(20 ILCS 1320/5)
Sec. 5.
Findings.
(a) There are approximately 2,200,000 persons with disabilities residing in
the State of Illinois, most of whom need assistive technology for daily living,
education, independence, and employment.
(b) There is a serious lack of resources within the State of Illinois,
especially outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, for comprehensive
evaluations, training, and hands-on experience with assistive technology to
determine the appropriateness of assistive technology for persons with
disabilities before they purchase assistive technology devices.
(c) As a result of the serious lack of evaluation and training resources, a
great number of persons with disabilities in Illinois will do without needed
assistive technology or will purchase inappropriate assistive technology,
thereby diminishing their educational and employment opportunities and
increasing their dependence upon federal and State support and forcing them to
unnecessarily rely upon community based resources and family members for
financial support and daily living assistance.
(d) It is almost always more cost-effective to purchase appropriate
assistive technology for a person with a disability to enable that person to
reach his or her potential for independent living, education, and employment
than to provide public assistance and government-funded personal care
assistance for that person.
(Source: P.A. 90-428, eff. 1-1-98.)
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