D

Recommendations

AT Industry Data

• Foreign competitors : Assessments of the competitive status of U.S. AT manufacturers and providers of AT services should be prepared periodically by industry. Information gathering should encompass: market share data on major product classifications; reimbursement policies on AT products for people with disabilities in other nations; and subsidies by national governments for R&D and manufacturing of AT products.
• Market position: The AT industry should commit to collecting comprehensive information on the assistive technology market in the United States and overseas. The industry should use this data to prepare detailed reports on sales revenues, market trends, and related issues on an annual or biannual basis. The assessments should include projections of future market performance when possible.

Regulation & Trade

• Education: The AT industry and federal agencies should hold periodic forums to educate AT manufacturers on foreign engineering, performance, safety, and environmental standards that can affect product acceptance and certification in overseas markets.
• Trade assistance : The Departments of Commerce and State and other government agencies should consider assembling a reference guide of contacts for understanding the performance, safety, and environmental standards and other regulations that can affect the industry’s ability to sell in foreign markets. This document should be posted on appropriate web sites and linked to business, engineering, and research organizations that AT companies utilize.
• Barriers: The AT industry should identify countries with discriminatory trade policies and catalog punitive practices regarding the importation, distribution, sale and delivery of U.S. AT products and services. The industry should itemize the nature of such practices (e.g. tariffs, unreasonable certification requirements, etc.) and actively consult the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Department of State on these issues.
• Enforcement: Where infringement and theft of intellectual property can be demonstrated, the AT industry should request that U.S. Government agencies intensify enforcement of U.S. and international patent laws. AT firms participating in the BIS survey identified exact copies of U.S. patented AT products produced in China and sold in the United States. AT companies should consult the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and U.S. Trade Representative, Department of State on appropriate courses of action, including imposition of tariffs and other punitive actions if infractions warrant them.

Manufacturing

• Technical forums: AT manufacturers and U.S. trade associations such as the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA -- www.atia.org) and the Accessibility Equipment Manufacturers Association (AEMA -- www.aema.com) should organize forums to improve the management, technical, and quality control capabilities of AT companies in the United States, which are largely small enterprises.
• Production & management: AT industry organizations should assemble a central reference source for AT companies operating in the United States to: obtain assistance with manufacturing problems, get support on training issues, learn of new processes, and identify consultants and other resources. Survey results suggest that many AT companies are unaware of organizations such as the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, DOD’s Manufacturing Technology Program, the U.S. Navy’s Best Manufacturing Practices Program, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and other manufacturing support organizations.

Research & Development

• Technology Transfer : AT industry organizations and federal agencies should work together to assemble a catalog of private and U.S. Government organizations that generate and license, or otherwise transfer, technology to industry. Survey data suggest that many AT companies are not aware of organizations such as the Federal Laboratory Consortium (www.federallabs.org), the National Technology Transfer Center (www.nttc.edu), and many other public and private research organizations that are sources of technical assistance, product ideas, and patented inventions.

Engineering and research organizations at the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Energy — as well as those at NASA, the National Science Foundation and elsewhere — should on a biannual basis conduct joint information forums to highlight inventions and other intellectual property that might have application in assistive devices for people with disabilities. Many AT companies are too small to spare the time or money to try to personally visit dozens of federal R&D and engineering organizations. Survey data show that fewer than seven percent of survey participants said they had the experience or capability to tap the expertise at federal R&D facilities.

• Research priorities: AT companies in the United States should establish an industry panel on R&D priorities to: 1) help companies plan their R&D investments; and 2) aid federal R&D program managers in determining where best to allocate their AT R&D funds; and to avoid duplication of industry and government R&D expenditures.

In addition, consideration should be given to the establishment within the federal government of an interagency advisory committee for assistive technology R&D. Its charge would be to: 1) help identify promising technologies that may be applied to address the needs of specific groups of people with disabilities; 2) advise federal agencies on research priorities; and 3) make recommendations on AT-specific R&D programs that should be reduced in scope or eliminated. The group should issue public reports every three years to Congress and executive branch agencies. Membership would include: DOC (NIST), DOE, DOD, Education, HHS (NIH), NASA, NSF and VA.

• Federal Data: Federal research and development expenditures focused on assistive technology and people with disabilities should be collected and assembled annually. The effort should be directed by the Department of Education or HHS.
• Financing: Federal R&D agencies, in conjunction with AT industry organizations, should conduct an outreach program to make more AT manufacturers operating in the U.S. aware of the Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Survey data show that only 14 percent of survey participants applied for such grants.