Summary of Access to Telework Alternative Financing Mechanisms

Appendix A. Summary of Access to Telework

Alternative Financing Mechanisms

Telework Programs

Section 303(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehab Act), authorized competitive grants for special demonstrations. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) used this authority to create grants to support Access to Telework (Telework) funds in 2003. The Notice of Final Priority (NFP) for Telework grants paralleled the requirements of title III of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (AT Act of 1998) that authorized competitive grants for the establishment and maintenance of alternative financing programs (AFPs), so Telework programs also feature one or more alternative financing mechanisms. Telework programs, however, provide financial loans to enable individuals with disabilities to obtain computers and other equipment to work as employees or contractors, or to become self-employed on a full-time or part-time basis.

1. A low-interest loan fund.

2. An interest buy-down program.

3. A revolving loan fund.

4. A loan guarantee or insurance program.

5. A program operated by a partnership among private entities for the purchase, lease, or other acquisition of equipment.

6. Another mechanism that meets the requirements of the NFP for Telework and is approved by the Secretary.

The Telework programs are designed to allow individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, advocates, employers, and authorized representatives to purchase equipment. If family members, guardians, advocates, and authorized representatives (including employers who have been designated by an individual with a disability as an authorized representative) receive Telework support to purchase computers and other equipment necessary for work, then the purchase must be solely for the benefit of that individual.