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Article 3:
Turning "Mistakes" into Better Service Delivery – 
One small step toward quality care.

In a recent presentation to the California Governor's Committee for the Employment of Disabled Persons, DeRuyter pointed out that the delivery of assistive technology services to the disabled community is extremely inconsistent and variable. Reasons cited included:

· difficulties accessing services,

· inadequate funding for technology, and

· variation in the quality of services being provided.

DeRuyter said,"the quality of services is affected by rapidly advancing technology, a lack of knowledge on the part of professionals, a lack of communication between agencies and service providers and consumer shopping." Let's take a closer look at "consumer shopping."

Consumer shopping means looking for what you want until you find it. Nothing wrong with that! It can also mean asking a lot of professionals the same questions. That's a good way to learn! However, shopping for assistive technology is not like buying a shirt or a car. You can't just go from store to store to look at all the devices and try them out. And, there's no Consumers Report to refer to or accreditation mechanisms for professionals or institutions specializing in assistive technology.

When we purchase a shirt or car, we make our own decisions about what to buy. However, when a communication device is purchased, choices often are made on the basis of recommendations from a clinician or in some cases, a manufacturer's representative, who thinks he/she knows what's "best."

Complaints about AAC services and tales about equipment that has been abandoned hurt the field of AAC. Every time a family, a funding agency or a government buys something (whether it is a piece of equipment, an assessment or training session), and it does not meet the needs or falls short of expectations, financial and human resources have been wasted. Shopping sprees for AAC services cost lots of money and take lots of time.

My belief and experience has been that people involved in AAC want to do the best they can. We want to recommend the best, i.e., right device and provide the best available service. Sometimes we do; and inevitably, sometimes we do not. Everyone makes mistakes!

Let's start encouraging those who have complaints to bring them to the attention of the agency, manufacturer and/or professional involved. Let's give individuals, teams and agencies the opportunity to improve their services. Let's improve the overall perception of services in AAC. Feedback!

The consumer movement is fast becoming a dominant force and influence to governments world-wide. Let's work together! The better educated the consumer, the better AAC service delivery will become.

This article appears in ACN Volume 4, # 6.

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