Vernon has never considered himself a person with a disability. He is an avid cyclist, has worked in upper management for York Water Company for 21 years, and is a proud father and grandfather. When he was first diagnosed with hearing loss 15 years ago, “male vanity”—as he puts it—kept him from addressing the issue for years. In 2010 he purchased his first hearing aids, but by 2018 his hearing had declined enough that he was missing large chunks of conversation due to background noise at work and at home.
“Prior to getting hearing aids, I would subconsciously avoid settings with a lot of background noise.”
Vernon chose an inconspicuous pair of hearing aids, barely visible at first glance.
Referred by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Vernon found the PATF interest rate was significantly lower than that of a traditional consumer loan and it was cheaper than charging it on his credit card. He also described the monthly payments as very manageable. He commented, “PATF staff is welcoming and very professional. They did an excellent job shepherding me through the application process.” And when he ran into an issue with PATF’s partner bank, Vernon explained, “PATF staff worked tirelessly on my behalf to mitigate those concerns.” Despite his initial hesitation about hearing aids, Vernon is grateful to have them, and says that they have significantly improved his quality of life and made a drastic difference for him both at work and in his personal relationships.
With an interest rate of just 3.75%, PATF low-interest loans provide Pennsylvanians with disabilities the chance to purchase assistive technology that may not be covered by other funding resources at an affordable rate. But loans aren’t all we offer. Our primary goal is to help you get the assistive technology you want and need in the way that makes most sense to you. We’ll help you navigate public and private funding resources and make sense of what your option are. Contact us to learn more about funding options for your assistive technology.