Nonprofit Spotlight- The INDATA Project, Indiana’s Assistive Technology Resource

For more than 80 years, Easterseals Crossroads has been a leading provider of programs for people with disabilities in Indiana.

As a leading provider of programs for people with disabilities in Indiana, Easterseals Crossroads has been providing services more than 80 years. Realizing the tremendous need for people with disabilities to achieve and maintain their greatest levels of independence, Easterseals Crossroads started to incorporate assistive technology in its employment training programs in 1979 and then opened its Assistive Technology Center in 1990 to provide technology solutions for all program areas.

In 2007, Easterseals Crossroads began partnering with the State of Indiana Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services to establish the Indiana Assistive Technology Act (INDATA) Project. The INDATA Project is one of 56 similar, federally-funded projects designed to increase access to, and awareness of, assistive technology.

Improving Access to Assistive Technology: “It is the mission of the INDATA Project to improve access to, acquisition of and knowledge about assistive technology to individuals of all ages with disabilities,” said Easterseals Crossroads Director of Assistive Technology Brian Norton. “INDATA provides assistive technology through four main programs — an equipment loan library, device demonstrations, equipment re-utilization through the INDATA Depot and financial loans for devices and services.”

INDATA’s equipment loan library is the state’s largest library of assistive technology devices for loan. It’s available for anyone who lives in the state of Indiana, and it’s free of cost for 30 days at a time. The library has more than 2,500 items — including screen magnifiers, computers and communication devices.

“You can try something for free before purchasing it to help make the decision of what device works best for you,” Norton said. Interested Hoosiers can go to the INDATA website at eastersealstech.com and sign up for an account, as well as browse through all of the items. In addition to the equipment loan library, INDATA offers to-your-door device demonstrations throughout Indiana. Device demonstrations are important because they give consumers the hands-on opportunity to learn about unique features, functions and options of various pieces of assistive technology. Individuals can try out the device to determine whether or not it will work for them in accomplishing tasks at school, work, in their homes and in the community.

“That way, they don’t purchase a piece of equipment that’s just not going to be practical for them,” Norton said. “Plus, when we can show them the technology up close, they learn more about how to use the device and maybe even some new skills they hadn’t known before.”

Reuse and Revitalize with the Depot: Another INDATA program is the INDATA Depot, an equipment reuse program that provides donated devices — mainly computers — to Hoosiers with disabilities free of charge. The INDATA Depot provides roughly 200 computers per year to Indiana residents with disabilities.

“The Depot is this amazing place where we receive donated equipment, such as video magnifiers, computers, laptops and tablets. With the help of volunteers and interns, we clean, prep and license these items,” said INDATA Program Manager Tracy Castillo. Easterseals Crossroads is a Microsoft registered refurbisher, allowing the organization to preinstall genuine Microsoft software, provide datawiping security services and refurbish computers through environmentallysustainable means.

“We give computers to individuals who most likely would not be able to receive them,” Castillo said. “We take donations from, and make deliveries to, anywhere in the state of Indiana. The Depot gives great work experience to individuals with disabilities who might not get this type of training [elsewhere].” The Depot also benefits people with disabilities on the other side of the reuse program, providing internships and volunteer opportunities for them to help refurbish and prepare the donated equipment for distribution back to the community.

“It’s cool to see them refine their job skills and become more comfortable with technology that will help them as well,” Castillo said. The volunteers are responsible for removing old hard drives and installing new ones along with new operating systems and software tailored to people with disabilities. “Many of the people who enter our program have never had a job before, so it’s great to know the skills they learn here help them get a good one,” Castillo said. “Whether they’re an intern, a volunteer or someone coming to pick up a computer, I have yet to see one person not smile when they leave the Depot.”

Funding for Independence: For Hoosiers with disabilities, INDATA’s Alternative Financing Program (AFP) doesn’t just provide financial assistance — it allows them to live independently. AFP is a low-interest extended-term bank loan program. Made possible through a partnership with STAR Financial Bank, AFP loans provide funding for assistive technology devices including, but not limited to, hearing aids, adapted vehicles, augmentative communication devices, Braille equipment, computers, home modifications and environmental control units. This program is for Indiana residents who have a documented disability and need assistive technology. The minimum amount a candidate may borrow is $500, and the maximum is $35,000. First, those interested must fill out an application from INDATA, which asks for:

• Documentation of disability (letter from a nurse, physician, case worker or certifying official)

• Intended use of the assistive technology the loan would provide, including vendor information and anticipated cost

• Questions regarding the individual’s acknowledgment of the loan relationship with STAR Financial Bank If qualified, the individual must fill out a loan application from STAR Financial Bank. Once that is approved, they will complete a loan agreement and arrange for monthly installments to be paid directly to STAR Financial. “A little bit of money can go a long way,” said Nikol Prieto, community outreach coordinator at

Easterseals Crossroads. “These loans can be true life-changers, and we’ve seen several great success stories come out of this program.”

Training and Outreach: In addition to its four core programs, the INDATA Project organizes and sponsors instructional events, presentations and trainings designed to increase each participant’s knowledge and skills in the area of assistive technology. INDATA offers full-day trainings for the public and specialized trainings to groups and organizations each year. Guest lectures are also presented at Indiana colleges and universities for students in education, special education, library science, engineering, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy classes. Anyone in Indiana and beyond can connect with INDATA through a variety of podcasts — ATUpdate, a 30-minute weekly podcast to keep you up to date with the latest developments in assistive technology; AT Frequently- Asked Questions, a one-hour bi-weekly question-and-answer podcast to address a wide variety of AT questions; and Accessibility Minute, a one-minute weekly fast-paced podcast to look at assistive technology. Plus, the INDATA YouTube Channel showcases weekly YouTube videos called “Tech Tips,” highlighting an AT device and providing viewers and listeners a product description, a list of basic features and an explanation of who might benefit from the device.

“We’re all about independence and being able to provide folks the tools and the things they need to be as independent as possible,” Norton said. To connect with the INDATA Project, please visit eastersealstech.com.