[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48468-48472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18307]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information, Special Education--Technology and Media Services for 
Individuals With Disabilities--National Instructional Materials 
Accessibility Standard; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327P.

DATES: Applications Available: August 10, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 9, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 14, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local 
educational agencies (LEAs); institutions of higher education (IHEs); 
other public agencies; nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas; 
freely associated States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and 
for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Available Funds: $650,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Development: $400,000; Technical 
assistance and dissemination: $250,000.
    Maximum Award: Development: $400,000; Technical assistance and 
dissemination: $250,000. We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 
months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to: (1) Improve 
results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, 
demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media 
activities designed to be of educational value to children with 
disabilities; (3) provide support for some captioning and video 
description; and (4) provide cultural experiences through appropriate 
nonprofit organizations.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 
661(e)(2) and 687 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 
as amended (IDEA)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2004 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard:
    Background: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires 
that all students, including those with disabilities, participate in 
State assessments. This requirement underscores the critical importance 
of IDEA requirements related to access, participation, and progress in 
the general curriculum. Specifically, the regulations implementing IDEA 
state that one of the purposes of ``specially-designed instruction'' is 
to adapt the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction in order 
``to ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that he 
or she can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of 
the public agency that apply to all children.'' 34 CFR Part 
300.26(b)(3)(ii).
    Currently, both special and regular educators face challenges in 
providing students with disabilities access to the general curriculum, 
especially with regard to rigorous academic content. Research indicates 
that the use of accessible materials substantially reduces learning 
barriers and demonstrates the benefits of using accessible materials in 
the classroom (Barker & Torgesen, 1995; Bottge, 1999; Dalton et al, 
2001; Erdner, Guy & Bush, 1998; MacArthur & Haynes, 1995; Wise, Ring, & 
Olson, 1999). Urgent and critical needs exist for improving access to 
accessible instructional resources that are available in a timely 
manner for use in all classrooms.
    To help address these critical needs, the National File Format 
(NFF)

[[Page 48469]]

Technical Panel, representing educators, publishers, technology 
specialists, and advocacy groups, was established. The NFF Technical 
Panel recently developed, with consensus, a common standard for digital 
files that can be used to produce accurate and reliable alternate 
formats for educational materials from the same source file. This 
standard is known as the National Instructional Materials Accessibility 
Standard (NIMAS, version 1.0) and should help improve the timely access 
to accessible materials for those students with blindness, low vision, 
and print disabilities. The NIMAS is available at http://www.cast.org/NFF/NIMAS/
    Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority, which 
supports cooperative agreements for two centers. The NIMAS Development 
Center must provide national leadership in furthering the development 
and maintenance of the NIMAS. The NIMAS Technical Assistance Center 
must provide assistance to States on the availability of NIMAS and how 
NIMAS can be used to improve the capacity of States to provide 
accessible instructional materials to students with disabilities in a 
more efficient, cost-effective manner.
    Development and Maintenance Activities of the Development Center 
must include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Making recommendations to the Department regarding whether 
technical updates to the NIMAS are appropriate due to advances in 
technology and changes in the ANSI/NISO Z39.86 standard; examining 
issues and making recommendations to the Department related to the 
development of subsequent versions of the NIMAS that address 
accessibility needs of a broader range of students with disabilities 
than the current NIMAS (Version 1.0), including consideration of the 
principles of universal design; and, subject to the approval of the 
Department, developing subsequent versions of the NIMAS;
    (b) Establishing a NIMAS Committee to provide advice to the grantee 
on issues related to the grantee's activities, including the issues 
identified in paragraph (a);
    (c) Evaluating the feasibility of adopting a free market 
distribution model and making recommendations to the Department related 
to steps it might take to facilitate such an approach;
    (d) Maintaining communication and collaboration with the NIMAS 
Technical Assistance Center; and
    (e) Conducting evaluations of specific activities and of the 
overall impact of the Center's work including whether adoption of the 
NIMAS standard results in greater and more timely availability of 
materials. The Center must report its evaluation findings at least 
annually to the Federal project officer.
    Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities of the Technical 
Assistance Center must include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Developing and implementing a strategic plan of technical 
assistance to States that have adopted or are considering adoption of 
NIMAS and other entities involved with the implementation of NIMAS in 
collaboration with the Regional Resource Centers and the National 
Center on Technology Innovation;
    (b) Maintaining a user-friendly Web site with relevant information 
and documents in an accessible format;
    (c) Maintaining communication and collaboration with other 
Department funded projects such as the National Center on Technology 
Innovation, the Technology Implementation Center, the new NIMAS 
Development Center, the IDEA Partnerships, the Regional Resource 
Centers, the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition 
(NCSET), the K-8 Access Center, and other research, demonstration, and 
technical assistance centers, as appropriate, to coordinate information 
and dissemination activities related to NIMAS and promote consistent 
implementation of NIMAS;
    (d) Building awareness about NIMAS among States and other relevant 
organizations;
    (e) Establishing a Technical Maintenance Group to define strategies 
for valid and consistent technical implementation of the standard;
    (f) Supporting a timely phase-in of the NIMAS specifications within 
States; and
    (g) Conducting evaluations of specific activities and of the 
overall impact of the Center's work. The Technical Assistance Center 
must report its evaluation findings at least annually to the Federal 
project officer.
    Each Center must also:
    (a) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) 
project officer in the first two months of the project to review and 
refine the strategic plan of support and dissemination approaches.
    (b) Communicate with the Federal project officer through monthly 
teleconferences and e-mail communication as needed. The Center must 
submit annual performance reports and provide additional written 
materials as needed for the Federal project officer to monitor the 
Center's work.
    (c) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, 
DC during each year of the project. In addition to the two-day Project 
Director's Meeting, each Center must budget for at least two annual 
planning meetings with Department officials, and at least two, two-day 
trips annually as requested by OSEP to attend meetings such as 
Department briefings, Department-sponsored conferences, and other OSEP-
requested activities.
    Fourth and Fifth Years of Project: If continued need for technical 
assistance and development exists, the Secretary will consider 
continuation of the projects for the fourth and fifth years under the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), and in addition--
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts 
selected by the Secretary which review will be conducted during the 
last half of the project's third year in Washington, DC. Projects must 
budget for the travel associated with this one-day intensive review;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by each 
Center; and
    (c) In the case of the Development Center, the degree to which the 
project's design and methodology demonstrate the potential for 
advancing significant new knowledge.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, section 
661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements inapplicable to 
the priority in this notice.

    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1485 and 1487.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: $650,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Development: $400,000; Technical 
assistance and dissemination: $250,000.

[[Page 48470]]

    Maximum Award: Development: $400,000; Technical assistance and 
dissemination: $250,000. We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 
months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs; IHEs; other public agencies; 
nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas; freely associated 
States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit 
organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition 
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals 
with disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the 
projects (see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), PO 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 at its Web site: www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected]
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327P.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team listed in section VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use in evaluating your application. You must limit Part III 
to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following 
standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5 x 11 on one side 
only, with 1 margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, the references, the letters of support, or 
the appendix. However, you must include all of the application 
narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: August 10, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 9, 2004.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted by 
mail or hand delivery (including a commercial carrier or courier 
service), or electronically using the Electronic Grant Application 
System (e-Application) available through the Department's e-GRANTS 
system. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit 
your application by mail or hand delivery, or electronically, please 
refer to Section IV. 6. Procedures for Submitting Applications in this 
notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 14, 2004.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition. However, in 
order to ensure that these FY 2004 grants are made before September 30, 
2004, the 60-day intergovernmental review period has been waived to 5 
days.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Procedures for Submitting Applications: Applications for grants 
under this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper 
format by mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    If you submit your application to us electronically, you must use 
e-Application available through the Department's e-GRANTS system. The 
e-GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    If you use e-Application, you will be entering data online while 
completing your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us. The data you enter online will be saved into a 
database.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
     Your participation is voluntary.
     You must submit your grant application electronically 
through the Internet using the software provided on the e-Grants Web 
site (http://e-grants.ed.gov) by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. The regular hours of operation of the e-
Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. 
Thursday until midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that 
the system is unavailable on Sundays, and after 7 p.m. on Wednesdays 
for maintenance, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours 
are posted on the e-Grants Web site. We strongly recommend that you do 
not wait until the application deadline date to initiate an e-
Application package.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     Your e-Application must comply with any page limit 
requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which

[[Page 48471]]

will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your 
application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    2. The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right-hand corner of the 
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
    4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 
245-6272.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in 
Case of System Unavailability: If you are prevented from submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of 
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically, 
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    1. You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Special 
Education--Technology and Media Services For Individuals With 
Disabilities--National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard 
competition at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must send the 
original and two copies of your application on or before the 
application deadline date to the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.327P), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    1. A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service Postmark;
    2. A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service;
    3. A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier; or
    4. Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the U.S. Secretary of 
Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    1. A private metered postmark, or
    2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is post marked after the application deadline 
date, we will notify you that we will not consider the application.

    Note: Applicants should note that the U.S. Postal Service does 
not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this 
method, you should check with your local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of 
your application on or before the application deadline date to the 
following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control 
Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.327P), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 
7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts deliveries daily between 8 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays and 
Federal holidays. A person delivering an application must show 
identification to enter the building.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department:

    1. You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424 (exp. 11/30/2004)) the CFDA number--and suffix 
letter, if any--of the competition under which you are submitting 
your application.
    2. The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application 
Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the 
notification of application receipt within 15 days from the mailing 
of your application, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
listed in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The specific selection criteria to be 
used for this competition are in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing measures 
that will yield information on various aspects of the quality of the 
Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program 
(e.g. the extent to which projects are of high quality, are relevant to 
the needs of children with disabilities, and contribute to improving 
results for children with disabilities). Data on these measures will be 
collected from the projects funded under this notice.
    Grantees will also be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (EDGAR, 34 
CFR 75.590).
    We will notify grantees of the performance measures once they are 
developed.

[[Page 48472]]

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie Jones, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4153, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-7395.
    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 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request by contacting the following office: The Grants and 
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., room 5075, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-
2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: www.ed.gov/news/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 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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: August 5, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-18307 Filed 8-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P