[Federal Register: January 14, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2119-2122]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ja10-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR)--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers
Program--Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs)--Employer
Practices Related to Employment Outcomes Among Individuals With
Disabilities
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133B-3.
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes a funding priority for the Disability
and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered
by NIDRR. Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for RRTCs on
Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes Among Individuals
with Disabilities. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for
competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2010 and later years. We take this
action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend
this priority to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for
individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before February 16, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this notice to Donna Nangle, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6029, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700.
[[Page 2120]]
If you prefer to send your comments by e-mail, use the following
address: donna.nangle@ed.gov. You must include the term ``Proposed
Priority for an RRTC on Employer Practices Related to Employment
Outcomes Among Individuals with Disabilities'' in the subject line of
your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 245-
7462 or by e-mail: donna.nangle@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of proposed priority is in
concert with NIDRR's Final Long-Range Plan for FY 2005-2009 (Plan). The
Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006
(71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve
the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2)
foster an exchange of expertise, information, and training to
facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the unique
needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine best
strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation outcomes for
underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5) identify
mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6) disseminate
findings.
This notice proposes a priority that NIDRR intends to use for RRTC
competitions in FY 2010 and possibly later years. However, nothing
precludes NIDRR from publishing additional priorities, if needed.
Furthermore, NIDRR is under no obligation to make an award for this
priority. The decision to make an award will be based on the quality of
applications received and available funding.
Invitation to Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this notice. To ensure
that your comments have maximum effect in developing the notice of
final priority, we urge you to clearly identify the specific topic that
each comment addresses.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed
priority. Please let us know of any further ways we could reduce
potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the
effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this notice in room 6029, 550 12th Street, SW., PCP,
Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC, time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Project and Centers Program is to plan and
conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related
activities, including international activities, to develop methods,
procedures and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full
inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living,
family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals
with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe
disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
RRTC Program
The purpose of the RRTC program is to improve the effectiveness of
services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,
through advanced research, training, technical assistance, and
dissemination activities in general problem areas, as specified by
NIDRR. Such activities are designed to benefit rehabilitation service
providers, individuals with disabilities, and the family members or
other authorized representatives of individuals with disabilities. In
addition, NIDRR intends to require all RRTC applicants to meet the
requirements of the General Rehabilitation Research and Training
Centers (RRTC) Requirements priority that it published in a notice of
final priorities in the Federal Register on February 1, 2008 (72 FR
6132). Additional information on the RRTC program can be found at:
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#RRTC.
Statutory and Regulatory Requirements of RRTCs
RRTCs must--
Carry out coordinated advanced programs of rehabilitation
research;
Provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to help rehabilitation personnel more effectively
provide rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
Provide technical assistance to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties;
Disseminate informational materials to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties; and
Serve as centers of national excellence in rehabilitation
research for individuals with disabilities, their representatives,
providers, and other interested parties.
Applicants for RRTC grants also must demonstrate in their
applications how they will address, in whole or in part, the needs of
individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
Proposed Priority: This notice contains one proposed priority.
Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes Among Individuals
With Disabilities
Background
Individuals with disabilities experience lower rates of employment
than those without disabilities, and this disparity in employment rates
is seen across all sociodemographic groups (Steinmetz, 2006; U.S.
Census Bureau, 2006; U.S. Department of Labor, 2009).
This disparity in employment rates, as well as differences in other
aspects of employment (e.g., retention rates, job satisfaction, wages),
appear to reflect, at least in part, differences in employer practices
related to hiring, promoting, and retaining employees who have or
acquire disabilities (U.S. Department of Labor, 2009). While it is
difficult to obtain employer-level information, there is some recent
evidence regarding the relationship between employer practices and
outcomes for individuals with disabilities. In 2008, the Office of
Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor funded an
employer survey that examined employer practices related to hiring,
advancing, and retaining employees with disabilities (U.S. Department
of Labor, 2009). The study indicated that
[[Page 2121]]
companies reporting that they actively recruit employees with
disabilities differ from other companies in several domains. For
example, companies that recruited individuals with disabilities were
generally less likely than others to identify challenges in hiring
individuals with disabilities (e.g., accommodation costs, nature of the
work, concern about health care costs) and were more likely to identify
strategies that were helpful in recruiting employees with disabilities
(e.g., developing a targeted recruitment program, visible top
management commitment, providing flexible work schedules). In addition,
companies that reported actively recruiting employees with disabilities
were less likely to have identified the following concerns regarding
hiring individuals with disabilities: That employing workers with
disabilities increased the cost of doing business, that workers with
disabilities lack relevant skills and experience, and that employees
with disabilities posed greater risks to safety and productivity.
Analysis of the responses revealed that employer characteristics,
including company size, sector of the economy, and industry type, were
related to the employers' responses. Larger employers and employers in
the public sector were more likely than other employers to report
employing individuals with disabilities and actively recruiting
applicants with disabilities. Larger companies were also more likely to
report having hired employees with disabilities within the last 12
months. Smaller and medium-sized companies were more likely to report
that health care costs, workers compensation costs, and fear of
litigation were challenges in hiring individuals with disabilities.
When asked about concerns related to hiring employees with
disabilities, smaller and medium-sized companies were more likely to
cite concerns about costs of employing individuals with disabilities
and the belief that workers with disabilities lack relevant skills and
experience. In contrast, larger companies were more concerned about
supervisors' uncertainty regarding how to take disciplinary action
against employees with disabilities. When questioned about perceived
challenges to retaining employees with disabilities, smaller companies
expressed greater concerns about the cost of health care coverage and
workers compensation.
Responses also varied by organization type. Companies in
construction, goods-producing, and retail trades were more likely than
others to indicate that the nature of the work was a challenge in
hiring individuals with disabilities. Public organizations were more
likely than private sector agencies to report that they actively
recruited employees with disabilities.
The results of this study suggest that organizations of different
sizes, and from different industries and sectors of the economy, differ
in employer practices with regard to individuals with disabilities.
However, these findings are largely based on the attitudes, opinions or
perceptions of employers, rather than on objectively measured employer
practices and employment outcomes. Building upon these findings by
obtaining empirical data about actual employer practices, and further
investigating the extent to which these practices are associated with
employment for individuals with disabilities, would inform the
development of interventions to improve the number and diversity of
employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
References
Steinmetz, E. (2006). Americans With Disabilities: 2002. Household
Economic Studies Current Population Reports P70-107 Washington, DC:
U.S. Census Bureau. See http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability/
sipp/disable02.html.
U.S. Census Bureau (2006). American Community Survey table B1802:
Selected Economic Characteristics for the Civilian
Noninstitutionalized Population By Disability Status. Washington,
DC: U.S. Census Bureau. See http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/
STTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S1802&-geo_
id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&_-lang=en&-format=&-
CONTEXT=st.
U.S. Department of Labor (2009). Survey of Employer Perspectives on
the Employment of People with Disabilities. See http://www.dol.gov/
odep/categories/research/index.htm.
U.S. Department of Labor (2009). Labor force statistics from the
Current Population Survey: Employment status and disability status,
January 2009. See http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability_012009.htm.
Proposed Priority
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services proposes a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training
Center (RRTC) on Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes
Among Individuals with Disabilities. This RRTC must conduct research
that contributes to our knowledge about the differences that exist in
employer practices towards hiring individuals with disabilities and the
relationship between different practices and employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities. This new knowledge will contribute to
more targeted interventions to improve employer practices related to
the employment of individuals with disabilities. Under this priority,
the RRTC must contribute to the following outcomes:
(a) New knowledge of specific employer practices most strongly
associated with desired employment outcomes for individuals with
disabilities and the prevalence of these practices. The RRTC must
contribute to this outcome by identifying and categorizing employer
practices related to the hiring, retention, and advancement of
individuals with disabilities and conducting research on the extent to
which employers engage in specific practices that have been found in
relevant research to promote positive employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities. Factors that are associated with such
practices include, but are not limited to: employer size, geographic
regions, sector of industry or the economy (e.g., private sector,
public sector, goods-producing, service-producing), employer
preconceptions, and experience working with vocational rehabilitation
agencies.
(b) Increased knowledge about how these practices relate to
employer success in hiring, retention, and promotion of individuals
with disabilities. Applicants must propose strategies to collect
information about these practices and outcomes directly from employers,
taking into account that it can be difficult to collect information
about employer practices and outcomes. In addition, applicants are
encouraged to use existing databases such as those maintained by the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Small Business
Administration, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and
disability insurance providers.
(c) Increased incorporation of findings into practice and policy.
The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by:
(1) Collaborating with employer groups to develop, evaluate, or
implement strategies to increase utilization of positive practices
identified by the RRTC.
(2) Conducting training and dissemination activities to facilitate
the utilization of research findings in employment and policy settings.
In addition, this RRTC must collaborate with:
(1) Relevant Rehabilitation Services
Administration grantees, such as the 10 regional Technical
Assistance and Continuing Education projects.
(2) Relevant grantees and programs in the Department of Labor,
including the Office of Disability Employment
[[Page 2122]]
Policy's National Technical Assistance, Policy, and Research Center for
Employers.
Types of Priorities
When inviting applications for a competition using one or more
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the priority over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Final Priority: We will announce the final priority in a notice in
the Federal Register. We will determine the final priority after
considering responses to this notice and other information available to
the Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing
additional priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection
criteria, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through
a notice in the Federal Register.
Executive Order 12866: This notice has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this proposed regulatory
action.
The potential costs associated with this proposed regulatory action
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for administering this program effectively and
efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this proposed regulatory action, we have determined
that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the costs.
Discussion of Costs and Benefits
The benefits of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
and Centers Programs have been well established over the years in that
similar projects have been completed successfully. This proposed
priority will generate new knowledge through research and development
activities.
Another benefit of this proposed priority is that the establishment
of a new RRTC will support the research and will improve the lives of
individuals with disabilities. The new RRTC will generate, disseminate,
and promote the use of new information that will improve the options
for individuals with disabilities to obtain, retain, and advance in
employment.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/index.html.
Dated: January 8, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-480 Filed 1-13-10; 8:45 am]
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