National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research-Notice of Final Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005-2009, 8166-8200 [06-1255]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8166-8200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1255]



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Part III





Department of Education





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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--Notice of 
Final Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005-2009

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 2006 / 
Notices

[[Page 8166]]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--
Notice of Final Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005-2009

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of Final Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2005-
2009.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) publishes the Final Long-Range Plan 
(Final Plan) for the National Institute on Disability and 
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) for FY 2005 through 2009. As required 
by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act), the Assistant 
Secretary takes this action to outline priorities for rehabilitation 
research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities, and 
to explain the basis for these priorities.

DATES: Effective Date:
    The Final Plan is effective March 17, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6030, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20204-2700. Telephone: (202) 245-7462.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. 
and 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    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 in this section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Final Plan presents a five-year research agenda anchored in 
legislative mandate, consumer goals, and scientific initiatives. The 
Final Plan has several distinct purposes:
    (1) To set broad general directions that will guide NIDRR's 
policies and use of resources.
    (2) To establish objectives for research and related activities 
from which annual research priorities can be formulated.
    (3) To describe a system for operationalizing the Final Plan in 
terms of annual priorities, evaluation of the implementation of the 
Final Plan, and updates of the Final Plan as necessary.
    (4) To direct new emphasis to the management and administration of 
the research endeavor.
    The Final Plan was developed with the guidance of a distinguished 
group of NIDRR constituents--individuals with disabilities and their 
family members and advocates, service providers, researchers, 
educators, administrators, and policymakers, including the Commissioner 
of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, members of the National 
Council on Disability, and representatives from the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services.
    The authority for the Secretary to prepare the Final Plan is 
contained in section 202(h) of the Act (29 U.S.C. 762(h)). NIDRR 
published a Notice of Proposed Long-Range Plan for FY 2005-2009 
(Proposed Plan) on July 27, 2005 (70 FR 43522). The Act requires that 
NIDRR consider all public comments received regarding the Proposed Plan 
and then transmit the Final Plan to Congress.
    The Final Plan is published as an attachment to this notice.

Public Comments

    In response to the invitation in the Notice of Proposed Long-Range 
Plan for FY 2005-2009, NIDRR received 45 comments regarding the 
Proposed Plan. The majority of the comments were positive and 
supportive of the Proposed Plan. Comments that suggested changes in the 
Proposed Plan generally fell into one of two categories. One small 
group of comments suggested changes to the Proposed Plan that NIDRR 
does not have the authority to make (e.g., requests to increase funding 
for NIDRR) or that would result in NIDRR not complying with the Act 
(e.g., changes to the mandatory set-aside requirements for minority 
institutions). NIDRR is unable to make these changes.
    Another group of comments requested that NIDRR include more 
references to specific target populations, disability groups, and 
therapeutic modalities in the Proposed Plan. NIDRR believes that it is 
unnecessary to make any changes to the Proposed Plan based on these 
comments because the long-range plan is a strategic plan designed to 
provide a broad framework for funding research that is consistent with 
NIDRR's mission, including research that both addresses specific target 
populations (as defined in 34 CFR Sec.  350.5) and relates to the 
outcomes described in NIDRR's Logic Model, as presented in the Proposed 
Plan.
    While the Proposed Plan is organized along domains of research 
(i.e., employment, health and function, technology for access and 
function, participation and community living, and disability 
demographics) for the sake of manageability, it also makes clear that 
disability is a holistic phenomenon that involves many overlapping and 
cross-domain issues. For example, through the Field-Initiated (FI) 
Program, which covers all aspects of NIDRR's research domains and 
addresses all disability populations with a wide range of research 
approaches, NIDRR encourages applications that address overlapping and 
cross-domain issues for any relevant populations. In addition, with 
respect to those programs for which NIDRR establishes annual 
priorities--Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs), 
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs), and Disability and 
Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRPs)--NIDRR may require applicants 
to focus on one or more target populations or issues that cut across 
domains. Increasingly, NIDRR is asking for cross-disability and 
multidisciplinary research. For example, NIDRR could establish a 
research priority in the employment domain that requires applicants to 
focus on persons with intellectual disabilities and issues related to 
technology. Given the structure of NIDRR's research programs, 
therefore, NIDRR believes that the concerns of commenters who seek more 
attention on specific target populations, disability groups, or 
therapeutic modalities can be accommodated within the framework of the 
Proposed Plan.

Changes to Proposed Plan

    Following publication of the Proposed Plan, NIDRR realized that it 
inadvertently had failed to discuss in the Proposed Plan the Disability 
and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) that it supports 
under its DRRP program and its work on coordinating the Federal 
response to emergency preparedness and disability based on Executive 
Order 13347, Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness. 
Commenters also noted the absence of this information in the Proposed 
Plan. Accordingly, NIDRR has made changes to the Proposed Plan as 
follows:

DBTAC

    The Proposed Plan did not include references to NIDRR's ongoing 
DBTAC program, which is NIDRR's program for facilitating implementation 
of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The following 
language, therefore, has been added as the third paragraph under the 
heading Future Agenda in the section entitled Knowledge Translation:

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    ``Knowledge Translation includes the provision of information, 
technical assistance, and training in areas related to disability 
policy. The Act assigns to NIDRR the responsibility for those 
activities in relation to the ADA. NIDRR intends to implement those 
activities through a national network of regionally-based centers 
that will provide assistance to disability organizations, 
individuals with disabilities, businesses, public agencies, and the 
general public, and that will contribute to research on topics 
covered under the ADA.''

Individuals With Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness

    In recognition of NIDRR's ongoing work in the area of emergency 
preparedness for individuals with disabilities, NIDRR has made the 
following changes to the Proposed Plan:
    Under the heading National Policy Context for NIDRR Research in 
Part A: Introduction and Background Introduction, we have revised the 
second sentence to reference Executive Order 13347, Individuals with 
Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness, such that the sentence now 
reads as follows: ``These include the U.S. Supreme Court's 1999 
decision in Olmstead v. L.C. (527 U.S. 581), the President's New 
Freedom Initiative (NFI), the report of the President's New Freedom 
Commission On Mental Health, and Executive Order 13347, Individuals 
with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness.'' In addition, at the end 
of the National Policy Context for NIDRR Research section, NIDRR has 
added the following language:

    ``On July 26, 2004, President George W. Bush issued Executive 
Order 13347, `Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency 
Preparedness'. This Order establishes a policy that the Federal 
government appropriately support the safety and security of 
individuals with disabilities in situations involving both natural 
and man-made disasters. The Order directs Executive departments and 
other Federal agencies to include individuals with disabilities in 
emergency preparedness planning. Also included in the Order was the 
establishment of an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) to 
coordinate the Federal response to emergency preparedness and 
disability. The ICC established a research committee, which was co-
chaired by NIDRR staff. The ICC concluded, and reported to the 
President, that it is critical to transition from suggestions and 
ideas to empirically-based research that provides evidence of what 
works.''

    In addition to the few changes identified in the preceding 
paragraphs, the Final Plan reflects a number of additional non-
substantive and clarifying revisions.
    NIDRR appreciates the many thoughtful comments it received 
regarding the Proposed Plan, and will continue to consider them in 
updates to the Final Plan and in future priorities.

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nara/.


    Dated: February 7, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research: Long-
Range Plan for 2005-2009

Preface

    The introductory section of the National Institute on Disability 
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Long-Range Plan 2005-009 (Plan) 
provides basic background about NIDRR. This includes its mission, its 
administrative location, the legislative and administrative 
environments in which NIDRR operates, intended beneficiaries of NIDRR 
research, conceptual overview of the Plan, management and evaluation 
principles, general highlights of 25 years of NIDRR research, and the 
structure of the Plan. The first section of the Plan also includes a 
chapter that defines and describes NIDRR's target population, providing 
some data on population characteristics. The second section of the Plan 
presents NIDRR's Logic Model and research domains, and operational 
strategies to implement the Plan and enhance the accountability and 
responsiveness of NIDRR. The third section of the Plan delineates each 
domain of NIDRR research and related activities and the strategies that 
will be employed to address NIDRR's mission.

Part A: Introduction and Background

I. Introduction

    The mission of the National Institute on Disability and 
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR or the Institute) is to generate new 
knowledge and promote its effective use to improve the abilities of 
people with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the 
community, and also to expand society's capacity to provide full 
opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities.
    The timely convergence of technological breakthroughs and 
empowerment of people with disabilities has resulted in increased 
demand for the products of disability and rehabilitation research. 
These include not only technological devices but also new knowledge 
about interventions and policies that will further the mission of NIDRR 
to advance all aspects of life for people with disabilities.
Organizational Context
    NIDRR is located within the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education 
(Department). OSERS has two other components: The Rehabilitation 
Services Administration (RSA), which administers the State-Federal 
Vocational Rehabilitation Program, and the Office of Special Education 
Programs (OSEP), which oversees the implementation of the Individuals 
with Disabilities Education Act, as amended (IDEA). NIDRR, therefore, 
is ideally situated to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to 
consumers, practitioners, and administrators in vocational 
rehabilitation and special education. NIDRR also has developed 
extensive linkages to the broader disability and rehabilitation 
research community through its leadership work chairing the Interagency 
Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) and through development of 
significant partnerships with many Federal agencies, research 
institutions, and consumer organizations. NIDRR values and encourages 
the collaborative and synergistic nature of its many partnerships, as 
significant advancements in disability knowledge are achieved through 
the efforts of many researchers and others over time.
Statutory Mandates
    The 1978 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 
(the Act) created NIDRR \1\ in recognition of both the opportunities 
for scientific and technological advancements to

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improve the lives of people with disabilities and the need for a 
comprehensive and coordinated approach to research, development, 
demonstration, and information dissemination and training. These 
amendments charged NIDRR with providing a comprehensive and coordinated 
program of research and related activities designed to maximize the 
inclusion and social integration, health and function, employment and 
independent living of individuals of all ages with disabilities.
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    \1\ Established as the National Institute on Handicapped 
Research (NIHR) in the 1978 amendments, the Institute's name was 
changed to the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation 
Research (NIDRR) by the 1986 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973, as amended.
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    In addition to research and development (R&D), the Act authorizes 
widespread dissemination of research-generated knowledge to 
rehabilitation service providers, people with disabilities and their 
families, researchers, and others; promotion of technology transfer; 
leadership of an Interagency Committee to coordinate Federal disability 
and rehabilitation research; advanced training in disability and 
rehabilitation research; and increased opportunities for minority 
institutions and researchers with disabilities or from minority groups.
    To guide rehabilitation research, the Act requires publication of 
the proposed Plan in the Federal Register, public comment on the Plan, 
and subsequent production of a final Plan. The Act specifies that in 
developing and implementing the Plan, NIDRR should: outline priorities 
for NIDRR's activities and provide the basis for such priorities; 
specify appropriate goals and timetables for covered activities to be 
conducted under sections 202 and 204 of title II of the Act; develop 
the Plan in consultation with the Commissioner of RSA, the Commissioner 
of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, the National 
Council on Disability (NCD), and the ICDR; and provide full 
consideration to the input of people with disabilities and their family 
members, organizations representing people with disabilities, 
researchers, service providers, and other appropriate entities. The 
Plan also must provide for widespread dissemination of the results of 
funded activities, in accessible formats, to rehabilitation 
practitioners and individuals with disabilities and their families, 
including those who are members of minority groups or underserved 
populations.
    This final Plan was developed by NIDRR with extensive input from an 
expert panel of researchers, service providers, and people with 
disabilities. Appendix 1 of this Plan contains a list of the expert 
panel members. In addition, NIDRR actively solicited comments through a 
Web site and through six national videoconferences. NIDRR also 
consulted with the ICDR, the NCD, and other Federal partners.
National Policy Context for NIDRR Research
    In recent years, several major policy directives have influenced 
activities and initiatives in disability and rehabilitation research, 
including implementation of the 1999-2003 NIDRR Long-Range Plan and 
development of the proposed Plan. These include the U.S. Supreme 
Court's 1999 decision in Olmstead v. L.C. (527 U.S. 581), the 
President's New Freedom Initiative (NFI), the report of the President's 
New Freedom Commission On Mental Health, and Executive Order 13347, 
Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness. The Americans 
with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), now in existence for more than a 
decade, has continued to provide a strong framework for all disability-
related activities.
    Because maximum community participation for persons with 
disabilities is the ultimate objective of NIDRR research, the important 
directives in the Olmstead decision resonate with and inform NIDRR's 
agenda. The Olmstead decision stated that Title II of the ADA requires 
public agencies that provide services to people with disabilities do so 
in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs. Moreover, 
State agencies that provide housing and services must make plans to 
move individuals from institutions to community environments and to 
divert others from institutionalization when appropriate. The Olmstead 
decision allows State agencies to take into consideration limited 
available funds, but does require that they show progress through 
planning for the implementation of change. Full implementation of this 
decision eventually will have far-reaching consequences for people with 
disabilities and the service systems they use.
    The Olmstead decision affects disability and rehabilitation 
research as it highlights the need for new, validated strategies; and 
supports programs, interventions, guidelines, and policies to make 
living in the community successful for deinstitutionalized individuals 
or those diverted from potential institutionalization. Individual 
States are serving as de facto laboratories for research into social 
policy implementation, and generate a need and an opportunity for the 
evaluation of best practices. NIDRR will continue its focus on research 
that addresses effective use of information for people with 
disabilities and access to appropriate accommodations in society; both 
are essential components of the Institute's research agenda.
    The NFI was announced by President George W. Bush on February 1, 
2001, to further the full participation of people with disabilities in 
all areas of society by increasing access to assistive and universally 
designed technologies, by expanding educational and employment 
opportunities, and by promoting full access to community life. Several 
provisions of the NFI have had a direct impact on NIDRR activities. The 
NFI included a proposal to increase funding for NIDRR's Rehabilitation 
Engineering Research Centers (RERCs). Substantial funding was earmarked 
for the ICDR, which is chaired and staffed by NIDRR, in order to 
increase coordination of Federal research efforts related to technology 
and disability. Other aspects of the NFI, such as increased 
preparedness and more opportunities for employment, telework, universal 
design, access to assistive technology, increased homeownership, and 
access to mental health services, also influenced NIDRR's activities 
and research during much of the preceding four years.
    The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health 
(Commission), established through Executive Order 13263 on April 29, 
2002, examined the mental healthcare system in the Nation and issued 
recommendations for change. In July 2003, the Commission issued its 
final report, ``Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care 
in America.'' The report identified barriers to care within the mental 
health system and provided examples of community-based care models that 
have worked successfully to coordinate and provide treatment services. 
The Commission concluded that the mental health service delivery system 
in the United States is fragmented and should be substantively 
transformed. Goals for the transformed system include ensuring that: 
(1) Americans understand that mental health is essential to overall 
health; (2) Mental healthcare is consumer and family-driven; (3) 
Disparities in mental health services are eliminated; (4) Early mental 
health screening, assessment, and referral to services are common 
practice; (5) Excellent mental health services are delivered and 
research is accelerated; and (6) Technology is used to access mental 
healthcare and information.
    The realization of these goals will require the development and 
transfer of new knowledge about barriers to recovery and community 
integration, effective treatment interventions and

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supports, best practices in services delivery and increasing access to 
care, technology to support living independently in the community, and 
accommodations to promote employment. The Commission's final report 
contains substantial implications for NIDRR's research agenda, as well 
as those of its Federal partner agencies.
    On July 26, 2004, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 
13347, ``Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness.'' 
This Order establishes a policy that the Federal government 
appropriately support the safety and security of individuals with 
disabilities in situations involving both natural and man-made 
disasters. The Order directs Executive departments and other Federal 
agencies to include individuals with disabilities in emergency 
preparedness planning. Also included in the Order was the establishment 
of an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) to coordinate the Federal 
response to emergency preparedness and disability. The ICC established 
a research committee, which was co-chaired by NIDRR staff. The ICC 
concluded, and reported to the President, that it is critical to 
transition from suggestions and ideas to empirically-based research 
that provides evidence of what works.
Overview of Long-Range Plan Concepts
    The proposed Plan builds on the work of the 1999-2003 Long-Range 
Plan, while responding to new developments in the disability and 
rehabilitation research field and in government. Both plans stress the 
importance of NIDRR's significant role as a research institute in the 
public interest, carrying out scientific research to meet the diverse 
needs of people with disabilities.
    The contextual paradigm of disability and rehabilitation research 
will continue to frame the NIDRR research agenda. This paradigm 
overcomes the limitations imposed by a medical model of disability. The 
new paradigm of disability maintains that ``disability is a product of 
the interaction between characteristics of the individual (e.g., 
conditions or impairments, functional status, or personal and social 
qualities) and the characteristics of the natural, built, cultural, and 
social environments.'' (NIDRR Long-Range Plan 1999-2003).
    The contextual paradigm of disability was explicated in the 1999-
2003 NIDRR Long-Range Plan and significantly influenced the design of 
NIDRR research during the past five years. The contextual paradigm of 
disability helps to focus NIDRR research on new research issues; new 
approaches for defining, measuring, counting, and categorizing 
disability; and new methods for conducting and managing research. 
Definitions and enumeration of disability are addressed in the 
subsequent chapter on the characteristics of the target population and 
in the demographics research chapter. New approaches to measurement 
issues and research methods will be addressed in each of the chapters 
on research domains (e.g., participation and community living, health 
and function, technology for access and function, employment, and 
demographics), as will new research methods. New research issues will 
be discussed in the individual chapters on research domains.
    The Plan continues the important research areas of universal design 
and the emerging universe of disability. The new Plan further 
recognizes the importance of interdependence, not only in its continued 
emphasis on personal assistance services, but also on supports for 
family and other informal caregivers, direct care workers, and 
paraprofessionals in facilitating community living and participation in 
the community.
    The Plan expands NIDRR's emphasis on the major research ``domains'' 
of employment, participation and community life, health and function, 
and technology for access and function. In these areas, the Plan 
continues to emphasize areas of employment incentives and 
accommodations, access to healthcare, and the preference for supports 
rather than services as the model for facilitating the community 
integration of people with disabilities. The previously termed domain 
of independent living and community integration in the 1999-2003 Long-
Range Plan has been renamed participation and community living to 
better capture the broad goal of increased participation, which is 
intrinsic to the NIDRR mission. Additionally, the area of disability 
demographics has been elevated to a major domain. This change 
recognizes and reinforces the importance of improved disability data 
for policy, design of services, and future research initiatives.
    The Plan also embraces the concept of disability as a holistic 
phenomenon by extending this concept into the research field. This is 
achieved by emphasizing interactions between two or more domains, thus 
indicating and stressing the important interrelationships among the 
research domains throughout the Plan.
Accountability, Management, and Evaluation of Research
    The Plan introduces major changes in accountability, management, 
and evaluation of the research portfolio, some of which reflect new 
standards of accountability for NIDRR as an entity, while others relate 
to the performance of grantees.
    In 1993, Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act 
(GPRA), intended to improve accountability of Federal programs through 
strategic planning and performance assessment. GPRA requires Federal 
agencies to develop strategic plans for all programs, identifying 
performance goals and the indicators that would be used to measure 
progress. In 2002, the President's Management Agenda was announced, 
emphasizing the use of objective criteria to assess program results for 
budgeting purposes. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) developed 
the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) to assess each program's 
performance. Government-wide policy shifts have resulted in changes in 
NIDRR management procedures to emphasize standards for assessing its 
work and that of its grantees. NIDRR has developed its response to the 
PART document by using a logic model, as presented in the next part of 
the Plan.
    While NIDRR will continue to emphasize the same or similar research 
areas as those delineated in the 1999-2003 Long-Range Plan (i.e., 
employment, health and function, technology for access and function, 
participation and community living, and disability demographics, which 
are termed domains in this Plan), there will be new emphases on stages 
of knowledge development. These stages relate to the types of 
objectives and end products that grantees are expected to pursue. These 
stages include: (1) Discoveries; (2) theories, measures, and methods; 
and (3) interventions, products or devices, and environmental 
adaptations.
    In program reviews and other evaluations, NIDRR has found that 
disability and rehabilitation research often lacks validated theories 
and measures. The degree of deficit varies from one domain to another, 
and within domains, in relation to certain disability types or other 
target populations. Equally important is the tendency to sometimes 
reinvent data collection instruments for each individual study, rather 
than create a more robust knowledge base by using instruments that 
already are validated. Validated measurement tools are critical to

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evaluating research outcomes, and for determining which research 
findings are appropriate for dissemination to various constituents. 
Research projects at the second stage of knowledge development will 
develop and test the validity of theories, measures, and methods as 
applied to disability research.
    The focus on research stages of knowledge development will enable 
NIDRR to set more measurable goals and to assess the extent to which 
grantees have produced relevant outputs and outcomes. For example, 
whether a particular research topic is appropriate for the 
interventions, products, and environmental adaptations stage will be an 
important judgment, and one that NIDRR generally will announce with a 
published priority. In this third stage of knowledge development, 
researchers will test the effectiveness of specific interventions or 
program configurations.
Accomplishments of NIDRR Researchers
    NIDRR researchers and representatives of the disability community 
generally attribute two categories of accomplishments to NIDRR. The 
first category includes NIDRR leadership in important areas, pioneering 
inquiries, and general principles. The second category consists of the 
work of NIDRR-supported grantees in enhancing the knowledge base and 
disseminating new findings. The two categories are often complementary 
and interdependent. The Institute has reached its 25th Anniversary, and 
a backward glance will highlight some important NIDRR achievements.
    The need to examine the many dimensions of the new paradigm of 
disability, also referred to as the contextual paradigm of disability, 
provided the catalyst for an innovative collaboration between NIDRR and 
the American Psychological Association (APA). The Bridging Gaps 
research conference examined the impact of the paradigm shift on 
psychology and rehabilitation research. One presenter at the Bridging 
Gaps conference described the significant effects of the paradigm 
shift:
    NIDRR's new paradigm for conceptualizing disability is a powerful 
tool for focusing both research and service delivery systems on 
interactions that can significantly affect outcomes for persons with 
disability. If we are trying to understand outcomes through research or 
attempting to influence outcomes by direct intervention, or both, it is 
critical to understand and apply this paradigm by paying increased 
attention to the person-environment interactions. As with any good 
theory, this one illuminates aspects that were in the dark under the 
older paradigm and suggests ways of thinking that were not intuitively 
obvious.\2\
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    \2\ Nirenberg, B., ``A system for bridging the financial and 
cultural gaps in the well-being of persons with disabilities'', in 
Bridging gaps: Refining the disability research agenda for 
rehabilitation and the social sciences--Conference proceedings. 
Menomonie: University of Wisconsin-Stout, Stout Vocational 
Rehabilitation Institute, Research and Training Centers, edited by 
F.E. Menz and D.F. Thomas, 2003, p. 239 (https://www.rtc.uwstout.edu/
pubs/pubs.htm).
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    Related to the new paradigm are several new directions in research 
that also have served to lead the field. Among the research issues are 
universal design, the concept of an emerging universe of disability, 
and emphasis on accommodations. NIDRR has been a leading international 
proponent of universal design, which is defined as design for a built 
environment that can be used by nearly all people--living, working, and 
playing together. Rather than using design parameters based on 
idealized measures of human factors that restrict usability to a narrow 
segment of the population, universal design works to accommodate a 
wider range of functional abilities through approaches including 
modular designs that easily can be modified.
    The emerging universe of disability refers to a disabled population 
that is shaped by demographic changes in age, immigrant status, and 
other socioeconomic factors, by new types of potentially disabling 
conditions, by consequences of treatments of existing conditions, and 
by differential distribution of conditions and their consequences. The 
concept of an emerging universe of disability has helped to increase 
attention in the last five years to the unique needs of this 
population, and to multiply the research endeavors focusing on cultural 
and economic factors affecting disability.
    NIDRR has pursued a model for addressing obstacles facing people 
with disabilities that have shifted from service provision to supports 
that enable self-direction. Supports may include personal assistance 
services (PAS), assistive technology, civil rights, and peer support, 
and involving people with disabilities in the conduct and 
administration of disability and rehabilitation research. Promoting 
accommodations and assistive technology have been two areas of NIDRR 
leadership that are reflected in new public policy, including in the 
ADA and the NFI. Accommodations may be physical, technological or 
programmatic, and entitlement to accommodations is a cornerstone of the 
ADA. Accommodations are particularly important in supporting work and 
education. NIDRR researchers have developed assistive technology 
devices addressing information technology (IT), communications and 
speech, and neurological, mobility, and manipulation issues, among 
other functional areas. Accommodations also encompass changes in 
program operations to enable people with disabilities to participate 
fully; these changes may include times and locations, structure of 
activities, and accessibility.
    NIDRR has sponsored research on supports that help individuals with 
disabilities make their own choices and direct their own lives. 
Supports include peer-to-peer and family-to-family programs, PAS, self-
advocacy skill development, consumer direction, assistive technology, 
and environmental modifications, all which have been subjects of 
considerable NIDRR research.
    In 1982, NIDRR convened the first meeting of the member agencies of 
what is now known as the Interagency Subcommittee on Disability 
Statistics (ISDS), to coordinate and promote the generation of improved 
statistical knowledge about disability populations. This committee has 
met monthly for 20 years. The ISDS achievements include: collaborating 
to publish a book on statistics of disability populations (Thompson-
Hoffman, S. Fitzgerald Storck, I. (Eds.), Disability in the United 
States: a Portrait from National Data (1991); and serving as a 
consultation and review resource for other public and private agencies 
designing surveys of individuals with disabilities. The ISDS also has 
facilitated a substantial amount of sharing and exchange of information 
among member agencies, and joint funding of projects among these 
agencies.
Structure of the Plan
    The Plan is divided into three parts. Part A includes this 
introduction and a chapter on NIDRR's target population. NIDRR has, by 
law, a number of target populations, including people with disabilities 
and their families; individuals who provide vocational rehabilitation, 
or medical, technological, and direct support services; educators; 
policymakers; businesses; and the general public. However, people with 
disabilities clearly are intended to be the ultimate beneficiaries of 
all NIDRR activities, and the next chapter focuses on defining and 
describing that population.
    Part B (Managing for Success) addresses accountability, management, 
and evaluation through the use of a

[[Page 8171]]

logic model and a strategy of ``managing for results.'' The NIDRR Logic 
Model provides a theoretical base for the evaluation of program 
outcomes, and will serve to ensure consistency throughout a planning 
and feedback cycle. In ``managing for results,'' NIDRR presents its 
strategy for making its operations more systematic and responsive to 
the concerns of all its constituents. The management chapter focuses on 
setting regular, fixed dates for the steps of annual grants 
competitions--announcement of priorities and closing dates, peer 
reviews, and grant award announcements--and establishing standing 
panels for consistency and expertise in peer review. Additionally, 
NIDRR will focus on setting priorities that encourage greater leeway 
for applicants in designing research. NIDRR will be enhancing its 
monitoring and evaluation processes to provide continuous feedback to 
improve its research portfolio.
    Part C discusses three arenas of outcomes achievement: research and 
development (R&D), capacity building (C-B), and knowledge translation 
(KT). The R&D arena is divided according to the domains of NIDRR 
research--employment; health and function; technology for access and 
function; participation and community living; and disability 
demographics.
    Each domain of the R&D arena may include a discussion of one or 
more of the identified stages of knowledge development which include: 
discoveries; theories, measures and methods; and interventions, 
products and devices, and environmental adaptations. Under each of 
these domains, NIDRR will develop a set of implementation strategies 
that will identify potential research that could address the 
anticipated outcomes in the given domain. NIDRR will publish these 
implementation strategies as proposed priorities and, following public 
comment, final priorities annually, on a combined basis.
    In the arena of capacity building (C-B), NIDRR has focused its 
efforts on the personal and professional development of scientists, 
advocates, and people with disabilities, and is expanding this approach 
to include development of the capacity of institutions and 
organizations, especially those that address the needs of underserved 
populations.
    The Knowledge Translation (KT) chapter discusses the arena of KT 
and introduces reforms in NIDRR's current knowledge dissemination 
program. The new approach to KT features a process for assessing the 
scientific validity of findings to be transferred, using consortia and 
other external organizations for evaluation.
    Appendix 1 to this Plan lists the NIDRR 2005-2009 Long-Range Plan 
expert panel members.

II. The Target Population: Definitions and Characteristics

Definitions of Disability
    The ICDR, based on a survey of publicly available documents, 
identified more than 60 definitions of disability in the Federal 
government alone, generally related to eligibility requirements for 
benefits or services, but also reflected in major national surveys that 
determine the Nation's estimates of disability. NIDRR is governed by 
the definitions in Title II of the Act. The definition that applies to 
Title II describes a person with a disability as: ``any person who (i) 
Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or 
more major life activities, (ii) has a record of such an impairment, or 
(iii) is regarded as having such an impairment'' (29 U.S.C. 705).
    NIDRR is required to focus especially on experiences of individuals 
with the most significant disabilities. The Act defines an individual 
with a significant disability in functional terms, the resulting need 
for multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an extended period 
of time, and indicates that the definition includes, but is not limited 
to, a list of specific conditions (29 U.S.C.705). Multiple services 
over an extended period of time include accommodations needed during 
the rehabilitation process and/or during subsequent employment. Under 
this definition of an individual with a significant disability, NIDRR 
is concerned with finding research solutions for people with all types 
of disabilities--mobility and manipulation, sensory, cognitive, and 
emotional. The target population includes individuals of all ages. 
Section 21 of the Act requires specific attention to underserved 
populations, those individuals with disabilities who are additionally 
marginalized by membership in minority racial or ethnic populations.
    Prevailing definitions of disability used by Federal agencies do 
not reflect the new paradigm of disability concepts because the Federal 
definitions typically stress limitations and do not mention the 
potential role of accommodations or environmental conditions. The field 
of disability and rehabilitation research also continues to lack a 
widely accepted conceptual framework to identify and measure 
disability. The newer conceptual frameworks all focus on some continuum 
that progresses from etiology through disease, impairments, and 
functional limitations, which, when combined with external or 
environmental conditions, may cause deficits in the performance of 
daily activities or desired social roles. The latest proposal for 
classifying disability is the International Classification of 
Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) developed by the World Health 
Organization (WHO), and last revised in 2001.\3\ A diagram of the ICF 
classification schema can be found at https://www.cessi.net/
longrangeplan/icf.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The ICF represents a revision of the International 
Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH), 
which was first published by the WHO for trial purposes in 1980. 
Developed after systematic field trials and international 
consultation, it was endorsed for international use on 22 May 2001 
by the Fifty-fourth World Health Assembly (resolution WHA54.21). 
https://www3.who.int/icf/intros/ICF-Eng-Intro.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The ICF allows one to view disability as a dynamic interaction 
between the person and the environment. ICF's diagram of its 
classification schema depicts the multiple interactions of the person 
with the environment, and the various aspects of the person. The ICF 
provides a method for organizing measures of function, activity, 
participation, and environmental context. NIDRR and many of its partner 
agencies are considering the appropriateness of applying the ICF to 
U.S. populations, and are engaged in assessments of the necessary 
measurement tools and data systems. A later chapter of this Plan, 
Disability Demographics, presents a more thorough discussion of the 
ICF.
Prevalence of Disability
    Current figures on the number of people with disabilities in the 
United States indicate an estimated 54 million individuals have 
disabilities, based on definitions employed in national surveys, and 
self-reported responses to them. General definitions and descriptions 
of the target population, in terms of the domains of NIDRR research--
employment, health and function, participation and community living, 
and technology for access and function--are provided in this section. A 
later chapter of the Plan includes an analysis of the data in current 
measurement systems, and identifies gaps to be addressed by future 
research.
    General descriptors of NIDRR's target population, drawn from data 
about the disabled population, show that disability is closely related 
to aging and poverty. Persons with disabilities are

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more likely to be elderly, poor, of low educational status, and 
unemployed than those with no disabilities. People with disabilities 
are less likely to participate in community and social activities and 
are more likely to lack adequate transportation. However, persons with 
disabilities are about as likely as those without disabilities to have 
health insurance (relying heavily on Medicare and Medicaid) and 
somewhat more likely to have an identified source of healthcare. The 
disabled population is not monolithic, and there are many variations 
based on type of disability and age of onset, for example, as well as 
on the demographic characteristics mentioned here.
    Tables 1 and 2 describe the overall disabled population--its size, 
age and race distributions, and the frequency of conditions underlying 
the disabilities. Table 3 includes type of disability in the 
characterization. These tables are from the U.S. Census Bureau, Census 
2000, Summary File 3.

                               Table 1.--Prevalence of Disability by Age and Race
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Percent with a disability
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Total population    5 and                            65 and
        Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin          aged 5 and older    older     5 to 15    16 to 64    older
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.........................................       257,167,527       19.3        5.8       18.6       41.9
White alone.......................................       195,100,538       18.5        5.6       16.8       40.6
Black or African American alone...................        30,297,703       24.3          7       26.4       52.8
American Indian and Alaska Native alone...........         2,187,507       24.3        7.7         27       57.6
Asian alone.......................................         9.455,058       16.6        2.9       16.9       40.8
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone..           337,996         19        5.1         21       48.5
Some other race alone.............................        13,581,921       19.9        5.2       23.5       50.4
Two or more races.................................         6,206,804       21.7        7.1       25.1       51.8
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)..................        31,041,269       20.9        5.4         24       48.5
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino...............       180,151,084       18.3        5.7       16.2       40.4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                  Table 2.--Prevalence of Disability by Age and Gender
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Total                                                         Males                       Females
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Number        Percent        Number        Percent        Number        Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Population 5 years and over......................................       257,167,527        100       124,636,825        100       132,530,702        100
With any disability..............................................        49,746,248       19.3        24,439,531       19.6        25,306,717       19.1
Population 5 to 15 years.........................................        45,133,667      100.0        23,125,324      100.0        22,008,343      100.0
With any disability..............................................         2,614,919        5.8         1,666,230        7.2           948,689        4.3
Population 16 to 64 years........................................       178,687,234      100.0        87,570,583      100.0        91,116,651      100.0
With any disability..............................................        33,153,211       18.6        17,139,019       19.6        16,014,192       17.6
Population 65 years and over.....................................        33,346,626      100.0        13,940,918      100.0        19,405,708      100.0
With any disability..............................................        13,978,118       41.9         5,634,282       40.4         8,343,836       43.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The following table, Table 3, presents information about three 
categories of disability--sensory, physical, and mental--by age and 
gender. The table also includes additional information about major life 
activities. Thus, these are not unduplicated counts, and the totals 
exceed the estimated number of individuals who have disabilities.

           Table 3.--Characteristics of the Civilian Non-Institutionalized Population by Age, Disability Status, and Type of Disability: 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Total                                                         Males                       Females
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Number        Percent        Number        Percent        Number        Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Population 5 years and over......................................       257,167,527        100       124,636,825        100       132,530,702        100
With any disability..............................................        49,746,248       19.3        24,439,531       19.6        25,306,717       19.1
Population 5 to 15 years.........................................        45,133,667      100.0        23,125,324      100.0        22,008,343      100.0
With any disability..............................................         2,614,919        5.8         1,666,230        7.2           948,689        4.3
Sensory..........................................................           442,894        1.0           242,706        1.0           200,188        0.9
Physical.........................................................           455,461        1.0           251,852        1.1           203,609        0.9
Mental...........................................................         2,078,502        4.6         1,387,393        6.0           691,109        3.1
Self-care........................................................           419,018        0.9           244,824        1.1           174,194        0.8
Population 16 to 64 years........................................       178,687,234      100.0        87,570,583      100.0        91,116,651      100.0
With any disability..............................................        33,153,211       18.6        17,139,019       19.6        16,014,192       17.6
Sensory..........................................................         4,123,902        2.3         2,388,121        2.7         1,735,781        1.9
Physical.........................................................        11,150,365        6.2         5,279,731        6.0         5,870,634        6.4
Mental...........................................................         6,764,439        3.8         3,434,631        3.9         3,329,808        3.7
Self-care........................................................         3,149,875        1.8         1,463,184        1.7         1,686,691        1.9
Going outside the home...........................................        11,414,508        6.4         5,569,362        6.4         5,845,146        6.4
Employment disability............................................        21,287,570       11.9        11,373,786       13.0         9,913,784       10.9
Population 65 years and over.....................................        33,346,626      100.0        13,940,918      100.0        19,405,708      100.0
With any disability..............................................        13,978,118       41.9         5,634,282       40.4         8,834,836       43.0

[[Page 8173]]

 
Sensory..........................................................         4,738,479       14.2         2,177,216       15.6         2,561,263       13.2
Physical.........................................................         9,545,680       28.6         3,590,139       25.8         5,955,541       30.7
Mental...........................................................         3,592,912       10.8         1,380,060        9.9         2,212,852       11.4
Self-care........................................................         3,183,840        9.5         1,044,910        7.5         2,138,930       11.0
Going outside the home...........................................         6,795,517       20.4         2,339,128       16.8         4,456,389       23.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part B: Managing For Success

Preface

    This section of the Plan contains two chapters. The first chapter 
describes NIDRR's logic model for outcomes achievement, which has 
served as the basis of development of the Plan.
    The second chapter details the systematic approaches NIDRR intends 
to pursue to advance the management of the Institute's operations. A 
central feature is a move toward a fixed competition schedule. The 
second chapter also describes efforts to enhance NIDRR's scientific 
review process, and the emphasis on outcomes evaluation.

I. NIDRR Logic Model

Introduction
    NIDRR has based the development of the Plan on its mission 
statement. The mission statement emphasizes participation in the 
community by persons with disabilities as the overall objective of 
NIDRR's investment activities. NIDRR's mission statement was derived 
from the enabling legislation for NIDRR. In developing its research 
agenda, NIDRR drew upon accountability guidelines from the Department 
and OMB, which focus on outcomes of research activities.
    To provide a theoretical framework for the Plan and guide its 
implementation, NIDRR developed its program Logic Model (see Appendix 
2), which represents graphically the different types of short-term and 
intermediate outcomes that NIDRR's investments in R&D are designed to 
produce or contribute to and the interrelationships among these 
intended outcomes. The Logic Model also serves as the framework for 
depicting NIDRR's planned performance assessment and outcomes 
evaluation processes, which are key to demonstrating the Institute's 
accountability for research results. The width and density of the 
upward-directed arrows, at the bottom of the Logic Model diagram, 
indicate that the degree of accountability and hence intensity of NIDRR 
efforts in assessment and evaluation is greatest for the short-term 
outcome arenas.
How the NIDRR Logic Model Contributes to the Long-Range Plan
    The value of any logic model is that it provides:
     A tool for outcomes planning and performance management 
that depicts the ``chain of events'' linking outcome goals to outputs, 
activities and inputs.
     A vehicle for communicating program goals and guiding 
program improvement and evaluation.
     A graphic representation or ``blueprint'' of the key 
elements of a program or intervention, and how these elements will work 
under certain conditions to ``solve'' identified problems.
Definitions of Components of the NIDRR Logic Model Situation
    The uppermost block in the Logic Model, labeled ``situation,'' 
highlights the gaps in knowledge, skills, policy and practice that 
hinder attainment of parity in employment, health and function, and 
participation for people with disabilities compared to the non-disabled 
population (see Appendix 2). The Logic Model depicts the short-term and 
intermediate outcomes that NIDRR seeks to achieve directly and 
indirectly through its investments in research and related activities 
to eliminate these gaps and inform needed changes in policy, practice, 
behavior, and system capacity. These advancements and changes, in turn, 
contribute to the long-term outcome of improving the lives of people 
with disabilities.
Major Domains of NIDRR Mission
    The substantive focus of NIDRR's investment activity is R&D applied 
to maximizing the participation of people with disabilities. This 
activity is centered on the three major life domains of interest to 
NIDRR: (a) Employment, (b) participation and community living, and (c) 
health and function. In the Logic Model, interlocking circles represent 
these inter-related domains (see Appendix 2). The achievement of goals 
related to the three major life domains is facilitated by technology, 
which addresses both access and function, and knowledge of disability 
demographics, including characteristics and trends in the population of 
people with disabilities. Policymakers, service providers, researchers, 
and disability advocates are the principal users of demographic data. 
NIDRR is uniquely positioned to address these inter-connected domains.
    The employment circle of the Logic Model represents research on 
employment-related activities and strategies to improve employment 
outcomes and labor force participation. Lack of parity in employment 
remains one of the greatest barriers to independence for people with 
disabilities. Research is needed on strategies to enable Americans with 
disabilities to access careers, integrate into the workforce, and 
participate as full citizens in the economic marketplace. Employment, 
although an integral part of community participation, is treated as a 
separate domain because of NIDRR's statutory relationship with the 
Federal-State vocational rehabilitation program, and because of its 
overwhelming significance to people with disabilities and society.
    The participation and community living circle of the Logic Model 
represents the interaction with the social and built environment in a 
way that maximizes full inclusion and integration of people with 
disabilities. This domain focuses on direct supports that increase the 
availability of acceptable options and opportunities to make choices 
and enhance participation in everyday activities. For the promise of 
full participation and community living to become a reality, people 
with disabilities need safe and affordable housing; access to 
transportation; access to the political process; and access to the 
services, programs, and activities offered to all members of the 
community at public and private facilities.
    The health and function circle of the Logic Model represents 
individual

[[Page 8174]]

factors such as the structure and function of the human body, as well 
as strategies to prevent, identify, assess, or resolve causes and 
consequences of disability. In this domain, as in the others, NIDRR 
stresses the importance of individual choice--choosing providers, 
services and objectives. The health and function domain encompasses 
research to achieve outcomes at the individual level--improved 
functioning, fitness, and health, including mental health. This domain 
also addresses goals at the system level, such as more effective 
service delivery systems, better access (financial and logistical) to 
healthcare services, and the assessment of rehabilitation 
effectiveness.
    The outer ring of the Logic Model includes two additional domains: 
technology for access and function and disability demographics. 
Technology for access and function is essential to community 
integration, employment, and health and function, and plays a major 
role in enabling a good fit between individuals with disabilities and 
the environment. The domain of disability demographics emphasizes 
describing and characterizing people with disabilities to provide a 
better understanding of the phenomenon of disability. Improved 
statistics on disability and participation are critical to developing 
policies and strategies that will be effective in addressing barriers 
to participation faced by individuals with disabilities, and in 
assessing the Nation's progress in improving life outcomes for 
individuals with disabilities.
Long-term Outcomes
    Generally, outcomes refer to anticipated or actual changes in a 
target system that occurs from carrying out program activities and 
outputs. Long-term outcomes are the desired end-results of a program at 
the societal level; long-term outcomes are indicated by changes in 
overall conditions of the target population. Given their scope, long-
term outcomes go beyond the direct or indirect influence and control of 
any one agency. Because of this, NIDRR is not accountable for 
producing, by itself, societal level improvements in the overall 
conditions of people with disabilities. Rather, the Institute's long-
term outcomes, which focus on eliminating disparities in employment, 
participation and community living, and health and function, serve as 
critical anchor points guiding all strategic planning and research 
management efforts. Consistent with the Act, NIDRR's span of 
accountability centers on generating, romoting, and disseminating 
short-term outcomes that consist of new knowledge resulting from the 
combined accomplishments of its grantees. These short-term outcomes, 
when combined with KT activities, can be used to inform policy, change 
practice and behavior, and expand system capacity, which in turn will 
contribute to improving the lives of individuals of all ages with 
disabilities.
Short-Term Outcome Arenas
    Short-term outcomes refer to advancements in understanding, 
knowledge, skills, and learning systems that result from the successful 
implementation of program activities and the use of R&D related 
outputs. Within the Logic Model and in the context of disability and 
rehabilitation research, there are three short-term outcome arenas, 
corresponding to NIDRR's investments in three functional programs. 
These functional arenas are: (1) C-B; (2) R&D; and (3) KT, 
corresponding to NIDRR's three strategic goals (See Part C). Given its 
centrality to the NIDRR mission, the R&D arena is further divided to 
reflect three stages of knowledge development. The three stages 
recognize that advancements in knowledge may occur throug