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Alternative Financing Programs Information Center

State Organizations

Alabama

1. Alabama Alternative Financing Loan Program
   Alabama’s Alternative Finance Program for individuals with disabilities and their families allows applicants to borrow money at low interest or extended terms for the purchase of assistive technology, adaptive equipment and related services. Alternative financing needs may include but will not be limited to a means of paying for devices not covered by public programs, of providing a loan sooner than other public programs, and/or of having another funding source available. The alternative financing program is administered through the Southern Disability Foundation Inc., a community-based organization founded in collaboration with STAR, Alabama's assistive technology resource.

Arizona

1. Arizona Loans for Assistive Technology Program
   Arizona Loan$ for Assistive Technology (AzLAT) is a consumer driven, statewide alternative financing program offering affordable loans to persons with disabilities for the purchase of assistive technology devices. AzLAT is targeted to persons with low and middle incomes, creating a dignified alternative to traditional lending programs.

Arkansas

1. Arkansas Technology Alternative Financing Project
   The Arkansas Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Program (AFP) provides Arkansans with disabilities access to an affordable funding option for the purchase of assistive technology. It offers reduced interest rate, extended term loans to individuals with disabilities to obtain needed assistive technology services or devices. The AFP is sponsored by Arkansas Rehabilitation Services in partnership with the Arkansas Development Finance Authority. The Governor appointed Technology Equipment Revolving Loan Fund Committee provides program oversight.

Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands

1. Trankilu Loan Program
   The Trankilu Loan Program is the assistive technology alternative financing loan program for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Delaware

1. Delaware Loan Program
   In 2003, the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative began developing two low-interest AT loan programs, the Delaware Assistive Technology Loan Fund and the Delaware Telework Equipment Loan Program in order to help Delawareans get the AT they need and want. Both the AT Loan Fund and the Telework Loan Program will enable individuals to borrow funds for AT purchases at below-market interest rates and with reasonable repayment schedules. Once established, these loan programs will be administered by the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the DATI in conjunction with local banks.

Florida

1. Florida Alternative Financing Program
   The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) partners with banking institutions to provide loans with favorable interest rates to consumers who need help financing an assistive technology purchase. AT allows individuals to overcome barriers to independence education and employment by providing them with the tools and technology that would allow them to experience the highest degree of inclusion possible. You can borrow from $500 to $20,000 to purchase things like vehicle or home modifications, adaptive computer equipment, scooters, etc.

Georgia

1. Credit-Able, the Georgia Assistive Technology Loan Guarantee Program
   Credit-Able is Georgia's alternative financing program for assistive technology. It provides guarantees to enable loans for assistive technology and home and vehicle modifications. Credit-Able provides these loan guarantees, along with negotiated rates and terms, to Georgians with disabilities, their families and care-givers, and/or employers to help individuals with disabilities become independent and involved members of their communities with an improved quality of life.

Guam

1. Guam Options for Alternative Loans for Assistive Technology
   

Illinois

1. TechConnect Low Interest Loan Program
   The TechConnect Low Interest Loan Program has two parts. The Assistive Technology Loan Program provides loans to Illinois residents with disabilities and/or their families on behalf of the person with a disability to purchase assistive technology devices, services, and home modifications. The Telework Loan Program is restricted to Illinois residents with disabilities, 18 years and older. The loan can be used to purchase equipment, services, and home modifications for home-based employment. The equipment is not restricted to assistive technology devices. The interest rate for a TechConnect Low Interest Loan is 5.5 percent. This rate is fixed for the term of the loan. Loan amounts range from $500 to $40,000. Amounts over or under the minimum and maximum will be considered on a case-by case basis.

Iowa

1. Iowa Loan Program
   

Kansas

1. Kansas Assistive Technology Cooperative
   The Kansas Assistive Technology Cooperative (KATCO) provides Kansans with disabilities and their families access to financing for the purchase of Assistive Technology (AT) equipment and/or services. Programs include Flexible Term Loans, Assistive Technology Individual Development Savings Accounts, and financial counseling. KATCO also manages the Telework Loan Program that provides financing to individuals with disabilities or their employers for the purchase of equipment, modified and non-modified, that will assist an employee engage in telework employment.

Kentucky

1. Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation
   The Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation (KATLC) offers low interest loans for qualified applicants with disabilities who need assistive technology. Working with its lending partner, Fifth Third Bank of Kentucky, KATLC can provide loans for modified vehicles, hearing aids, adapted computers, mobility devices, augmentative communication devices or any other type of equipment or home modification that will improve the quality of life or increase the independence of Kentuckians with disabilities.

Louisiana

1. Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network
   LATAN, the state assistive technology project, assists Louisiana residents with disabilities to achieve a higher quality of life and greater independence through increased access to assistive technology as part of their daily lives. Programs and services of LATAN include the AT Marketplace, an online and telephone accessible database of previously owned assistive devices and equipment for sale or donation; the Assistive Technology Loan Program, which provides reduced-interest, fixed-rate, extended-term loans to purchase assistive technology; the Computer ReUse Program, which connects Louisiana consumers who have disabilities with used, rebuilt, low-cost computers shipped to their doors; the Emergency Equipment Distribution Program, which distributes donated assistive equipment to evacuees of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; information and referral services; and training, technical assistance, and AT demonstration activities.

Maine

1. mPower - Maine's Adaptive Equipment Loan Fund
   mPower, Maine's Adaptive Equipment Loan Fund, provides low-interest loans for individuals with disabilities and for businesses to make their workplace more accessible to employees and customers. Loans are available from $250 up to $100,000, with extra quick decisions on those for $5,000 or less. Staff from Alpha One can help the applicant find the right equipment, while the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) carefully looks at the loan application to make sure the individual can make the monthly payments. Both organizations' recommendations are acted upon by the program's Board of Directors, the majority of whom are people with disabilities. The program also provides expert advice on adaptive equipment, accessibility design, and the access requirements of the Americans Disability Act (ADA).

Maryland

1. Maryland Technology Assistance Program
   The Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP) provides a statewide, consumer responsive system of technical assistance for individuals with disabilities. MD TAP programs include the Assistive Technology Guaranteed Loan Program and the Telework Loan Program, which provide alternative financing for assistive technology; AT:LAST, an AT purchasing cooperative for Maryland schools; information and referral services; the Equipment Demonstration Program and Equipment Loan Program, which allow individuals with disabilities to try or borrow equipment before making a purchase; and AT training at the Workforce and Technology Center in Baltimore. MD TAP also sponsors protection and advocacy services through the Maryland Disability Law Center (MDLC).

Massachusetts

1. Massachusetts AT Loan Program
   The Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program offers access to reduced-interest loans for assistive technology and related services. Qualified Massachusetts residents who have disabilities and their families will use the loans to purchase technology that will improve the quality of their lives and help them reach their full potential. The technology may include communication devices, adapted computers, Braille equipment, and hearing and vision aids. Certain vehicle and home modifications also are allowable. Compared to traditional bank loans, the program has a higher loan approval rate and low-interest options. Even people with poor credit histories may qualify. The program is being managed by Easter Seals through a contract with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.

Michigan

1. Michigan Loan Funds
   The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund and Michigan Telework Loan Fund provide loans for Michigan residents to purchase assistive technology. The Assistive Technology Loan Fund allows people with disabilities and seniors (or their family members) to purchase assistive technology devices or services, including modification of vehicles and homes. Loans may also cover cost of training to use the purchased equipment, warranties, and service agreements. The TeleWork Loan Fund provides loans for individuals with disabilities to purchase equipment and home modifications to enable work from home. The Michigan Assistive Technology and Telework Loan Funds were established by the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (MDRC) through grants from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). MDRC joined with United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan, the Option 1 Credit Union, and disability organizations throughout the state to offer these programs.

Minnesota

1. Assistive Technology of Minnesota
   Assistive Technology of Minnesota provides a statewide, comprehensive, consumer responsive system of assistive technology for Minnesotans of all ages with disabilities. It provides resource and referral information to persons with a disability to access assistive technology devices and services, and collaborates with other providers such as the Minnesota STAR Program in the delivery of AT services and training. Services offered by ATMn include the Micro Loan Program and the Access to Telework Loan Program, and ATMn serves as a point of contact for the Eye-Link program, a donor-advised fund that provides financial support for assistive technology to visually impaired individuals.

Missouri

1. Show Me Loans
   Show Me Loans is a low-interest loan program to enable Missourians to purchase assistive technology equipment and devices, home access modifications and vehicle access modifications for persons with disabilities in Missouri. Loans can be applied for by Missourians with disabilities, family members, etc. for wheelchairs, electric scooters, hearing aids, computers, augmentative communication devices, electronic print enlarging devices and for other equipment made for people with disabilities. Loans may also be made for the costs of assistive technology services such as an evaluation or trainings to learn how to use a device.

Montana

1. MonTECH
   MonTECH provides free, confidential information about assistive technology devices and services for Montanans of all ages. The project operates a technology demonstration and evaluation center called the Montana Technology Access Center (MTAC), located on the University of Montana campus. It maintains a statewide database of available assistive technology devices. MonTECH operates an Assistive Technology Loan Program in which loans are available for eligible Montana residents or military personnel and their families who are stationed in Montana. Through a partnership with Community Bank-Missoula, loans are made at an interest rate equal to the prime rate in effect at the time the loan is made.

Nebraska

1. Nebraska Loan Programs
   Easter Seals Nebraska, as part of a cooperative agreement with the Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership and First National Bank Omaha, offers two alternative financing loan programs. The Nebraska Alternative Financing Program provides low or reduced interest loans to qualified Nebraskans with disabilities for the purchase of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services. The Nebraska Telework Loan Program provides low or reduced interest loans to qualified Nebraskans with disabilities for the purchase of equipment and services necessary for securing telework opportunities from home or other permanent remote sites. This includes but is not limited to: computers, printers, software, fax machines, scanners, office machines, telecommunication devices, telecommunication system installation charges, office furniture, home modifications for accessibility and/or to create home offices, motor vehicles, and other technology.

Nevada

1. Nevada Assistive Technology Loan Fund
   Assistive Technology Loans are personal loans made to individuals with disabilities to modify their vehicles or homes. Loans are provided by a grant from the State of Nevada.

New Mexico

1. Access Loan New Mexico
   Access Loan New Mexico (ALNM) is an alternative loan program for New Mexico citizens over the age of 18 with disabilities who desire to purchase assistive technology, adaptive equipment or make accessible modifications to their homes or services.
2. New Mexico Tele-Work Loan Program
   The New Mexico Tele-Work Loan Program (NMTLP) is a loan program for persons with disabilities who are looking for equipment loans to help them with a home-based business or self-employment. It provides loan guarantees and interest rate subsidies to help people with disabilities work independently.

New York

1. TRAID Project
   TRAID, Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities, provides partial funding to New York's 12 Regional TRAID Centers (RTCs), where staff provide information, training, device demonstration and loan, technical assistance and advocacy on how to obtain and use assistive technology services and devices. In collaboration with the New York State Department of Health Early Intervention Program, the TRAID Project provides partial funding to the RTCs for equipment loan libraries for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. TRAID also operates and maintains the TRAID-IN Equipment Exchange program, which is a service for individuals who are looking to sell, donate or obtain used assistive devices for people with disabilities. An Equipment Loan Fund provides low interest loans for purchase of assistive technology.

North Dakota

1. North Dakota Alternative Financial Loan Program
   The North Dakota Alternative Financial Loan Program is available to help North Dakota residents with disabilities or those experiencing the effects of aging obtain assistive technology devices or services. It is an affordable alternative in assistive technology financing. Any North Dakota resident with a disability who needs assistive technology and can demonstrate the ability to repay the loan is eligible. Family members may apply on behalf of children or other family members with disabilities, as long as the device or service is for the person with the disability.
2. North Dakota Association for the Disabled, Inc.
   The North Dakota Association for the Disabled is a nonprofit, charitable organization founded by concerned citizens for the purpose of assisting people with mental and physical disabilities in the state of North Dakota, many of whom are not eligible for services from other agencies. In cooperation with the North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology (IPAT) and North Dakota Protection and Advocacy (P&A), it provides the North Dakota Assistive Technology Financial Loan Program, which provides loans to eligible North Dakotans to purchase assistive technology devices and services.
3. North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology
   The Interagency Program for Assistive Technology (IPAT) increases access to assistive technology in North Dakota by engaging in activities that raise awareness, disseminate information, provide training and assessments, work with policy makers, loan equipment for trial-use, and demonstrate assistive technology (AT) devices to individuals of all ages with disabilities and those experiencing the effects of aging throughout the state. IPAT increases AT acquisition by making available a used equipment bulletin board and an alternative financial loan program specific to the purchase of AT devices and services.

Oklahoma

1. Oklahoma Alternative Financing Program
   Oklahoma ABLE Tech offers an Alternative Financing Program (AFP) and an Access to Telework Fund Program (ATF) to Oklahomans with disabilities. Both programs offer a low interest and/or low interest guaranty bank loan that provides Oklahomans with disabilities the opportunity to borrow money for the purchase of needed assistive technology, computers and other adaptive equipment. Both loan programs are administered through a partnership between ABLE Tech, BancFirst of Stillwater, and the Oklahoma Assistive Technology Foundation or OkAT.

Pennsylvania

1. Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
   The Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) is a non-profit organization that provides low-interest loans to people with disabilities and older adults so that they can buy the assistive technology devices and services they need.

South Carolina

1. South Carolina Assistive Technology Loan Program
   South Carolina Assistive Technology Loan Program offers loan guarantees and interest rate subsidies to qualifying South Carolinians with disabilities, their families and authorized representatives to purchase equipment needed to become more independent and to enhance quality of life. The costs of training to use the equipment, insurance, extended warranties and maintenance plans may be included in the loan.

Tennessee

1. Tennessee Technology Access Project
   "The Tennessee Technology Access Project (TTAP) is a statewide program designed to increase access to, and acquisition of, assistive technology devices and services. Through it’s four core programs: Funding Assistance, Device Demonstration, Device Loan and Device Reutilization, TTAP and a network of five assistive technology centers help people with disabilities and their families find and get the tools that they need to live independent, productive lives where and how they choose."

Utah

1. Utah Assistive Technology Foundation
   The Utah Assistive Technology Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that works with Zions Bank of Utah to provide low-interest loans to purchase assistive technology and telework devices. The UATF also offers small grants of $250 or less on a limited basis through non-federal funding to families who meet federal poverty guidelines. Its goal is to assist Utahns with disabilities by enhancing their independence, education, employment, and quality of life through assistive technology.

Vermont

1. Independence Fund
   The Independence Fund loans to people with disabilities, their families and non-profit organizations for the purchase of assistive technology. Eligible AT includes modified vehicles, wheelchairs or other mobility equipment, hearing aids and assisted listening devices, disability-specific recreation equipment, home modifications, and computers and special communication devices.

Virgin Islands

1. Virgin Islands Assistive Technology Foundation
   The Virgin Islands Assistive Technology Foundation (VIATF) offers people with disabilities access to low-interest bank loans to purchase assistive technology devices and services. Under VIATF, the cost of the borrowed money is significantly reduced. Loans can be made for a minimum of $300.00 and a maximum of $15,000.00.

Virginia

1. Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority
   "The ATLFA makes loans to Virginians with disabilities, and their family members, which feature easier loan approval criteria, flexible terms and low interest rates. The ATLFA makes loans and loan guarantees to families on fixed incomes, or who have credit problems related to their disability. Loans may be used to purchase special technology, home and vehicle modifications."

Washington

1. Washington Access Fund
   The Washington Access Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to improving the socio-economic circumstances of people with disabilities through access to technology. The Fund provides low-interest loans to help Washington residents with disabilities obtain the technologies and business equipment they need to live independently and to succeed at school, at work, at play and in the community. Assistive Technology Loans can be used for any type of assistive device or service, for vehicle modifications, or for home modifications. Telework Loans can be used for business equipment and related services that will enable the borrower to work from home as an entrepreneur or an employee. In addition to its loan programs, the Fund also has a limited number of video magnifiers (CCTVs) available for long-term rental to Washington residents of all ages.

Wisconsin

1. Wisconsin Telework Loan Program
   The Wisconsin Telework Loan Program is a statewide, alternative loan program that allows Wisconsin residents with disabilities to purchase computers and other equipment needed to work from home or from other remote sites away from the office, such as work on the road or at a telework center. Loan amounts range from $500 to $50,000. The program is funded by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and administered by IndependenceFirst in Milwaukee. Staff at Independent Living Centers throughout Wisconsin can answer questions and take applications.
2. WisLoan Loan Program
   WisLoan is an alternative loan program for persons with disabilities in Wisconsin who desire to purchase assistive devices or services. IndependenceFirst, an Independent Living Center based in Milwaukee, administers the program in partnership with Marshall & Ilsley Bank and seven other Independent Living Centers.

Wyoming

1. Wyoming Technology Access Program
   The Wyoming Technology Access Program (WYTAP) will permit Wyoming residents with disabilities and family members with low incomes to apply for reduced interest loans to purchase assistive technology equipment and services, including mobility devices, learining devices, communication devices, vehicle modifications, home modifications, recreation devices, and visual aids.