Assistive Technology Act of 1998

By Garrett Dudzik

The Assistive Technology Act of 1998, or the 1998 AT Act, was the second reauthorization, or amendment, of the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988, following the Tech Act of 1994 amendment. It added more support for distribution, interest, and funding to local and state governments for assistive technology for individuals with disabilities. It builds up from the previous two acts and opens the door for the 2004 AT Act, which made significant changes in how much funding there is and how funding is distributed from the federal government and is spent.

The three acts set up different ways for local and state governments to receive federal funding for state programs relating to technology-based assistance for individuals with disabilities, which spanned various lengths of time. [1]. The 1988 Act granted funding for each state. The main purpose of this act was to introduce programs relating to technology-based assistance for individuals with disabilities to the public. This act would have two titles. Title one was about giving grants to States, and title two was about programs that had some amount of national significance. Under this act, the Secretary would fairly distribute funding to each state through grants that support programs that develop technology-based assistance [2]. The secretary would also evaluate the nation to determine the effectiveness of the programs and the act. The results collected by the secretary would be used to make the 1994 Act.  The 1994 Act built on the previous act, as it granted funding from 1994 through 2004. This act focused more on giving funding to programs set up from the 1988 Act and advocacy groups. A third title was implemented in addition to the previous two, which introduced other ways to receive funding from the federal government. Further funding from this amendment would allow increasing access to technology, assistance for the technology, and improved advocacy to change laws in relation to what the 1988 Act highlights [3].

The 1998 Act, which was renamed to the AT Act, shifted focus again from the previous reauthorization of the Tech Act. It instead focused on providing even more funding to programs and advocacy groups to make them permanent and help maintain them [4]. This act was comprised of four titles, which were titled State Grant Programs, National Activities, Alternative Financing Mechanisms, and Repeal and Conforming Amendments. The first title, State Grant Programs, addresses how funding is provided to states. A highlighted requirement to gain funding through grants was that, in order to receive them, States would have had to receive grants provided by the 1988 Tech Act for less than a decade [5]. The second title, National Activities, was split into two subtitles. The first subtitle was an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that increased research and the ability to gain funding for assistive technology within Federal agencies [6]. The second subtitle was about allowing contracts and grants to be created for businesses outside of the Federal government to aid in the development and research of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities [7]. The third title, Alternative Financing Mechanisms, allows grants to be given to individuals who need assistive technology and services. Under this title, six different grants can be applied for, depending on what you qualify for and your situation [8]. Individuals with disabilities, family members, including guardians, can apply, as well as advocates and representatives [9]. A fourth title was added that the previous act didn’t include, which would repeal the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 1988 [10]. 

This act was passed in the Senate on October 5, 1998, and by the House on October 9, 1998 [11]. It was then passed to the President, who signed it into law on November 13 of the same year. This act would be in effect until 2003, when the AT Act of 2004 would effectively replace it. The 2004 act would make a lot of changes to gain funding. The AT Act of 1998 was the next stepping stone to continued funding and support of programs and assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.

Sources

[1] Text - S.2561 - 100th Congress (1987-1988): Technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities act of 1988 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. Accessed October 26, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/100th-congress/senate-bill/2561/text.

 [2] Ibid.

[3] Katsnet. Accessed October 26, 2025. https://www.katsnet.org/docs/09 - History of AT Act.pdf.

[4] Ibid.

[5] S.2432 - 105th congress (1997-1998): Assistive technology act of 1998 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. Accessed October 26, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/2432.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.