT) Center is a resource to the communities of Northern Arizona. Located on the Northern Arizona University campus, the Center is a program of the Institute for Human Development (IHD). Services include assistive technology evaluations, product demonstrations, short term device loans, device use instruction and Interdisciplinary Training including the Graduate Certificate in Assistive Technology.
Kratu, Inc. – Kratu Specializes in Occupational Therapy and Assistive Technology Services that are customized to each individual.
Southwest Human Development (SWHD) – At SWHD, the “One Family, One Team” approach ensures that the assistive technology team regularly collaborates with families and professionals to assure that each assessment and plan is coordinated. The team focuses on understanding the individual’s current needs & abilities, and connecting them with technology tools that give them increased independence to access to their world.
Blind / Low Vision
Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ACBVI) – ACBVI has been providing services for individuals since 1947. ACBVI is committed to “enhancing the quality of life for people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired.” Our services are available to adults who are legally blind or visually impaired as well as those who have a degenerative eye condition which may eventually become a visual impairment. These services are offered separately or concurrently according to the individual needs of the qualifying client.
Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) – Provides students with the technology they need to access the general education curriculum. Students benefit from a variety of tools to enhance coursework and classroom access. Experienced and skilled staff assess individualized student technology needs. Technology can be a combination of both low and high technology devices and software; and contribute to literacy, skill-building and job readiness.
Foundation for Blind Children (FBC)– Founded in 1952, the Foundation for Blind Children (FBC) is a national leader that creates opportunities for anyone with vision loss. The Foundation for Blind Children provides a comprehensive system of services, which optimizes the blind or visually-impaired child’s development and offers many opportunities to lead a meaningful and productive life–starting with infancy, through preschool, elementary and secondary education throughout college and adulthood. Our mission is to provide education, tools and services that enable all persons with vision loss to achieve greater independence.
Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired (SAAVI) – Providing a comprehensive rehabilitation program for blind and visually impaired people throughout Arizona to include counseling and support groups to help you with adjustment to your vision loss; home management training; access technology training; orientation and mobility training; career exploration; job readiness, placement and retention; health and wellness and adaptive sports; Diabetes management; college support; remedial education, GED preparation and English as a Second Language.
Sun Sounds Of Arizona – Sun Sounds bridges the information gap between current print media and people who cannot use it because of a disability by providing audio access to information to people in the Southwest who cannot read print because they have a disability.
The Arizona Talking Book Library – Provides Arizona residents who are unable to read standard print due to blindness/low vision, those who find it hard to hold or handle a print book or individuals who have a perceptual or reading disability with free audio books, magazines, newspapers, and Braille literature.
Centers for Independent Living
Centers for Independent Living are run by and for people with disabilities. They all provide the following core services: Advocacy, Independent Living Skills Training, Information & Referral, Peer Support, and Transition.
Ability360 (Maricopa, Gila, Mojave & Parts of Pinal Counties)
Assist! To Independence (Coconino, Navajo, Apache Counties (within boundaries of Navajo Nation))
Direct Advocacy & Resource Center (Direct) (Pima, Graham, Greenlee, Santa Cruz, Cochise Counties)
New Horizons Disability Empowerment Center (Mohave, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Apache Counties)
Services Maximizing Independent Living & Empowerment (SMILE) (Yuma & Lapaz Counties)
Deaf / Hard Of Hearing
Adult Loss of Hearing Association (ALOHA) – ALOHA, based in Tucson, is a nonprofit support and advocacy organization that provides hearing loss services, and hearing help for hard of hearing or deaf adults including peer support, advocacy, information and training to individuals with hearing loss, enabling them to improve their quality of life
Community Outreach Program for the Deaf (COPD) – Tucson-based COPD provides services throughout Arizona to persons with a hearing loss. COPD is considered a grassroots organization partnering with Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind persons and organizations in establishing services and providing a “one-stop” center for persons with a hearing loss.
Ear Foundation Of Arizona – Provides a broad range of competent educational, informational, research, prevention, intervention and advocacy services for the benefit of persons of all ages and backgrounds who have a hearing loss, who are deaf, who may be at risk for hearing loss or deafness, who have tinnitus, or who have a balance disorder.
Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (AzTEDP) – The Arizona Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (AzTEDP) is a free service that provides telephone equipment such as volume control telephones, TTY’s and signaling/flashing devices to Arizona residents who are also legal residents of the United States of America who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-blind or Speech-impaired. This is not an income-based program. The program is operated by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Valley Center of the Deaf (VCD) – Located in Phoenix, VCD is a community-based organization that empowers Deaf and hard of hearing individuals to live independently and achieve their personal goals. VCD seeks to “fill the gaps” in the community by providing services which are not available.
Education – K-12
Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services (ADE) –Assistive Technology Services at ADE/ESS assists local public education agencies, parents, and other government entities in building their capacity to consider and implement assistive technology for students with disabilities in order to improve access to the general education curriculum.
Education – Post Secondary Disability Resource Centers
Listed below are links to Disability Resource Services at Arizona’s state-supported universities and community colleges. For private universities, colleges and technical schools, go to the school’s website and type in the search term “disability resources”.
State Universities: Arizona State University-ASU: Disability Resource Center, Student Services
Northern Arizona University-NAU
Community Colleges:
- Cochise County/Cochise College
- Coconino County/Coconino Community College
- Gila County Community College/Eastern Arizona College
- Maricopa County Community Colleges
- Mohave County Community College
- Navajo County/ Northland Pioneer College
- Pima County Community College
- Pinal Community Colleges/Central Arizona College
- Santa Cruz County Provisional Community College
- Yavapai County Community College
- Yuma County /Arizona Western College
General AT Resources
AT Arizona– Discover an accessible internet-based resource that can be used by individuals with a disability, professionals, or anyone with an interest in assistive technology to locate services and explore the assistive technology and accommodations that make attending school, being employed and having a career possible.
Phoenix Public Library: Special Needs Center – Burton Barr Central Library offers a variety of accessible services and resources. Accessible parking spaces are available in the parking lot north of the building. Cholla Library offers a dedicated assistive computer workstation. Accessible parking spaces are available in the parking lot north of the building. Both libraries are served by Valley Metro light rail and buses.
Home / Commercial Accessibility & Environmental Modifications
Check out Arizona Registrar of Contractors before hiring any contractor to do home or commercial accessibility/environmental modifications. AzTAP recommends consumers use licensed, bonded and insured contractors.
ADL Solutions – ADL Solutions is a home modifications company dedicated to helping our clients achieve a barrier-free environment. Innovative products, complete installation, and home modifications converge to create “total solutions” resulting in improved accessibility, independence, and safety for both the institutional and home care setting.
Legal Issues
Arizona Center for Disability Law (ACDL) – ACDL is a federally-designated Protection and Advocacy System for the State of Arizona. Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) throughout the United States assure that the human and civil rights of persons with disabilities are protected.
Vehicle Modification & High Tech Driving System Providers
The Quality Assurance Program (QAP) is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the adaptive mobility equipment industry. The purpose of the program is to ensure the products and services provided by Quality Assurance Program (QAP) accredited locations meet or exceed customer needs and current government safety requirements. It is based on the principle that to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality. The program was developed to elevate the level of performance to reliably meet consumers’ personal transportation needs in the safest manner possible.
Dignified Motors – Wheelchair vehicle upfits and adaptive driving technology that is customized to the driver’s needs.
United Access – United Access is part of the Braun Ability family and offers a full complement of mobility products, vehicle lifts, and accessible vehicles.
Vantage Mobility International (VMI) – VMI offers a wide range of accessible vehicles from Toyota, Chrysler, Honda..
*DISCLAIMER: The Arizona Technology Access Program (AzTAP) does not endorse the above resources or service providers. The information on this webpage is provided solely as a starting place for individuals, their families and/or service providers looking for assistive technology information and providers.