[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-28096]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 15, 1994]


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Part V





Department of Education





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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Funding Priorities for Fiscal Years 1995-
1996 for Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes funding priorities for Rehabilitation 
Research and Training Centers (RRTCs) under the National Institute on 
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) for fiscal years 1995-
1996. The Secretary takes this action to focus research attention on 
areas of national need. These proposed priorities are intended to 
improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 15, 1994.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning these proposed priorities should be 
addressed to Betty Jo Berland, U.S. Department of Education, 600 
Independence Avenue, S.W., Switzer Building, Room 3424, Washington, 
D.C. 20202-2601. Internet address: Training____C[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betty Jo Berland. Telephone: (202) 
205-9739. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD) may call the TDD number at (202) 205-5516.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains four proposed 
priorities under the RRTC program. The proposed priorities are for 
research related to independent living and disability policy, 
management and services of Centers for Independent Living (CILs), low-
functioning deaf individuals, and rehabilitation in long-term mental 
illness. These proposed priorities support the National Education Goals 
that call for all Americans to possess the knowledge and skills 
necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and 
responsibilities of citizenship.
    Authority for the RRTC program of NIDRR is contained in section 
204(b)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 760-
762). Under this program the Secretary makes awards to public and 
private entities, including institutions of higher education and Indian 
tribes or tribal organizations, to conduct coordinated research and 
training activities. To be eligible, these entities must be of 
sufficient size, scope, and quality to carry out effectively the 
activities of the Center in an efficient manner consistent with 
appropriate State and Federal laws. They must demonstrate the ability 
to carry out the training activities either directly or through another 
entity that can provide such training.
    The Secretary may make awards through grants or cooperative 
agreements. The purpose of the awards is for planning and conducting 
research, training, demonstrations, and related activities leading to 
the development of methods, procedures, and devices that will benefit 
individuals with disabilities, especially those with the most severe 
disabilities. Under the regulations for this program (see 34 CFR 
352.32), the Secretary may establish research priorities by reserving 
funds to support particular research activities.

Description of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center 
Program

    RRTCs must be operated in collaboration with institutions of higher 
education or providers of rehabilitation services or other appropriate 
services. RRTCs serve as centers of national excellence and national or 
regional resources for service providers and individuals with 
disabilities and the parents, family members, guardians, advocates or 
authorized representatives of these individuals.
    RRTCs conduct coordinated and advanced programs of research in 
rehabilitation targeted toward the production of new knowledge to 
improve rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems, 
alleviate or stabilize disabling conditions, and promote maximum social 
and economic independence of individuals with disabilities.
    RRTCs provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to service providers in order to enhance the quality 
and effectiveness of services provided to individuals with 
disabilities. They also provide training, including graduate, pre-
service, and in-service training, for rehabilitation research personnel 
and other rehabilitation personnel.
    RRTCs serve as informational and technical assistance resources to 
service providers, individuals with disabilities, and the parents, 
family members, guardians, advocates, or authorized representatives of 
these individuals through conferences, workshops, public education 
programs, in-service training programs, and similar activities.
    The statute requires that each applicant for a grant from NIDRR 
demonstrate how its proposed activities address the needs of 
individuals from minority backgrounds who have disabilities. NIDRR 
encourages all Centers to involve individuals with disabilities and 
minorities as recipients in both research training and clinical 
training.
    Applicants have considerable latitude in proposing the specific 
research and related projects they will undertake to achieve the 
designated outcomes; however, the regulatory selection criteria for the 
program (34 CFR 352.31) state that the Secretary reviews the extent to 
which applicants justify their choice of research projects in terms of 
the relevance to the priority and to the needs of individuals with 
disabilities. The Secretary also reviews the extent to which applicants 
present a scientific methodology that includes reasonable hypotheses, 
methods of data collection and analysis, and a means to evaluate the 
extent to which project objectives have been achieved.
    The Department is particularly interested in ensuring that the 
expenditure of public funds is justified by the execution of intended 
activities and the advancement of knowledge and, thus, has built this 
accountability into the selection criteria. Not later than three years 
after the establishment of any RRTC, NIDRR will conduct one or more 
reviews of the activities and achievements of the Center. In accordance 
with the provisions of 34 CFR 75.253(a), continued funding depends at 
all times on satisfactory performance and accomplishment.

General

    The Secretary proposes that the following requirements will apply 
to all of the RRTCs pursuant to the priorities:
    Each RRTC must conduct an integrated program of research to develop 
solutions to problems confronted by individuals with disabilities.
    Each RRTC must conduct a coordinated and advanced program of 
training in rehabilitation research, including training in research 
methodology and applied research experience, that will contribute to 
the number of qualified researchers working in the area of 
rehabilitation research.
    Each Center must disseminate and encourage the use of new 
rehabilitation knowledge. They must make available all materials for 
dissemination or training in alternate formats to make them accessible 
to individuals with a range of disabling conditions.
    Each RRTC must involve individuals with disabilities and, if 
appropriate, their family members, as well as rehabilitation service 
providers, in planning and implementing the research and training 
programs, in interpreting and disseminating the research findings, and 
in evaluating the Center.

Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet one of the following proposed 
priorities. The Secretary will fund under this competition only 
applications that meet one of these absolute priorities:

Proposed Priorities 1 and 2: Independent Living

Background
    Independent Living (IL) programs operate from a philosophy of 
consumer control, self-help, advocacy, development of peer 
relationships and peer role models, and equal access of individuals 
with significant disabilities to society, programs, and activities. The 
IL philosophy stresses the concept of empowerment of individuals with 
disabilities to control their own lives through participation in 
service planning, management of their own personal assistants, informed 
decisionmaking, and self-advocacy. In its 25-year history, 
``Independent Living'' has been a philosophy, a social movement, and a 
service program. These priorities address all of the aspects of 
independent living, and propose investigations into new applications of 
independent living concepts, as well as studies and training related to 
the operations of the publicly-supported IL programs.
    The 1992 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act made major changes to 
Title VII, which authorizes the support of Centers for Independent 
Living (CILs) and IL programs under the Federal-State vocational 
rehabilitation program. The changes that are of most relevance to these 
priorities are: Establishment of Statewide Independent Living Councils 
(SILCs) to jointly develop and sign the State plan for independent 
living; a new definition of a CIL as a consumer-controlled, community-
based, cross-disability, nonresidential, private non-profit agency that 
is designed and operated within a local community by individuals with 
disabilities and provides an array of independent living services; 
changes in the State and Federal responsibilities for making grants; 
and the specific authorization of advocacy services.
    NIDRR has funded RRTCs in independent living since 1980. Current 
RRTCs focus on disability policy, IL management, and IL for underserved 
populations. The current Centers on policy and management will receive 
their final funding in fiscal year 1994. In order to determine the 
continued need for RRTCs in IL, and some possible research needs, NIDRR 
convened a two-day focus group of experts in IL research and 
administration in Washington in January, 1994. The following proposed 
priorities are based largely on the work of this focus group as well as 
reports from the current research centers and input from other Federal 
agencies. Focus group participants raised issues for further 
investigation in the following areas of program operations: compliance 
with program standards; outcome measures and accountability; improved 
program services; reaching diverse populations; training, recruitment, 
and retention of staff; and effective operations of governing boards 
and SILCs.
    The focus group also discussed a number of issues concerning new 
roles for CILs in societal developments such as violence, homelessness, 
and information technology, and in the formulation and implementation 
of policy in areas with particular implications for individuals with 
disabilities, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 
reform of the health care delivery system.
    The RRTC on CIL management and services will be funded jointly by 
NIDRR and RSA and will be required to work closely with the RSA grantee 
providing training, technical assistance, and transition assistance to 
CILs under Part C of Title VII of the amended Rehabilitation Act.

Proposed Priority 1: Independent Living and Disability Policy

    An RRTC on independent living and disability policy shall--
     Develop policies and strategies to enhance leadership and 
empowerment among individuals with disabilities; define the nature and 
characteristics of empowerment for individuals with disabilities; 
analyze how empowerment is achieved; assess the roles of participation 
in disability culture and of peer support in achieving empowerment and 
successful independent living; identify similarities and differences in 
the characteristics of empowerment and the means of achieving it for 
individuals with disabilities from minority ethnic or cultural 
backgrounds, women, youth, and elderly persons; and develop 
recommendations for policies and strategies for CILS to enhance 
empowerment in individuals with disabilities;
     Develop and test an assessment instrument to evaluate the 
appropriateness for and accessibility to individuals with significant 
disabilities of generic community services-- including vulnerable 
individuals such as persons with disabilities who are homeless, who are 
at risk for societal abuse and violence, and those who are from 
minority backgrounds--and develop strategies for CILs to promote 
accessible communities in areas where lack of access can be identified;
     Analyze CIL policies regarding activities to promote 
implementation of the ADA, and develop strategies that CILs might 
adopt, including an analysis of the implications and consequences of 
various options;
     Analyze issues related to health care reform as they 
relate to independent living and the ability of persons with 
significant disabilities to maintain themselves and their health in 
settings of their own choice, and develop appropriate strategies for 
CIL participation in the redesign of the health care system, including 
roles in influencing reforms, assessing the impact of reforms, 
educating consumers and providers, and assessing consumer satisfaction;
     Develop strategies and models for the most effective 
participation of the CIL staff and consumers in the design and conduct 
of research, and develop policy recommendations for disability consumer 
organizations and research agencies based on these models; and
     Provide training and information to CILs, policymakers, 
administrators, and advocates on research findings and policy 
developments affecting independent living.

Proposed Priority 2: Independent Living Center Management and Services

    An RRTC on independent living center management and services 
shall--
     Develop self-evaluation and management information systems 
for use by CILs in assessing and improving operations and services, 
including appropriate outcome measures for CILs, minimum data elements 
necessary for documenting outcomes, and minimally obtrusive and least 
cumbersome systems for data collection;
     Develop and implement methodologies to assess compliance 
with statutory and regulatory requirements, including Federal standards 
and indicators, and design and test interventions to ensure and 
maintain compliance;
     Identify best practices and develop and test improved 
models for CIL services to linguistic, cultural, and ethnic minorities 
and for the delivery of IL services to diverse populations;
     Identify best practices and develop and test optimal roles 
for CILs in expanding services to youth with disabilities and in 
interfacing with education and transition programs to prepare youth for 
independent living;
     Define appropriate preservice and inservice training for 
CIL staff, and develop or adapt and pilot test curricula and training 
with a cross-section of CIL staff;
     Identify best practices in the operation of CIL governing 
boards and design and deliver training to a sample of CIL governing 
boards and senior staff, documenting the long-term impact of this 
effort on CIL operations and outcomes;
     Review the funding patterns of CILs and analyze the impact 
on Center activities of receiving funding from diverse sources, and 
design and test several options for generating funding from a variety 
of sources, including sources independent of public financing;
     Develop models for the use of the National Information 
Infrastructure (NII) and other communications technologies to enhance 
the ability of CILs to communicate, share information, and provide 
improved services to clients;
     Document the initial development, composition, and 
operation of the SILCs, and develop and provide training and technical 
assistance to a selected sample of SILCs and document the impact of 
this effort; and
     Coordinate with and provide investigative methodologies, 
instruments, and curricula, as well as research findings, to the RSA 
grantee providing training, technical assistance, and transition 
assistance to CILs under Part C of Title VII of the amended 
Rehabilitation Act.

Proposed Priority 3: Improved Outcomes for Individuals with Long-Term 
Mental Illness

Background
    Findings of the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiological 
Catchment Area program are that more than 20 percent of all Americans 
has a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year. (Office of 
Technology Assessment, Psychiatric Disabilities, Employment, and the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, 1994). Of the population with mental 
disorders, 4 to 5 million adults are considered ``seriously mentally 
ill'' (Rutman, ``How Psychiatric Disability Expresses Itself as a 
Barrier to Employment,'' NIDRR Consensus Validation Conference on 
``Strategies to Secure and Maintain Employment for Persons With Long 
Term Mental Illness'', 1993). This priority focuses on that part of the 
population that has serious and persistent mental disorders that 
interfere with normal activities of daily life; the term ``long-term 
mentally ill'' (LTMI) is also commonly used to refer to this 
population.
    A number of consumer-run community-based programs have developed in 
recent years offering vocational counseling, educational and training 
programs, job placement services, and ongoing peer support. These 
programs often are a low-cost augmentation of scarce community 
services. (Parrish, J., Center for Mental Health Services, 1994) The 
programs are, however, very difficult to evaluate (Goldklang, D., 
American Journal of Community Psychiatry, October, 1991). Nevertheless, 
in order to identify those elements of community-based programs that 
are most effective in meeting the needs of individuals with LTMI, there 
is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of various models of consumer-
run programs in: Serving the most significantly disabled individuals; 
providing appropriate services for individuals from minority cultures; 
obtaining diverse funding sources; maintaining accountability; training 
peer service providers; providing an appropriate range and quality of 
services; providing crisis response services; and achieving optimal 
outcomes.
    In addition, peer-support programs may have a significant role in 
crisis response and in minimizing the need for involuntary 
institutionalization or treatment. The Community Support Program (CSP) 
of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) convened meetings in 
1991-1993, ``Round Tables on Alternatives to Involuntary Treatment'', 
to identify approaches for minimizing the use of coercive interventions 
that can impede recovery, independent living, and maintenance of 
employment. The leadership and the staff of peer-support organizations 
require appropriate training and preparation if they are to be 
effective in crisis intervention.
    The mental health field has become increasingly aware of the 
special concerns and unmet needs of women with LTMI. A recent study 
indicated that 40 percent of the children in foster care in New York 
City have mothers with mental illness (New York State Office of Mental 
Health). Peer-operated programs are a potential resource to assist 
these women to develop the capacity to parent children and to obtain 
and maintain housing, employment, and social supports in the community 
(Salasin, S., Center for Mental Health Services, 1994).
    There are strong indications that consumer-run mental health 
organizations have not been as prevalent or as effective in minority 
cultures. Approaches to this problem include providing more training in 
cultural awareness and sensitivity (Cook, J. A., NAMI Outreach 
Strategies to African American and Hispanic Families: Results of a 
National Telephone Survey, 1992) to existing peer-operated programs, 
and developing programs operated by or representing minority 
individuals and cultures.
    The National Task Force for Rehabilitation and Employment of 
Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities called, in 1993, for improved 
dissemination of useful research findings and best practices to all 
appropriate target audiences. The Task Force also recommended that the 
findings be translated in ways that are useful for policymakers, 
administrators, consumers, and families of diverse cultural 
backgrounds. The mental health field currently does not make full use 
of computerized information systems to access knowledge about long-term 
mental illness, or to link researchers, service providers, trainers, 
educators, and consumers for on-line discussion and information 
sharing. (Nance, R., Illinois Dept. of Mental Health and Developmental 
Disabilities, 1993, letter to CMHS). With effective training and 
technical assistance, consumer organizations could use technology to 
access resources, establish electronic bulletin boards, and conduct 
conferences and training.
    The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research 
proposes to support an RRTC on LTMI in collaboration with the Center 
for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration. This RRTC on LTMI will focus on the role of 
peer support and consumer-operated community-based programs in 
improving independence, employment, and community integration.

Priority

    An RRTC on improved outcomes for individuals with long-term mental 
illness shall--
     Develop and test an evaluation protocol for consumer-run 
programs using outcome measures based on empirical data on recovery, 
independence, empowerment, employment, community integration, and 
cultural competency;
      Develop methodology and identify and evaluate community-
based and workplace-based early intervention and crisis response 
services, including those using peer support, in terms of effective 
crisis planning approaches, avoidance of coercive treatment strategies, 
and rapid return to employment and independent living in the community;
     Identify best practices to meet the special needs of women 
with LTMI, considering such areas as personal support networks and 
contingency plans, parenting skills, and techniques for vocational 
planning;
     Identify and analyze specific characteristics of the 
structure and process of consumer-run programs for various major 
ethnic, cultural, and linguistic minorities and develop models for 
cultural diversity training and for supporting the development of peer-
support programs in minority cultures;
     Develop and test methodologies for participatory research 
and consumer interface with the research process;
     Develop, test, and implement model training programs for 
preservice and inservice training of peers as service providers, 
ensuring that culturally sensitive training modules are developed for 
use with minorities; and
     Identify channels of information exchange among and 
between consumers and service providers, and develop training and 
technical assistance strategies to promote the use of electronic 
information networks.

Proposed Priority 4: Improved Outcomes for Low-Functioning Deaf 
Individuals

Background
    Approximately one of every 1,000 infants is born with a hearing 
impairment that is severe enough to prevent the spontaneous development 
of spoken language, according to the National Strategic Research Plan 
for Deafness and Hearing Impairment, National Institute on Deafness and 
Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 1992. While many of these 
prelingually deaf and severely hearing-impaired individuals complete 
education and attain employment and independence, the report of the 
Commission on the Education of the Deaf (COED) indicates that the 
majority of deaf students do not go into any postsecondary education, 
and that many need further education or training to obtain appropriate 
employment (COED, Toward Equality: Education of the Deaf, 1988). 
Moreover, an estimated 100,000 deaf people are unemployed or seriously 
underemployed due to such problems as deficiencies in language 
performance and related psychological, vocational, and social 
underdevelopment. (COED, 1988, p. 69.)
    These ``low-functioning'' deaf (LFD) individuals often do not have 
comprehensive rehabilitation training and related services accessible 
and available to them. This segment of the deaf population--sometimes 
called ``low functioning'', ``low achieving'', ``multiple disabled 
deaf'', or ``traditionally underserved deaf''--requires long term and 
intensive habilitative and rehabilitative services and is the focus of 
this priority.
    The deaf individuals to be addressed by the proposed research 
frequently exhibit deficits in vocational skills, independent living 
skills, manual and oral communication skills, social skills, and 
academic skills, and many have significant secondary disabilities. Many 
are from socioeconomically and culturally disadvantaged backgrounds, 
and many are from ethnic or linguistic minorities. Services to this 
population are scarce and fragmented. In addition to understanding the 
social, vocational, and educational implications of the disability, 
service providers must also be able to communicate with the 
individuals, often through less than optimal means, such as rudimentary 
sign language.
    In 1990, NIDRR funded an RRTC on Traditionally Underserved Persons 
Who are Deaf, located at the University of Northern Illinois, to study 
the parameters and service needs of this population. Funding for this 
Center ends in fiscal year 1994. Activities of this Center include a 
needs assessment, development of a model service program, outcome 
studies, qualitative and quantitative analyses and surveys, development 
of curriculum and training materials, conduct of training seminars, and 
provision of technical assistance. This new proposed Center will have 
the benefit of the work of the previous Center on Traditionally 
Underserved Deaf Populations. The new Center will be required to 
coordinate its activities with related projects for this population 
funded by RSA and projects dealing with hearing-impaired children and 
youth funded by the Office of Special Education Programs.
    In January 1994, NIDRR convened a focus group of consumers and 
providers of services, researchers, and advocates to consider the issue 
of the need for ongoing research in the area of low-functioning deaf 
individuals and to identify specific questions. The input from the 
panel and other experts from the field has contributed to the decision 
to fund additional research to understand more fully the population of 
low-functioning deaf individuals, especially those with secondary 
disabilities, and to develop improved interventions and service systems 
for those individuals.

Priority

    An RRTC on improved services for low-functioning deaf individuals 
shall--
     Define the population further by detailing the social, 
cultural, educational, physical, psychological, communicative, and 
cognitive characteristics of these individuals, especially those with 
secondary disabilities;
     Determine the effectiveness of existing assessment 
techniques for deaf persons who have other disabilities and develop and 
evaluate new assessment methods and techniques with particular 
attention to the cultural relevance and cognitive appropriateness of 
these assessment tools;
     Evaluate the applicability of a variety of language and 
literacy development strategies, including alternatives such as 
survival skills language and functional workplace literacy training, to 
enhance language and literacy skills in this population, including 
those from minority cultural backgrounds;
     Identify the range of services and service resources 
required to meet the needs of this population; examine patterns of 
service usage; develop mechanisms for coordination among agencies and 
across service systems to foster a comprehensive system of educational, 
social service, vocational, housing, mental health, and recreational 
services for low-functioning deaf individuals, with specific attention 
to systems that serve individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds; 
and recommend Federal and State level policy changes needed to promote 
comprehensive service systems;
     Identify the rehabilitation service needs of low-
functioning deaf individuals from minority populations, identify the 
cultural and physical barriers to accessing services for these 
populations, and develop culturally sensitive service models and test 
these in existing service delivery programs;
     Determine the necessary competencies and attitudes for 
service providers working with low-functioning deaf individuals, 
identify and develop appropriate personnel training and train service 
providers to deliver enhanced services to this population; and
     Develop effective materials and media to enhance the 
dissemination of new knowledge on LFD to appropriate audiences, 
including LFD individuals and their families, independent living 
centers, educators, and health care practitioners.

Invitation to Comment

    Interested persons are invited to submit comments and 
recommendations regarding these proposed priorities. All comments 
submitted in response to this notice will be available for public 
inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room 3423, Mary 
Switzer Building, 330 C Street S.W., Washington, D.C., between the 
hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week 
except Federal holidays.

Applicable Program Regulations

34 CFR Parts 350 and 352

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 760-762.

    (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.133B, 
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers).

    Dated: November 8, 1994.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 94-28096 Filed 11-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P