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Baltimore, MD – (March 11, 2024) The Maryland Department of Disabilities Assistive Technology Program is thrilled to announce that the High-Tech Assistive Technology Reuse center, has received a large and generous donation from Stephen Azman with Low Vision Specialists of Maryland and Virginia.
The statewide High-Tech Assistive Technology Reuse program receives donations of assistive technology devices andcleans, repairs, refurbishes and donates them back out to Marylanders with disabilities at no cost. The Low Vision Specialists of Maryland was in process of closing their low vision shop and had a large quantity of blind and low vision aids available for donation. With devices ranging from ramble tags to Optical Character Recognition glasses, desktop magnifiers to mobility canes, the total value came to nearly $100,000.
“We are deeply grateful to the Low Vision Specialists of Maryland and Virginia for this donation,” said Maryland Department of Disabilities Secretary Carol A. Beatty. “Community partnerships are vital to our work and demonstrate the impact of service and collaboration.”
In many instances, assistive technology devices are costly, not covered through insurance, and frequently time-consuming to acquire through other services. By having these items available through the Maryland Assistive Technology Reuse program, Marylanders with vision impairments will be able to access and acquire needed devices for free and in a timely manner.
“We’ll be offering the majority of these items for direct donation to consumers, but will also place some of the items in our assistive technology demonstration and loan libraries across the state. This will broaden access to Marylanders of all ages and disabilities to borrow these items before investing in a purchase. The impact of this donation is monumental,” said Maryland Assistive Technology Program Executive Director Lori Berrong.
For more information or to receive a device, contact the Maryland Assistive Technology Program by calling 410-554-9232 or email: MDTAP.AT-Reuse@maryland.gov.
Last year, the Maryland Assistive Technology Reuse program and its partners saved Marylanders with disabilities more than $1 million dollars in cost savings. The program is also instrumental in keeping assistive technology and durable medical equipment out of landfills through its process of refurbishment and repair.
The Maryland Department of Disabilities Assistive Technology Program extends our gratitude to Stephen Azman and the Low Vision Specialists of Maryland and Virginia who have made this generous donation, and which will leverage greater independence for Marylanders with disabilities in their communities, schools and workplaces
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For press coverage, contact Kim McKay at 410-767-3654, email: kimberly.mckay1@maryland.gov.
About the Maryland Department of Disabilities: The Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) is charged with coordinating and improving the delivery of services to individuals with disabilities in the state of Maryland. By working collaboratively with all State government agencies, MDOD provides advocacy and guidance to ensure that State entities deliver services in the most integrated settings possible, develop consistent policies affecting those with disabilities, and consider the diverse needs of all when making decisions which impact Marylanders.
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