[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17400-17403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7357]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA: 84.133B-1]
Proposed Priorities: Interventions To Promote Community Living
Among Individuals With Disabilities
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 an RRTC on
Interventions to Promote Community Living Among Individuals with
Disabilities. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for
competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and later years. We take this
action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend
this priority to improve participation and community living outcomes
for individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before April 28, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this notice to Marlene Spencer,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 5133,
Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700.
If you prefer to send your comments by e-mail, use the following
address: [email protected]. You must include the term ``Proposed
Priority--RRTC on Promoting Community Living'' in the subject line of
your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlene Spencer. Telephone: (202) 245-
7532 or by e-mail: [email protected].
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 currently approved Long-Range Plan (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
[[Page 17401]]
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 2011 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 identify
clearly 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 notice. 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 5133, 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 Projects and Centers Program is to plan and
conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related
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 (Rehabilitation Act) (29 U.S.C.
701 et seq.).
RRTC Program: The purpose of the RRTC program is to improve the
effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act,
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 (73 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 must also 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.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Interventions To
Promote Community Living Among Individuals With Disabilities
Background: Laws and policies protecting the civil rights of
individuals with disabilities have helped to promote the inclusion of
and participation by individuals with disabilities in the home,
community, and workplace. Nonetheless, an individual's functional
abilities, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, access to
personal and other supports, and a variety of environmental barriers
appear to interact and result in low levels of community participation
among individuals with disabilities (LaPlante and Kaye, 2010; Parish et
al., 2009; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010a; White
et al., 2010).
Barriers to independent living and community participation among
individuals with disabilities include fragmented service delivery
systems, lack of affordable, accessible housing and reliable,
accessible transportation, and difficulty obtaining well-qualified
personal attendants (National Council on Disability, 2006; Kessler
Foundation & National Organization on Disability, 2010). Geographic
location also affects the level of community participation experienced
by individuals with disabilities. For example, individuals with
disabilities living in rural America generally lack accessible public
transportation and experience shortages of public health and other
providers, thereby limiting their access to community-based programs
and services (National Council on Disability, 2007). For individuals
with disabilities living in institutional settings, these housing,
transportation, health care, and long-term care barriers also limit
opportunities to move out of institutions and into the community.
In 2009, the President launched ``The Year of Community Living.''
This initiative recognized that for many individuals with disabilities
there are limited choices, options, and opportunities to receive long-
term services and supports in the community. Past research supported by
NIDRR and others has advanced our understanding of factors that impede
community living for individuals with disabilities (D'Souza et al.,
2009; White et al., 2010), yielded valid and reliable measures of
participation in important life activities (Magasi & Post, 2010),
identified the effects of the built and
[[Page 17402]]
social environments on community participation (LaPlante & Kaye, 2010;
Mojtahedi et al., 2008), and developed potential environmental
accommodations for individuals with disabilities (Jaeger & Xie, 2009).
Building on the knowledge gained through this research, new knowledge
is needed about how barriers to and experience of community
participation differ across sociodemographic and geographic groups of
individuals within the diverse population of individuals with
disabilities. This knowledge can help policymakers and service
providers target interventions more effectively.
Rigorous evaluation of interventions is also needed to identify
strategies for eliminating barriers to community living. In particular,
more testing of policies and programs is needed to create an evidence
base for strategies that facilitate (1) participation in a wide range
of community activities including but not necessarily limited to civic,
cultural, social, and recreational activities, and (2) access to timely
services that support continuity of community living (i.e., community
living without interruption due to hospitalization or
institutionalization) (National Council on Disability, 2006; U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services, 2010b).
Through this priority, NIDRR seeks to place particular emphasis on
research on the services and supports that will enable individuals with
disabilities to successfully transition from institutional settings
into the community, where they will have increased options for
community participation and can engage in activities of their choice in
their home environments. Interventions, policies, or programs that
address consumers' needs for a coordinated service delivery system will
be especially useful for those at greatest risk of institutionalization
(National Council on Disability, 2006). Research partnerships with
consumer-operated organizations, such as centers for independent
living, may facilitate new findings that can be used to work with those
in transition from nursing homes or institutional settings into the
community.
References
D'Souza, J, James, J, Szafar K, & Fries, B. (2009). Hard times: The
effects of financial strain on home care services use and
participant outcomes in Michigan. Gerontologist. 49: 154-165.
Jaeger, P, & Xie, B. (2009). Developing online community
accessibility guidelines for persons with disabilities and older
adults. Journal of Disability Policy Studies. 20(1): 55-63.
Kessler Foundation & National Organization on Disability (2010). The
ADA, 20 Years Later: The Kessler Foundation/NOD 2010 Survey of
Americans with Disabilities. See: http://www.2010disabilitysurveys.org/pdfs/surveyresults.pdf.
LaPlante, M. & Kaye, H. (2010). Demographics and trends in wheeled
mobility equipment use and accessibility in the community. Assistive
Technology. 22(1): 3-17.
Magasi, S, & Post, M. (2010). A comparative review of contemporary
participation measures' psychometric properties and content
coverage. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 91(9,
Supplement 1): S17-S28.
Mojtahedi, M, Boblick, P, Rimmer, J, Rowland, J, Jones, R, &
Braunschweig, C. (2008). Environmental barriers to and availability
of healthy foods for people with mobility disabilities living in
urban and suburban neighborhoods. Archives of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation. 89(11): 2174-2179.
National Council on Disability (2006). Creating Livable Communities.
See: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/pdf/livable_communities.pdf.
National Council on Disability (2007). The Impact of the Americans
with Disabilities Act: Assessing the Progress Toward Achieving the
Goals of the ADA. Washington, DC: National Council on Disability.
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/ada_impact_07-26-07.htm.
Parish, S, Rose, R, & Andrews, M. (2009). Income Poverty and
Material Hardship among US Women with Disabilities. Social Service
Review. 83 (1): 33-52.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2010a). Healthy People
2020: An Opportunity to Address Societal Determinants of Health in
the United States. See: http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/advisory/SocietalDeterminantsHealth.htm.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2010b). Healthy People
2020: Disability and Health. See: http://healthypeople.odphp.iqsolutions.com/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=9.
White, G, Simpson, J, Gonda, C, Coble, Z, & Ravesloot, C. (2010)
Moving from independence to interdependence: A conceptual model for
better understanding community participation of centers for
independent living. Journal of Disability Policy Studies. 20: 223-
240.
Proposed Priority
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services proposes a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training
Center (RRTC) on Interventions to Promote Community Living Among
Individuals with Disabilities. The RRTC must conduct rigorous research,
training, technical assistance, and dissemination activities that
contribute to improved community participation and community living
outcomes for individuals with disabilities, including individuals
transitioning into the community from nursing homes and other health
and community institutions. Under this priority, the RRTC must
contribute to the following outcomes:
(a) Increased knowledge about how the barriers to and experience of
community living may differ across sociodemographic and geographic
groups within the diverse population of individuals with disabilities.
The RRTC must contribute to the outcome by conducting research on the
extent to which access to community services and supports and community
participation outcomes are related to sociodemographic factors (e.g.,
race, ethnicity, income level, education level), the geographic area in
which the individuals reside (e.g., rural or urban areas), or
disability characteristics (e.g., disability severity or type of
disabling condition).
(b) Improved services and supports that provide opportunities for
the population of individuals with disabilities to participate fully in
the community, including the services and supports needed to transition
from institutions, nursing homes, and other health and community
institutions, to the community and to maintain continuity of community
living. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by identifying or
developing and then testing policies, programs, or strategies that
improve community living services and supports for individuals with
disabilities. In this regard, the RRTC must focus its efforts on at
least two of the following areas: housing; transportation;
recreational, community, and civic activities. In carrying out this
requirement, the RRTC must also take into account the findings from
paragraph (a) of this priority. The policies, programs, or strategies
to be tested under this paragraph (b) may include strategies that
integrate or coordinate services from different areas.
(c) Increased incorporation of research findings into practice or
policy. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by coordinating with
appropriate NIDRR-funded knowledge translation grantees to advance or
add to their work by--
(1) Conducting systematic reviews and developing research syntheses
consistent with standards, guidelines, and procedures established by
the knowledge translation grantees;
(2) Using knowledge translation strategies identified as promising
by the
[[Page 17403]]
knowledge translation grantees to increase the use of research
findings;
(3) Collaborating with centers for independent living and other
stakeholder groups to develop, implement, or evaluate strategies to
increase utilization of the research findings; and
(4) Conducting training and dissemination activities to facilitate
the utilization of the research findings by community-based
organizations and other service providers, policymakers, and
individuals with disabilities.
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.
Another benefit of this proposed priority is that the establishment
of a new RRTC 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 live in and participate in their communities.
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) on request to the program contact
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
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: March 24, 2011.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2011-7357 Filed 3-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P