Assistive Technology Reutilization in South Carolina
Navigation:
- The South Carolina Online Assistive Technology Exchange
- SC AT ReUse Service Organizations
- National AT ReUse Resources
- Online AT ReUse Resources
- Re-Use Opportunities through AT vendors
Join our SC Assistive Technology Reuse Listserv! You'll receive announcements about items needed, items for sale or free, and reuse activities in South Carolina. Email Janet Jendron to join or ask questions about the listserv. The more people we have included, the more equipment can be provided to people who need it.
Left to right- Top Row: Chris Brand, FODAC; Marcie Roth, Director,
Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, FEMA; Carol Page, SCATP;
Bill Johnson, Inclusive Emergency Coordinator, DRC; Jenny Latour, American Red Cross;
Bottom Row: Janet Jendron, SCATP; Catherine Graham,
Emergency Planning Committee for People with Functional Needs;
Margaret Richardson, Program Coordinator, Office of Public Health Preparedness, SCDHEC
Guide for Seeking or Donating Used Assistive Technology in South Carolina (Word)
Download the SC AT Reuse Flyer(PDF)
The South Carolina Online Assistive Technology Exchange
A card sent by a grateful parent
The South Carolina Assistive Technology Exchange is an online recycling database that helps citizens with disabilities and older people with functional limitations find affordable assistive technology devices and equipment. The Exchange is designed to facilitate transactions between South Carolinians. The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) does not profit from the sale of listed devices. Go to the SCATP Exchange site, click "I've read and accept the terms" and go to the next page. Click "register" and it should be easy from there. You can register even if you don't have items to sell or give or find. You'll get a password and be in the system.
Another grateful AT Exchange user:
Just a note to say thanks to the AT exchange. We were able to find what someone else no-longer needed but that we need badly. My child had had her manual wheelchair from the age of 6 and is now 14. She uses the manual chair for school bus transportation but a few of the parts are broken and the size is a little small...as you can guess. She got a power chair at age 8 so we were not "allowed" to get another manual chair, but we like to use the manual on the bus and for times when it may be hard for her to do the driving...plus the quick runs to dinner of something like that. With the help of the list and this other family we now have both, again. Thanks so much for the help. Kris from Lexington, SC
If you don't have email, you can call SCATP to have your account information entered for you. Call Catherine Graham at 803 434-3189. Those with devices they no longer need or vendors with returned or overstocked equipment can list all available devices for use in education, employment, and community living environments, and connect with the consumers interested in finding these resources.
If your agency has equipment sitting around that no one is using, feel free to list that equipment in the SC AT Exchange. You may restrict who you will sell/donate to (like only people in Greenville County or only people with XYZ condition) when you list the device in the SC AT Exchange.
Many thanks to Estate Liquidators of South Carolina, for their help with equipment for the AT Exchange.
A thank you written on an envelope by a grateful Exchange user.
Left to right: Carolyn Phillips, GA Tools for Life, Pass It On Center;
Martha Rust, GA Tools for Life; Janet Jendron, SCATP;
Catherine Graham, USC SOM; Kathy Pelletier, Walton Options;
Tiffany Johnston, Walton Options
South Carolina AT Reuse Service Organizations
Disability Action Center (Columbia)
136 Stonemark Lane, Suite 100
Columbia, SC 29210
Contact: Kimberly Tissot
Phone: 803-779-5121 Ext. 124
TTY: (803) 779-0949
Disability Action Center (Greenville)
330 Pelham Road Suite 102-B
Greenville, SC 29615
Contact: Kathleen Tracy
Phone: 864-235-1421 Ext. 102
Toll Free: 800-681-7715
Fax: (864)235-2056
Disability Resource Center (North Charleston)
7944 Dorchester Road Suite 5
North Charleston, SC 29418
Contact: Gwen Gillenwater
Phone: 843-225-5080
L.I.F.E. (Savannah, GA)
12020 Albercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31419
Contact: Wendy Eugene
Phone: 912-920-2414
Walton Options
948 Walton Way
Augusta, GA 30901
Contact: Kathy Pelletier
Phone: 706-724-6262
Toll-free: 1-877-821-8400
Fax: 706-724-6729
Walton Options Website
North Augusta Office: 803-279-9611
Speakers at the Re-Use Summit held in Columbia January 20, 2010.
Left to right- Front Row: Catherine Graham, Amanda Adams,
Sandy Hanebrink, Chastity Gambrell;
Middle Row: Kathy Pellitier,
Tiffany Johnston, Carolyn Phillips, Janet Jendron, Joanne Willis;
Last Row: Bob Rust, Andrew Brett, Kat Tracy, Joy Kniskern
FODAC
FODAC (Friends of Disabled Adults & Children) in Stone Mountain, GA provides over $8 million each year in equipment and services to the community at little or no cost to the recipients. FODAC is a 501(c)(3) and does not have direct funding from Medicare/Medicaid for the services offered. Most equipment is issued for a suggested donation but some services have mandatory fees.
FODAC provides home health (mobility and daily living) equipment to people of any age or any disability, temporary or permanent, for medically necessary and medically helpful reasons. These items are provided for a suggested donation. Clients do not have to qualify financially but their waiting lists place a priority on Medically Necessary and low income individuals.
Their aim is to meet the short term needs for medically necessary situations while waiting on benefits to take over. Some examples include injuries with no existing insurance, a child outgrowing a wheelchair, a back up piece of equipment, all shower equipment, or caregiver aids.
You can find out more information on the FODAC website or by calling them at (770) 491-9014.
Sandy Hanebrink, Paul Timmons, Janet Jendron, Jamie Karam, Joanne Willis and Catherine Graham at a Re-Use Conference in Atlanta.
Portlight Strategies, Inc. Assistive Technology/Durable Medical Equipment Re-Use Project
Portlight Strategies is creating a network of faith based affiliates and other civic and charitable organizations with common interests. Many churches already have senior outreach; this affords an opportunity to tap into that often hard-to-reach population.
If you have equipment to donate, or know of people with needs, please contact Portlight Strategies and they will connect you with coordinators in your area.
Also, if you or your church are interested in participating in our efforts, please let Portlight Strategies know. Their work is coordinated through our Charleston office...but our reach is statewide.
You can read more about them at the Portlight Strategies, Inc. website.
Contact information:Paul Timmons
(843)817-2651
presslord@aol.com
ReBoot - AT Resource Center (Located at Touch the Future)
ReBoot-AT Resource Center (ATRC) is the most well known program of Touch the Future Inc. It is for Georgians and South Carolinians with disabilities, their caregivers, service providers, advocates, and friends. Located in Tucker, Georgia, it provides people with resources and services relating to assistive technology.
ReBoot-ATRC also operates the ReBoot project, a computer recycling program that refurbishes donated computer equipment and redistributes the rebuilt computers to people with disabilities. ReBoot staff also can customize new computers to the individual's specifications and repair computers as needed.
ReBoot-ATRC accepts computers, software, assistive technology devices, durable medical equipment, and adaptive aids for recycling and redistribution to our consumers.
You can find more information about the program on Touch the Future website. If you have items to donate, there are instructions, guidelines, and contact information on their donation page.
Regained Mobility
Regained Mobility, located in Anderson, is a program that takes in good, used, donated medical equipment and puts it back into the community. They give it to those who otherwise cannot afford to buy the equipment that they need, because either they have no insurance or can not afford the co-pay required by their insurance company. They strive to help those in need regain their independence and dignity. They ask for a small donation fee to cover the cost of cleaning and repairing the equipment.
Regained Mobility by Touch the Future, Inc.
PO Box 8002
101 South Fant Street, Suite B-20
Anderson, SC 29624
(864) 367-0831 Office
(864) 367-0871 FAX
Website: www.touchthefuture.us
Touch the Future, Inc. (STAR Network Enterprise Depot & Outreach Center)
Touch the Future, Inc.(TTF) is a 501(c) 3, Non-profit organization that works to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities, veterans, seniors and other disadvantaged communities in Georgia, South Carolina and across the Southeastern US.
TTF offers a ReUse program as a viable solution to meet life goals and immediate needs now and in the future. TTF accepts donated new and used assistive technology (AT), sanitizes, refurbishes, and redistributes or recycles it. AT provided includes computers, computer related equipment (hardware & software), home care equipment and other assistive technology.
TTF utilizes the STAR Network (Southeastern Technology Access and ReUse Network) to incorporate the best logistics and distribution structure and policies for delivery of computer, AT equipment, and home care devices, as well as, pick up of donations, and training through its Outreach Centers and other relationships located in the Southeast US. STAR Network membership is through the Enterprise Depots, TTF and Friends of Disabled Adults & Children (FODAC) who establish the policies and procedures and provide oversight of program activities.
Our objective is to make the consumers that we support as independent as possible through the use, training and delivery of low tech and high tech devices and our services. For more information, contact Sandy Hanebrink at (864)221-4011, or download the TTF South Carolina Branch brochure.
Contact Info:
Touch the Future, Inc. website
Touch the Future, Inc.
Home Office
Tucker, Georgia
info@touchthefuture.us
(770)934-8432
Touch the Future, Inc.
South Carolina Branch
Anderson, South Carolina
SC@touchthefuture.us
(864)221-4011
National AT ReUse Resources
Pass It On Center
The Pass It On Center is a National Collaboration for the Reutilization and Coordination of Assistive Technology that coordinates AT reuse programs throughout the USA.
You can learn more about them on the PIOC website.
Online AT ReUse Resources
DifferentNeedz.com
DifferentNeedz.com is an online marketplace for families with special needs, handicapped or disabled members to buy and sell gently used special needs medical equipment, therapy devices, adaptive toys, and more.
DifferentNeedz accepts gently used medical equipment, therapy devices, adaptive toys, books for all ages and all types of disabilities. Plus a portion of every sale goes to the Different Needz Foundation, a 501(c) organization. DifferentNeedz also accepts donations of product for resale.
There is also a DifferentNeedz.com Facebook page.
Re-Use Opportunities through AT Vendors
Note: If other AT vendors have information about trade-in or re-use programs related to your products, please let SCATP know by emailing Janet Jendron.
Key Technologies
One way of “Re-Using” older equipment (whether working or non-working) is to trade it in through the Words+ “TRADE-IN PROGRAM.” Customers may trade in augmentative communication devices made by any manufacturer towards the purchase of a new Words+ device. The device traded-in does not have to be a working device and it does not matter how old it is. The trade-in value of the device may range from $100’s to $1,000’s applicable to the purchase of a new Words+ device.
Trade-ins may be applied towards the purchase of an Allora, Conversa, Dura-SAM, Freedom Toughbook, FreedomLite, NetSAM, NetTALK, Say-It! SAM Communicator, Say-It! SAM Tablet, TuffTalker Convertible, and more.
If you have questions about the Words+ TRADE-IN PROGRAM, contact Ken Whitley at Key Technologies, Inc. toll free at 888-433-5303. Or, you can email him at ken@gokeytech.com or visit the Key Technologies web site.
Handicapped Driver Services
Used wheelchair accessible vans and other used mobility equipment.
Contact:
Scott Coots - Mobility Consultant
HDS VANS & MOBILITY
Handicapped Driver Services
1255 Kennestone Circle, Suite 240
Marietta, GA 30066
(770) 422-9674 - office
(800) 444-9100
(404) 915-9156 cell
(770) 425-9535 fax
scoots@hdsvans.com
Web: www.hdsvans.com