[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 130 (Friday, July 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35738-35742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16982]



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Part III





Department of Education





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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 130 / Friday, July 6, 2001 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

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

ACTION: Notice of Final Funding Priorities for Fiscal Years (FY) 2001-
2003 for three Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects.

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SUMMARY: We are announcing three final funding priorities under the 
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program 
(DRRP) of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation 
Research (NIDRR) for FY 2001-2003. Strategies for Promoting Information 
Technology (IT)-based Educational Opportunities for Individuals with 
Disabilities, Strategies for Promoting Information Technology (IT)-
based Employment and Training Opportunities for Individuals with 
Disabilities, and Wayfinding Technologies for Individuals Who Are 
Blind. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of 
national need. We intend these priorities to improve the rehabilitation 
services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

DATES: These priorities take effect on August 6, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 205-
5880. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD) may call the TDD number at (202) 205-4475. Internet: 
[email protected].
    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 the preceding 
paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains final priorities under 
the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research 
(NIDRR) Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers 
Program (DRRP) for Strategies for Promoting Information Technology 
(IT)-based Educational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities, 
Strategies for Promoting Information Technology (IT)-based Employment 
and Training Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities, and 
Wayfinding Technologies for Individuals Who Are Blind.
    The final priorities refer to NIDRR's Long-Range Plan (the Plan). 
The Plan can be accessed on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR/#LRP.

National Education Goals

    The eight National Education Goals focus the Nation's education 
reform efforts and provide a framework for improving teaching and 
learning.
    This notice addresses the National Education Goal that every adult 
American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills 
necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and 
responsibilities of citizenship.

Authority

    The authority for the program to establish research priorities by 
reserving funds to support particular research activities is contained 
in sections 202(g) and 204 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 
amended (29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)). Regulations governing this 
program are found in 34 CFR part 350.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. A notice 
inviting applications is published in this issue of the Federal 
Register.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

    On April 27, 2001, we published a notice of proposed priorities in 
the Federal Register (66 FR 21125). The Department of Education 
received three letters commenting on the notice of proposed priorities 
by the deadline date. Most of the comments concerned all three 
priorities, had multiple issues and suggestions, and overlapped with 
other comments. NIDRR is responding to the comments on priority one and 
priority two jointly. Technical and other minor changes--and suggested 
changes that we are not legally authorized to make under statutory 
authority--are not addressed.

Priority 1: Strategies for Promoting Information Technology (IT)-
Based Educational Opportunities for Individuals With Disabilities

Priority 2: Strategies for Promoting Information Technology (IT)-
Based Employment and Training Opportunities for Individuals With 
Disabilities

General

    Comment: The priorities should require applicants to disseminate 
research results to State vocational rehabilitation agencies.
    Discussion: NIDRR agrees that vocational rehabilitation agencies 
would benefit from the research results disseminated by the projects.
    Changes: The dissemination activities for both IT-based priorities 
have been expanded to include public vocational rehabilitation agencies 
as appropriate audiences for disseminating each project's research 
results.

Priority 3: Wayfinding Technologies for Individuals Who Are Blind

    Comment: One commenter suggested that the Rehabilitation 
Engineering Research Center (RERC) be required to conduct a comparative 
study looking at successful and less successful travel techniques used 
by both sighted and blind travelers.
    Discussion: An applicant may propose a comparative study under the 
first activity and the peer review process will evaluate the merits of 
the proposal.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter stated that including the word ``safely'' in 
the first activity implies a level of assurance that can never exist in 
any public travel environment and should therefore be eliminated from 
the activity.
    Discussion: NIDRR believes that including the word ``safely'' 
within the general purpose statement and subsequent activities of this 
priority is appropriate even though it may never be 100 percent 
achieved.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter feels that evidence gathered for this 
priority does not support the requirement that applicants must 
investigate ``electronic travel aids'' in the second activity and 
suggested the word ``electronic'' be eliminated altogether and the 
words ``and techniques'' be added after ``travel aids.''
    Discussion: NIDRR believes that the background statement adequately 
supports each activity, including the need to investigate, evaluate, 
and develop electronic travel aids. However, NIDRR does agree with the 
commenter's suggestion to add ``and techniques'' after ``travel aids.''
    Changes: The second activity has been revised by adding the words 
``and techniques'' after the word ``aids.''
    Comment: One commenter suggested that the third activity would be 
strengthened by adding ``and State and local government agencies 
concerned with traffic control, design of public transit and transit 
information and vending systems' after ``industry.''
    Discussion: NIDRR agrees that State and local government agencies 
play an important role in the design, development, and maintenance of 
systems concerned with traffic control and public transportation. An 
applicant could propose to explore strategies for strengthening 
partnerships with State and local government agencies regarding these 
issues and the peer

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review process will evaluate the merits of the proposal.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter suggested that the word ``project'' in the 
general purpose statement implies a transitional nature to the funded 
entity and recommended replacing it with ``program.''
    Discussion: The use of the word ``project'' in this priority is 
correct and is not meant to imply anything beyond what is published in 
the Federal Register.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter emphasized the importance of including 
experienced and novice blind and partially sighted travelers that are 
representative of a demographically older and geographically diverse 
population in all facets of this project and recommended that NIDRR 
reorder the bulleted section of the priority to put consumers first on 
the list of required collaborators. The commenter went on to recommend 
rewording the last bulleted item in the proposed priority so that it 
reads ``Projects must demonstrate success in recruiting and employing 
qualified individuals who are blind and partially sighted at every 
level of the program.''
    Discussion: NIDRR does not rank activities identified in its 
priorities. All applicants are expected to address every activity, 
including those that are bulleted, and have the discretion to propose 
the amount of resources they expect to allocate for each activity. The 
peer review process will determine the merits of each proposal. NIDRR 
does not agree with the proposed rewording of the last bulleted item. 
The commenter's concerns about recruiting and employing qualified 
individuals who are blind and partially sighted at every level of the 
program are addressed in the selection criteria used to evaluate 
applications.
    Changes: None.

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program

    The authority for Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects 
(DRRP) is contained in section 204 of the Rehabilitation of 1973, as 
amended (29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)). The purpose of the DRRP program 
is to plan and conduct research, demonstration projects, training and 
related activities to--
    (a) Develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology that 
maximizes the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, 
independent living, family support, and economic and social self-
sufficiency of individuals with disabilities; and
    (b) Improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Act.

Priorities for IT-Based Employment and Education Initiatives 
Background

    The mission of NIDRR is to ``generate, disseminate, and promote the 
full use of new knowledge that improves substantially the options for 
disabled individuals to perform regular activities in the community, 
and the capacity of society to provide full opportunities and 
appropriate supports for its disabled citizens'' (NIDRR Long-Range 
Plan, 64 FR 68575-68614, http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR). 
Consistent with NIDRR's mission, the NIDRR long-range plan introduced 
an expanded research agenda focused on elucidating the ``New Paradigm 
of Disability.'' The new paradigm of disability presents a framework 
for conceptualizing and understanding the interaction between 
individuals and the environment and how it impacts the lives of persons 
with disabilities. The dynamic person-environment relationship is 
complex, encompassing both influences and consequences in a variety of 
domains at the individual, institutional, and community levels. These 
complex person-environment relationships are not clearly understood 
although they have the potential to either facilitate community 
integration and independence for individuals with disabilities or, 
conversely, to serve as barriers to full participation in society, 
including education and employment.
    Employment is a critical factor in providing individuals with 
disabilities opportunities to function independently in society. 
Employment frequently engenders empowerment, inclusion, and 
independence to the fullest extent possible. The National Organization 
on Disability Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities (2000) found 
that only 32% of working age (18-64) individuals with disabilities work 
full or part time compared to 81% of the non-disabled population, a 
difference of 49 percent. In addition, more than two-thirds of those 
individuals with disabilities who are not employed say they would 
prefer to be working.
    The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that four of the top 
ten fastest growing occupations over the next eight years will be in 
the information technology industry (``The 10 fastest growing 
occupations, 1998-2008'', Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department 
of Labor, 2000, http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.t06.htm). 
Information technology (IT) is also projected to be the number one 
industry with the fastest wage and salary employment growth through 
2008 (``Career Guide to Industries 2001-01 Edition, Bureau of Labor 
Statistics'', U.S. Department of Labor, pg. 4, 2000, http://stats.bls.gov/cghome.htm). Given the increase in IT employment 
opportunities along with the flexibility these careers provide, the IT 
field offers tremendous opportunities for individuals with 
disabilities. One needs only to scan the daily newspapers to see the 
abundance of openings for skilled IT professionals. Therefore, research 
examining opportunities and barriers for individuals with disabilities 
in IT-based employment is crucial in this IT driven society.
    For purposes of this discussion, IT-based education and training 
may occur in secondary, post-secondary, and vocational environments. 
IT-based employment careers encompass the use of, but are not limited 
to, high speed computers, modems, sophisticated telecommunications 
networks, cable networks, intranets, the Internet, the World Wide Web, 
and satellites.
    In general, people with disabilities are less likely to have access 
to technology. For example, 11 percent of people with disabilities aged 
15 and above have access to the Internet at home, compared to 31 
percent of individuals without disabilities (Kay, S.H. (2000), Computer 
and Internet use among people with disabilities, Disability Statistics 
Report (13, pg. 5), Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education, 
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. http://dsc.ucsf.edu/UCSF/pdf/REPORT13.pdf).
    Consequently, many individuals with disabilities have not 
experienced the benefits of using information technology to advance 
their education or employment careers. Students of all ages with 
disabilities encounter barriers that limit their participation in IT-
based education and training.
    Environmental, attitudinal, technical, social, and financial 
barriers that limit access to IT-based education and training in IT are 
often referred to as the ``digital divide'' (U.S. Department of 
Commerce Report, ``Falling through the Net II: New Data on the Digital 
Divide'', pg. 2, 1998, http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/falling.html). Studies have found that students with disabilities in 
grades K-12 receive the poorest exposure to science and math of any 
category of students. Data compiled by the National Center for 
Education Statistics compared college students with and without 
disabilities and indicates that students with disabilities are 
underrepresented in life sciences, physical sciences, and math 
(National

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Center for Education Statistics, ``Students with disabilities in post-
secondary education: A profile of preparation, participation, and 
outcomes'', NCES 1999-187, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 
Education, 1999, http://nces.ed.gov/spider/webspider/1999187.shtml). 
Therefore, an under-exposure to the disciplines of science, engineering 
and technology increases the likelihood that students with disabilities 
who seek higher education will arrive poorly prepared to pursue 
educational opportunities in these disciplines, further limiting their 
chances to compete for employment in these and related areas.
    Strategies to expand access to IT careers vary immensely. Private 
and public partnerships may provide one mechanism for promoting skill 
and knowledge acquisition and employment in the field of information 
and communication technology. For instance, the DO-IT Scholars program 
at the University of Washington is an example of collaboration between 
educational and business partners to help students with disabilities 
explore technology careers and encourage the acquisition of knowledge 
and skills necessary to pursue technology careers. The National High 
School and High Tech Program allows students with disabilities to 
participate in ``hands on'' enrichment activities including site visits 
to laboratories and manufacturing plants, mentoring with professionals 
in high tech fields, and paid summer employment and internship 
opportunities in high tech environments (U.S. Department of Labor, 
``High School and High Tech--Chapter I--Introduction,'' Office of 
Disability Employment Policy--U.S. Department of Labor, 2001, pg. 1, 
http://www.dol.gov/dol/odep/public/media/reports/hsht00/toc.htm).
    Increased knowledge and understanding of different disabilities as 
well as reasonable accommodations, including assistive technologies and 
access to IT, are critical to the recruitment and ongoing support of 
individuals with disabilities in IT-based employment. In addition, 
expanded knowledge of employee rights and responsibilities, cost 
factors, legal issues, healthcare liabilities, and disability culture 
will have an impact on the development of strategies used by employers 
to successfully train and employ individuals with disabilities.
    While individuals with disabilities are faced with barriers that 
limit access to technology and related education and training, the 
Internet and other information and communications technologies are 
changing the way our society operates. For example, these technologies 
have increased entrepreneurial and self-employment opportunities for 
individuals with and without disabilities (``Career Guide to Industries 
2001-01 Edition'', Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of 
Labor, pg. 42, 1999, http://stats.bls.gov/cghome.htm). To encourage 
growth in this sector, an examination of the factors involved in IT-
related self-employment is needed to ensure that individuals with 
disabilities have access to a full-range of employment options. It is 
vital that more individuals with disabilities possess the skills 
necessary for employment in IT-related fields as this will greatly 
facilitate their full participation in America's economic, political, 
and social life.

Priority 1: Strategies for Promoting IT-Based Educational 
Opportunities for Individuals With Disabilities

    We will establish multiple research projects to develop and 
evaluate IT-based education and training strategies that increase the 
employment of individuals with disabilities in IT related jobs. These 
projects must:
    (1) Identify, develop, and evaluate strategies that assist with 
overcoming barriers that limit or preclude access to IT education and 
training in secondary, postsecondary, and vocational education 
programs;
    (2) Identify and evaluate private and public partnerships between 
educational entities and businesses to provide education or skill-based 
training that assist individuals with disabilities in preparing for and 
securing employment in the IT industry or employment in jobs requiring 
expertise and training in IT; and
    (3) Develop and implement in the first year of the grant, in 
consultation with the NIDRR-funded National Center for the 
Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR), a plan to disseminate the 
project's research results to the appropriate audiences including, but 
not limited to, educators, employers, manufacturers, persons with 
disabilities, disability organizations, technology service providers, 
businesses, public vocational rehabilitation agencies, and journals.
    In addition to activities proposed by the applicants to carry out 
these purposes, the projects must:
     Coordinate with appropriate private and federally funded 
programs, such as the NIDRR-funded Community Based Rehabilitation 
Research Projects on Technology for Independence and the National 
Center on Accessible Education-Based Information Technology, as 
identified through consultation with the NIDRR project officer; and
     Involve individuals with disabilities and underserved 
populations in all aspects of this project.

Priority 2: Strategies for Promoting IT-Based Employment and 
Training Opportunities for Individuals With Disabilities

    We will establish multiple research projects that will conduct 
research on IT-based employment and training strategies to identify 
barriers at the systems and individual level and to identify and 
evaluate effective strategies for promoting increased employment 
opportunities for individuals with disabilities. These projects must:
    (1) Identify and evaluate IT-based training and employment 
recruitment, hiring, and placement strategies, including 
entrepreneurial opportunities, that promote successful employment for 
persons with disabilities in the IT industry;
    (2) Identify, develop, and evaluate strategies to assist with 
overcoming barriers that limit opportunities for advanced skill 
development and promotions in jobs requiring significant IT knowledge 
and skills (including training for individuals currently working in IT 
industry and those in jobs requiring significant expertise with IT);
    (3) Develop and evaluate training programs to inform employers, 
educators, and individuals with disabilities about effective strategies 
that will assist with overcoming barriers for IT-based training and 
improve IT-based employment opportunities; and
    (4) Develop and implement in the first year of the grant, in 
consultation with the NIDRR-funded National Center for the 
Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR), a plan to disseminate the 
project's research results to the appropriate audiences including, but 
not limited to, educators, employers, manufacturers, persons with 
disabilities, disability organizations, technology service providers, 
businesses, public vocational rehabilitation agencies, and journals.
    In addition to activities proposed by the applicant to carry out 
these purposes, the project must:
     Coordinate with appropriate private and federally funded 
programs, such as the NIDRR-funded Community Based Rehabilitation 
Research Projects on Technology for Independence and Projects with 
Industry (PWI), as identified through consultation with the NIDRR 
project officer; and

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     Involve individuals with disabilities and underserved 
populations in all aspects of this project.

Priority 3: Wayfinding Technologies for Individuals Who Are Blind

Background

    Traveling independently without the use of sight presents certain 
challenges for some individuals and significant limitations for others. 
Typical approaches used to reduce problems associated with independent 
travel include environmental features that provide audible or tactile 
equivalents of information available visually to sighted pedestrians, 
training for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, and the 
provision of devices to aid in wayfinding.
    Wayfinding refers to techniques used by people who are blind or 
visually impaired as they move from place to place independently and 
safely. Wayfinding is typically divided into two categories: 
orientation and mobility. Orientation concerns the ability for one to 
monitor his or her position in relationship to the environment; and 
mobility refers to one's ability to travel safely, detecting and 
avoiding obstacles and other potential hazards. In general terms, 
wayfinding is the ability to: know where you are, where you are headed, 
and how best to get there; recognize when you have reached your 
destination; and find your way out--all accomplished in a safe and 
independent manner.
    On September 28, 1999, the Interagency Committee on Disability 
Research (ICDR), Subcommittee on Technology, sponsored a workshop to 
explore the state-of-the-art of wayfinding technology and to identify 
research and development activities that could improve the wayfinding 
capabilities of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. A panel 
of researchers, supported by the National Institute on Disability and 
Rehabilitation Research, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the 
National Science Foundation, and the Architectural and Transportation 
Barriers Compliance Board, described the state of current technology as 
well as ongoing research in the field. A panel of individuals who are 
blind or visually impaired provided consumer perspectives. A common 
theme expressed by the consumer panel was that newly developed 
wayfinding technologies should supplement, and not supplant, already 
accepted mobility aids such as white canes and guide dogs. Some 
expressed concern that individuals could become too dependent on 
electronic travel aids and lose their ability (or readiness) to travel 
elsewhere. However, the panel also expressed the need for better 
technical and environmental solutions that provide location and 
mobility orientation for blind individuals at critical points in their 
daily activities. (http://www.ncddr.org/icdr/icdr_wayfinding.html).
    People who are blind or visually impaired rely heavily on their 
senses to gather information about their surroundings, then use their 
cognitive abilities, especially reasoning and memory, to determine what 
the sensory information ``means'' for spatial orientation. Typically 
individuals use auditory, tactile, olfactory and kinesthetic feedback 
as they move about and associate certain sensory and perceptual 
experiences with locations along a route. The quality and usefulness of 
sensory information depends in part on how the individual who is blind 
or visually impaired perceives the information and the specificity of 
the information provided (Blasch, B., ``An Overview of Wayfinding 
Issues and Technology,'' presented at the Interagency Committee on 
Disability Research, Subcommittee on Technology Wayfinding Technology 
Workshop, September 28, 1999).
    Blind pedestrians often experience difficulty navigating where 
there is free flowing traffic such as in parking lots, malls and office 
complexes, campuses, and roads constructed to keep traffic flowing. 
They frequently find it difficult and dangerous to obtain information 
needed to cross at traffic intersections because of noise, intermittent 
traffic flow, veering due to little or no acoustic guidelines or the 
street being too wide, and intersections that offset from one another. 
Conventional traffic signals often complicate the situation. In 
contrast, intersections equipped with accessible pedestrian signal 
(APS) technologies (e.g., audible or vibrotactile information sources) 
have been shown to be helpful to blind and visually impaired 
pedestrians.
    Another problem stems from a growing trend of using free-flowing 
roundabout intersections to move traffic quickly and safely. 
Roundabouts, also referred to as traffic circles, are defined as 
circular intersections typically with a center island and no traffic 
signals. Many traffic engineers feel that roundabouts increase safety 
because vehicles: (1) Must yield on entry to a roundabout; (2) rarely 
travel perpendicular to one another; and (3) travel at relatively low 
rates of speed while in roundabouts (Guth, D., ``Wayfinding at Modern 
Roundabouts,'' presented at the Interagency Committee on Disability 
Research, Subcommittee on Technology Wayfinding Technology Workshop, 
September 28, 1999). However, much of the planning efforts for 
roundabouts have neglected the wayfinding requirements and, as a 
result, blind or visually impaired pedestrians have reported difficulty 
with perceiving gaps in traffic that are sufficient to cross safely at 
high-volume roundabouts (National Safety Council, ``Pedestrian 
Accidents,'' National Safety Council Accident Facts (Injury 
Statistics), 1998). (See http://www.nsc.org/Irs/stainfo/af80.htm1)
    Due to tremendous advances in electronic and computer technologies, 
there is great potential for development of new electronic travel aids 
(ETAs). Ubiquitous computing, Global Positioning Systems, wearable 
computers, wireless connectivity, microelectronic mechanical systems, 
and new interface technologies are all examples of technological 
advances that could be incorporated into a new generation of ETAs and 
ultimately improve the wayfinding skills of individuals who are blind 
or visually impaired. For example: traffic control buttons could be 
programmed to be interactive with a wearable device; digital compasses 
could aid users with alignment and veering; accessible digital maps 
could provide blind pedestrians with information regarding street 
names, addresses, and businesses; and sensor technology could help 
blind pedestrians navigate hallways in large buildings and correct 
veering in open spaces (i.e., malls, parks, transit plazas, etc.) 
(Ross, D., ``Integrating Current Wayfinding Technology,'' presented at 
the Interagency Committee on Disability Research, Subcommittee on 
Technology Wayfinding Technology Workshop, September 28, 1999). 
However, there is little evidence that advances in electronic and 
computer technologies have been incorporated into new ETAs.

Priority 3

    We will establish a project to investigate wayfinding strategies, 
designs, environmental features, and electronic information and travel 
aids that will enable blind and visually impaired pedestrians to safely 
and independently navigate their surroundings, including traffic 
intersections and roundabouts. The project must:
    (a) Identify, assess, and evaluate current and emerging needs, and 
barriers to meeting those needs, that affect the wayfinding abilities 
of blind and visually impaired pedestrians to safely and independently 
navigate their

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surroundings, including traffic intersections and roundabouts;
    (b) Based upon the activities described in paragraph (a), 
investigate, evaluate, and develop new planning strategies, 
environmental features, and electronic travel aids and techniques that 
can be used by blind and visually impaired pedestrians to safely and 
independently navigate their surroundings, including traffic 
intersections and roundabouts; and
    (c) Develop and explore various strategies for strengthening 
partnerships with industry to facilitate the development and 
implementation of new designs, technologies, and applications that are 
appropriate for blind and visually impaired pedestrians to use for 
wayfinding.
    In addition to activities proposed by the applicant to carry out 
these purposes, the project must:
     Collaborate on research projects of mutual interest with 
relevant projects such as the NIDRR-funded RERCs on Low Vision and 
Blindness and Information Technology Access as identified through 
consultation with the NIDRR project officer;
     Collaborate with relevant Federal agencies responsible for 
the administration of public laws that address access to and usability 
of traffic intersections for individuals with disabilities such as the 
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the U.S. 
Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, Federal 
Transit Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, and other relevant Federal agencies identified by 
NIDRR; and
     Involve individuals who are blind and visually impaired in 
all aspects of this project.

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 the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using 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 the document is 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

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 84.133A, Disability 
Rehabilitation Research Project)

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b).

    Dated: July 2, 2001.
Francis V. Corrigan,
Deputy Director, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation 
Research.
[FR Doc. 01-16982 Filed 7-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P