Bill Overview
Title: AACCENT Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award three grants in geographically diverse regions to establish a network of resource centers to improve access to tools, technologies, strategies, training, and other methods used to supplement or replace speech (i.e., augmentative and alternative communication) for individuals with significant expressive communication disabilities. These are communication disabilities (other than communication disabilities that are primarily visual or auditory in nature) that prevent or significantly limit an individual from understanding or being understood using spoken words, resulting in the need for or benefit from augmentative and alternative communication.
Sponsors: Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals with significant expressive communication disabilities needing AAC
Estimated Size: 2000000
- The bill focuses on individuals with significant expressive communication disabilities that are not primarily visual or auditory.
- It involves creating centers to provide tools, technologies, strategies, training, and support for these individuals to communicate effectively.
- The group affected is specifically those with disabilities preventing or significantly limiting understanding or being understood using spoken words.
- Alternative communication methods are key for these individuals, indicating a substantial impact on their daily lives and ability to communicate.
Reasoning
- The policy targets a specific segment of individuals with communication disabilities, specifically those requiring augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
- Assessing this group involves considering both children and adults potentially benefiting from improved AAC access.
- The budget limits suggest implementing centers in regions with significant populations needing AAC resources to maximize impact.
- The interviews should include a diverse range of individuals, both directly affected by the policy and those indirectly impacted or unaffected.
- Understanding the subjective wellbeing, both currently and projected under the policy, helps illustrate the positive and potentially negative impacts of the policy.
Simulated Interviews
student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 8 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope I can talk to my friends better with new tools from the center.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
graphic designer (Austin, TX)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could give me more ways to express my ideas at work.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
retired (Chicago, IL)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 1/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having local resources will help me adapt better to my device.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
speech therapist (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will better equip me to help more children effectively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
high school student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 15 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I want to use my device better in school and with friends.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
engineer (St. Louis, MO)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Hopefully, the policy will help me develop more fluent communication solutions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
retired (Miami, FL)
Age: 73 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The centers could offer me new ways to keep communicating as I age.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
nonprofit director (Denver, CO)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The AACCENT Act can elevate resources for people we work with.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
college student (New York, NY)
Age: 18 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could open up more educational resources that I need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
IT specialist (Brooklyn, NY)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The centers should boost local initiatives and connect users better.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 2: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 3: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 5: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 10: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 100: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Key Considerations
- Infrastructure costs for establishing resource centers could be high initially but stabilize over time.
- The necessity for multi-year grants may need continuous federal evaluation and adjustments.
- Inequities in the distribution and accessibility of the centers might arise, needing careful planning to ensure equitable access.
- Long-term savings in healthcare could offset some implementation costs.