[Federal Register: May 6, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 87)]
[Notices]
[Page 30529-30532]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06my02-98]
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Part VII
Department of Education
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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Notice of
Proposed Priority
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research;
Notice of Proposed Priority
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 funding a priority on Disability in
Rural Communities under the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
(RRTC) Program for the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) for fiscal years (FY) 2002-2004. The
Assistant Secretary takes this action to focus research attention on an
identified national need. We intend this priority to improve the
rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 5, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Donna
Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
3412, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2645. If you prefer to
send your comments through the Internet, use the following address:
donna.nangle@ed.gov
You must include the term Disability in Rural Communities in the
subject line of your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 205-
5880.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the TDD number at (202) 205-4475 or via the Internet:
donna.nangle@ed.gov
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation To Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing the regulatory burden that might result from this proposed
priority. Please let us know of any further opportunities we should
take to 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 proposed priority in room 3412, Switzer Building,
330 C Street, SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. If you want to schedule
an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
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 doesnot preclude us from proposing or funding
an additional priority, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this proposed priority, we invite
applications through a notice published in the Federal Register.
When inviting applications we designate the priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational.
The proposed priority refers to President Bush's New Freedom
Initiative (NFI). The NFI can be accessed on the Internet at: http://
www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedominitiative/freedominitiative.html.
The proposed priority also refers to NIDRR's Long-Range Plan (the
Plan). The Plan can be accessed on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR/Products. Description of the
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC) Program.
The RRTCs conduct coordinated and integrated advanced programs of
research targeted toward the production of new knowledge, to improve
rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems, alleviate or
stabilize disabling conditions, or promote maximum social and economic
independence for persons with disabilities. RRTCs operate in
collaboration with institutions of higher education or providers of
rehabilitation or other appropriate services. Additional information on
the RRTC program can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/
NIDRR/Programs/res_program.html#RRTC.
General Requirements
The RRTC 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 for national excellence in rehabilitation
research for individuals with disabilities, their representatives,
providers, and other interested parties.
Priority
Background
Individuals living in rural areas experience a disproportionately
higher rate of disability compared to individuals living in
metropolitan areas (National Health Interview Survey, Washington, DC:
Department of Health and Human Services, 1992). In addition to the high
rate of disability in rural America, individuals with disabilities
residing in these areas are impacted by other salient and challenging
issues such as employment, economic and community development, and
health-related concerns.
Rural areas continue to lag behind urban areas in economic and
community development, including employment opportunities, (Johnson S.,
Focusing on Differences: A New Approach for Rural Policy? The Main
Street Economist, Center for the Study of Rural America, Federal
Reserve Bank of Kansas City, July 2001). Job opportunities and economic
development are inextricably associated with economic policy
initiatives. Historically, rural policy and economic development
endeavors have been more attentive to specific economic sectors such as
agriculture and manufacturing and have not adequately addressed
attention to community and individual needs (Johnson, 2001).
Research will help in understanding the impact of rural policy and
economic
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development initiatives on systems providing services for individuals
with disabilities and their influence on employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities. Further, research can assist with
development and examination of effective policies and strategies for
addressing existing and emerging problems in rural populations.
Emerging disabilities and health-related issues, such as secondary
conditions, are a critical challenge for rural healthcare providers and
individuals with disabilities living in rural communities. There have
only been limited studies to address the unique needs of individuals
with disabilities within a wellness and health promotion context.
Traditionally, individuals with disabilities are viewed from an
illness perspective. More specifically, the medical model orientation
to disability has led to an inadequate emphasis on health promotion and
disease prevention activities, as well as contributed to the frequency
to which secondary conditions are experienced by persons with primary
disabilities living in rural areas (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Healthy People 2010: With Understanding and Improving Health
and Objectives, 2nd ed, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office, Nov. 2000; http://www.health.gov/healthypeople).
Research will help to illuminate the impact of inadequate health
promotion and prevention activities on the health status of individuals
with disabilities, including secondary disabling conditions. Further,
research will assist with identifying effective intervention strategies
for improving health outcomes, and enhance understanding of the
healthcare needs of individuals with disabilities in rural communities,
secondary conditions, and the needs of healthcare providers.
While healthcare issues present critical challenges, transportation
issues also have adverse consequences for individuals with disabilities
and service providers in rural communities. Participation in the
community is often limited for individuals with disabilities in rural
communities because transportation services are either not available or
inadequate to meet community needs. Current research cites insufficient
transportation as one of the more serious problems for individuals with
disabilities living in rural areas (O'Day B., Issues in Rural
Independence: Revisited, Independent Living Research Utilization at
TIRR, 2001; http://www.ilru.org/ilnet/files/bookshelf/rural/revisited).
The President's New Freedom Initiative (NFI) also cites the lack of
adequate transportation as a primary barrier for individuals with
disabilities. The NFI identifies the need to test new transportation
ideas and to increase access to alternate means of transportation, such
as vans with specialty lifts, modified automobiles, and ride-share
programs for those who cannot access buses or other forms of mass
transportation (The President's New Freedom Initiative, 2001) http://
www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedominitiative/freedominitiative.html.
In conclusion, individuals with disabilities living in rural areas
face a unique challenge, that impact their lives as a result of living
in these communities. To address these challenges and find viable
solutions, NIDRR is interested in research activities that include
individuals with disabilities, particularly as researchers. Inclusion
of individuals with disabilities provides the opportunity for consumers
to influence research direction and policy. Participatory research has
the potential of enhancing the relevance and applicability of research
results, particularly, when individuals with disabilities are
participants at every stage of the research process (Olkin R., What
Psychotherapists Should Know About Disability, Guilford, 1999),
including planning, development, and evaluation of research activities,
and especially when the role of consumers is not limited to the role of
research subject.
Proposed Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an RRTC on Disability
in Rural Communities. The purpose of the absolute priority is to
generate new knowledge through research and development activities that
improves the effectiveness of rehabilitation services. The RRTC project
must propose research and development activities that are focused on
each of the three areas of inquiry: (1) Rural Employment, and Community
and Economic Development Policy; (2) Rural Health and Disability; and
(3) Rural Community Transportation, as follows:
(1) Rural Employment, and Community and Economic Development
Policy: (a) Identify economic and community development policies and
evaluate their impact on the employment status of individuals with
disabilities living in rural areas, public and private service delivery
systems, and service providers;
(b) Investigate the effectiveness of policies and strategies for
addressing existing and emerging problems for individuals with
disabilities in rural communities.
(c) Identify and evaluate employment policies and employment
strategies, including those used in State vocational rehabilitation
systems, and investigate the impact on employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities.
(2) Rural Health and Disability:
(a) Identify and investigate the needs of healthcare providers and
health care needs of individuals with disabilities in rural communities
and factors contributing to secondary conditions.
(b) Investigate the impact of inadequate health promotion,
wellness, and prevention activities on the health status and disability
outcomes for individuals with disabilities, including secondary
disabling conditions.
(c) Develop and evaluate health promotion intervention strategies
or identify and evaluate effective health promotion strategies for
improving health outcomes for individuals with disabilities in rural
communities, including an emphasis on prevention of secondary
conditions. Investigate the impact of inadequate wellness and health
promotion on healthcare service systems in rural communities.
(d) Develop and test training materials for healthcare providers
and consumers to enhance knowledge of disability, secondary conditions,
and effective wellness and health promotion intervention strategies.
(3) Rural Community Transportation:
(a) Identify or develop and test new transportation ideas and
investigate their effectiveness to increase access for individuals with
disabilities, and assess whether they are cost effective.
(b) Investigate the impact of alternate means of transportation on
disability outcomes, especially employment and health outcomes, and
(c) Identify and investigate the impact of transportation policies,
programs, and resource allocations on access and community integration
for individuals with disabilities; In carrying out the purposes of the
priority, the RRTC shall:
Disseminate information about disability issues in rural
communities;
Use advances in telecommunications and web-based
technologies, where appropriate, to ensure broad access to research
results and their practical application; and
Involve individuals with disabilities, their family
members, and consumers, as appropriate, in all stages of the research
process and related activities.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
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Electronic Access to This Document
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(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.133B,
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
Dated: April 29, 2002.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and, Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 02-11203 Filed 5-3-02; 8:45 am]
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