[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 107 (Friday, June 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35334-35335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13682]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.235K]


Special Demonstration Programs; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000

    Purpose of Program: To provide financial assistance to support 
projects or programs that expand and improve the provision of 
rehabilitation and other services for individuals with disabilities, 
including technical assistance that meets the needs of underserved 
populations.
    Eligible Applicants: State vocational rehabilitation agencies; 
community rehabilitation programs; Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations; and public or nonprofit agencies or organizations, 
including institutions of higher education.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 1, 2000.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 30, 2000.
    Applications Available: June 2, 2000.
    Available Funds: $500,000.
    Estimated Range of Award: $400,000 to $500,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months. The Assistant Secretary believes 
that a period of at least 36 months is necessary to accomplish the 
project objectives. The Assistant Secretary will assess, during the 
third year of the project period, whether there is a continuing need 
for the project and whether to provide funding beyond 36 months.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

Priority

Background

    According to section 21 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 
amended (Act), Native Americans have a rate of work-related disability 
that is about one and one-half times that of the general population. 
Patterns of inequitable treatment of minorities, including Native 
Americans, have been documented at all stages of the vocational 
rehabilitation process.

Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and section 303(b)(4)(C) and (5)(B)(vi) 
of the Act, the Assistant Secretary gives an absolute preference to 
applications that meet the following priority. The Assistant Secretary 
funds only an application that meets this absolute priority.
    A project must create a National Technical Assistance Center that 
would provide technical assistance to tribes and tribal agencies, State 
vocational rehabilitation agencies, and other service agencies to 
increase employment opportunities and vocational outcomes for Native 
Americans with disabilities.

[[Page 35335]]

Allowable Activities

    Activities that may be supported under this competition include, 
but are not limited to--
     Assisting tribes and other agencies to conduct market 
analyses and providing information on self-employment and business 
ownership for Native Americans with disabilities;
     Providing culturally relevant training to tribes on the 
provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act;
     Identifying solutions related to the lack of 
infrastructure when developing employment opportunities for Native 
Americans with disabilities;
     Assisting tribes and other agencies to better understand 
other issues affecting Native Americans with disabilities, including, 
but not limited to--housing, transportation, current legislative 
initiatives such as the Workforce Investment Act and the Workforce 
Investment Improvement Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act, Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers, and relevant 
higher education initiatives, coordination of services available 
through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service, 
long-term care, independent living, and assistive technology.
    Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a new grant 
under this competition, the Secretary uses selection criteria chosen 
from the general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The 
selection criteria to be used for this competition will be provided in 
the application package for this competition.
    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also 
contact ED Pubs via its Web site (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html) 
or its E-mail address (ed [email protected]). If you request an 
application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as 
follows: CFDA number 84.235K.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 
(202) 205-8351. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Services (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an 
alternate format the standard forms included in the application 
package.
    For Further Information Contact: Thomas E. Finch, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3314, Switzer Building, 
Washington, DC. 20202-2650. Telephone: (202) 205-8292. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact persons listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.html
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions 
about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), 
toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 
512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html


    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 773(b).

    Dated: May 26, 2000.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. 
[FR Doc. 00-13682 Filed 6-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U