ITEM Coalition members include a diverse set of national disability organizations, aging organizations, consumer groups, voluntary health associations, and non-profit provider associations. The mission of the ITEM Coalition is to raise awareness about the importance of assistive devices, technologies, and related services in enhancing the function, independence, health status, and quality of life of people with disabilities and chronic conditions of all ages; and the barriers to access necessary devices and technologies under Medicare and Medicaid as well as other federal health programs and private plans; and build support for broad-based legislative and regulatory changes to address the problems of inadequate access to assistive devices, technologies and related services.
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is a Coalition of national consumer, advocacy, provider and professional organizations headquartered in Washington, D.C. Since 1973, the CCD has advocated on behalf of people of all ages with physical and mental disabilities and their families. CCD has worked to achieve federal legislation and regulations that assure that the 54 million children and adults with disabilities are fully integrated into the mainstream of society.
Audrey Busch, ATAP’s Executive Director, serves as a CCD Co-Chair of the Technology and Telecommunications Task Force. The CCD Technology and Telecommunications Task Force works to guide the development of all legislation to ensure that assistive technology is not an afterthought when developing policy solutions for education, community integration, employment, and other important policy areas. ATAP is also a participant of the CCD Employment and Training Workforce Task Force and the CCD Education Task Force.
