A bill would explore making NH a ‘technology first’ state on disability. Here’s what that means.
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The technology-first framework is designed to address a nationwide shortage of professional disability caregivers, commonly known as direct support professionals.
This story was originally published by New Hampshire Bulletin.
Some lawmakers and disability advocates are working to make New Hampshire the latest to adopt what’s called a “technology first” framework for state-administered services for people with disabilities.
The technology-first framework is designed to address a persistent issue within state services for people with disabilities: a nationwide shortage of professional disability caregivers, commonly known as direct support professionals. Adopting this framework would mean the state prioritizes new technologies that might be able to mitigate the need for hard-to-come-by caregivers.
For example, in Missouri which has adopted the framework, the state offers automatic medication dispensers instead of hiring a direct support professional to come to a disabled person’s home and administer medicine when possible. Washington, D.C., has a program that allows people with physical disabilities to receive smart speakers that can control household features, such as lights, with their voice. In Ohio, the state established 10 regional “tech hubs” where people can be trained on using these new assistive technologies.
Kansas University’s Lifespan Institute, which promotes this type of legislation nationwide and tracks its progress across different states, ranks Missouri and Ohio as leaders — or “expert states” — in the technology-first movement. The institute categorizes Washington, D.C., as “advanced.” All but 11 states have adopted some form of this framework, according to the Lifespan Institute. New Hampshire is one of those 11.
If enacted, House Bill 1685 wouldn’t go so far as adopting the framework, but it would establish a commission to study the issue and develop ideas on how to move forward with it. That committee would include lawmakers, disability advocacy organizations, people with disabilities themselves, and their families.
“We in the disability community believe in exploring options and giving opportunities for people to use technology as a way to solve some of the problems that they’re facing with some of the barriers that are occurring, especially around the workforce,” Vanessa Blais, policy and planning director for the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, told state senators in support of the bill in March.
Rep. Heath Howard, who sponsored the bill, said the legislation would ensure New Hampshire becomes “a more inclusive and thoughtful state.” He also framed it in economic terms, saying it would “foster economic growth in (the) high-tech sector” that creates this assistive technology. The commission would also study ways to attract assistive technology companies to New Hampshire.
“Technology first is more than a phrase; it is a framework that ensures that technology is considered first in discussions of support options to promote meaningful participation, social inclusion, and self-determination for individuals and their families,” Howard, a Strafford Democrat, said. “Similar legislation has already passed and seen bipartisan support in other states, and it’s time for New Hampshire to join them.”
An amendment to the bill softened its original language, removing the term “technology first” in favor of “assistive technology.” Some advocates worry this will result in a less comprehensive system-wide approach, but Heath is still promoting the bill as a technology-first measure. HB 1685 has been passed by the House with the amendment and is now being considered in the Senate.
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