Spectrum Arch, Inc.Assistive technology (AT) can change daily life: a communication app, an adapted switch, a talking calendar, a reading tool, a smart home device that gives more independence. But it's expensive, and the wrong device ends up in a drawer. New York has a free program to help you choose well.
What TRAID is
TRAID (Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities) is New York's federally funded assistive technology program, run by the NYS Justice Center. It works through 12 Regional TRAID Centers across the state and serves people with disabilities of all ages, along with their families and the professionals who support them.
What you can get
- Information: what kinds of devices exist for a particular need
- Device demonstrations: see and try devices side by side
- Short-term device loans: borrow a device for free and test it in real life at home, school, or work
- Device reuse and exchange: pass on equipment you no longer need, or find a used device
- Training for users, families, and staff
Why borrowing first matters
A device that looks perfect in a demonstration may not work in a noisy kitchen, on a bus, or with a person's sensory preferences. A loan lets you find out before you buy, or before you ask an insurer, school, or self-direction budget to pay for it.
Paying for AT
Depending on the device and the person, funding may come from health insurance or Medicaid, the school (if it's in the IEP), ACCES-VR (for work goals), OPWDD services, or a self-direction budget through Individual Directed Goods and Services. A trial through TRAID gives you evidence the device works, which helps with any of these.
How to start
Contact the TRAID program at the NYS Justice Center (800-624-4143) or visit its website to find the Regional TRAID Center that serves your county.
Sources: NYS Justice Center, TRAID Program; NYS Justice Center, What Is TRAID.