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Constituent Demonstrates Assistive Technology, Praises Legislature for Bill 123
Summary
A young constituent used assistive‑technology to thank the Utah House for passage of Bill 123 and described how costly equipment—he said his device cost over $30,000—has enabled education, work and civic participation; lawmakers responded with applause and recognition.
Jaden, a constituent who communicates through an assistive-technology device, addressed the Utah House during a short floor demonstration to thank lawmakers for passage of Bill 123 and to show how the technology supports independence. "On behalf of the disabled community of Utah, we say a big thank you for the passage of Bill 123," Jaden said, using his device to speak to members.
Jaden described the impact of the devices and programs the appropriation will support: "My equipment that you see today cost well over $30,000 but the independence that it affords me is priceless," he said, and thanked private donors and organizations such as United Cerebral Palsy and March of Dimes for earlier support. He told members that the $400,000 appropriation “will allow many children and adults the opportunities and independence that they have never known,” listing wheelchairs, computer assistive equipment and communication devices as examples.
Representative Brown, who introduced Jaden, emphasized the practical effects of access to these devices and asked the chamber to recognize the demonstration. Colleagues on the floor echoed praise: members stood and applauded after the presentation and several colleagues recounted personal experiences with Jaden as a student and community volunteer. The demonstration came amid routine floor business and served as a brief testimonial to the real-world effects of the appropriation.
The sponsor and members noted that while the current appropriation is finite, the demonstration highlighted continuing need: lawmakers said the $400,000 appropriation will be distributed to assist individuals who lack other funding sources, and that ongoing outreach to nonprofits and county programs would be necessary to reach eligible people.
The House returned to its agenda after the recognition; no new motion or amendment was introduced during the demonstration. The demonstration and the remarks in its wake were entered on the House floor record for March 4, 1998.
