ATEN Year-End Report now available view pdf
July 2005 - June 2006

Media...
June, 2003
"From Discarded to Regarded...Recycling Technology to Impact the Lives of People" - a joint production by the Assistive Technology Exchange Network, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Watch Video...

ATEN - the Assistive Technology Exchange Network - since 1995 has been accepting used technology items from private donors for transfer to Illinois schools, which serve children with disabilities. ATEN is administered by UCP Chicago's Infinitec program with funding from the Illinois State Board of Education as authorized by the Illinois School Code.
(GO TO ATEN CONTACT INFORMATION.)

While ATEN solicits donated technology equipment in its own right, it also is affiliated with the National Cristina Foundation, a national non-profit agency which distributes donated computer equipment to people who have disabilities or are economically or educationally disadvantaged. NCF transfers equipment to ATEN for Illinois distribution according to ATEN's own guidelines.

Most of the technology recycled by ATEN is donated by corporations which are replacing old equipment with new.  (As of January, 2007 more than 13,000 businesses and individuals had donated equipment to ATEN.) Before sending equipment to schools, ATEN checks and refurbishes it as needed. ATEN also carefully matches the school's needs with the equipment available.

As of January, 2007, ATEN had distributed to schools throughout the state 36,356 computer systems as well as several thousand printers, touch screens, software packages and other items. ATEN has served 1,823 schools in 983 Illinois communities.

Every computer distributed by ATEN is loaded with the Windows operating system and a (non-current) version of WordPerfect. Computers distributed by ATEN are guaranteed to work.

ATEN's philosophy makes "winners" of everyone involved in the program--time and equipment donors, program partners, schools, teachers and children. Illinois taxpayers win, too: ATEN realizes a return of $7 for every $1 invested in the program! In 2005-2006 alone, more than $2,874,950 worth of computer equipment was distributed to Illinois schools at no charge.

For information about obtaining equipment from or donating equipment to ATEN, please contact 708-444-8460 (V), 800-476-2836 (toll-free V) or 708-429-3981 (fax). Or e-mail ATEN at ggrill@ucpnet.org. ATEN request and donor forms and other ATEN information also is available at the Illinois State Board of Education website.

Internships in computer testing, reconditioning and repair offered with Triton Community College, Taylor Business Institute, DeVry Technical Institute and other technical schools and colleges in the Chicago area offering computer technician training. Students gain hands-on practice in computer repair and upgrade while ATEN and Illinois schools benefit from their work.

In partnership with several local junior (middle school) and senior high schools, ATEN offers students with disabilities opportunities to gain work skills and experience in the ATEN office, repair lab and warehouse, as appropriate.

Six-month internships for participants in Project Chance, an Illinois welfare-to-work program.

In partnership with the Illinois Office of Rehabilitative Services (ORS), ATEN provides computers to adults with disabilities. This program has delivered more than 350 computers to ORS consumers in the past two years. ATEN also provided in-home basic computer training to some 100 of these.

ATEN is a member of the National Cristinia Foundation Learning Network, a core group of NCF organizations which work together to develop best practices and models for computer reutilization programs. Staff members from programs in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Canada have visited ATEN to learn about developing their own programs.

On request, at its Drop-in Center/Training Lab, ATEN demonstrates adaptive computer equipment to parents, teachers and other educators, and therapists who wish to keep up with the options available to students with disabilities. The lab is one way to try equipment before purchasing.

For more information about ATEN programs, please contact ATEN. 708-444-8460 (V), 800-476-2836 (toll-free V) or 708-429-3981 (fax). Or e-mail ggrill@ucpnet.org.