[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 242 (Friday, December 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67186-67189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30188]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research 
(NIDRR)--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers 
Program--Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs)--
Individual-Level Characteristics Related to Employment Among 
Individuals With Disabilities

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.

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    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133B-1.
SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services proposes a funding priority for the Disability 
and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered 
by NIDRR. Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for an RRTC. 
The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in 
fiscal year (FY) 2010 and later years. We take this action to focus 
research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority 
to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with 
disabilities.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before January 19, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this notice to Donna Nangle, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6029, Potomac 
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700.
    If you prefer to send your comments by e-mail, use the following 
address: [email protected]. You must include the term ``Proposed 
Priority for an RRTC on Individual-Level Characteristics Related to 
Employment Among Individuals with Disabilities'' in the subject line of 
your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 245-
7462 or by e-mail: [email protected].

[[Page 67187]]

    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of proposed priority is in 
concert with NIDRR's Final Long-Range Plan for FY 2005-2009 (Plan). The 
Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006 
(71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the Internet at the following site: 
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
    Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve 
the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2) 
foster an exchange of expertise, information, and training to 
facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the unique 
needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine best 
strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation outcomes for 
underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5) identify 
mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6) disseminate 
findings.
    This notice proposes a priority that NIDRR intends to use for RRTC 
competitions in FY 2010 and possibly later years. However, nothing 
precludes NIDRR from publishing additional priorities, if needed. 
Furthermore, NIDRR is under no obligation to make an award for this 
priority. The decision to make an award will be based on the quality of 
applications received and available funding.
    Invitation to Comment: We invite you to submit comments regarding 
this notice. To ensure that your comments have maximum effect in 
developing the notice of final priority, we urge you to clearly 
identify the specific topic that each comment addresses.
    We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific 
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of 
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed 
priority. Please let us know of any further ways we could reduce 
potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the 
effective and efficient administration of the program.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this notice in room 6029, 550 12th Street, SW., PCP, 
Washington, DC between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC, time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.
    Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities in Reviewing the 
Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate 
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who 
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the 
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an 
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please 
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the RRTC program is to improve 
the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act 
of 1973, as amended, through advanced research, training, technical 
assistance, and dissemination activities in general problem areas, as 
specified by NIDRR. Such activities are designed to benefit 
rehabilitation service providers, individuals with disabilities, and 
the family members or other authorized representatives of individuals 
with disabilities. In addition, NIDRR intends to require all RRTC 
applicants to meet the requirements of the General Rehabilitation 
Research and Training Centers (RRTC) Requirements priority that it 
published in a notice of final priorities in the Federal Register on 
February 1, 2008 (72 FR 6132). Additional information on the RRTC 
program can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#RRTC.

Statutory and Regulatory Requirements of RRTCs

    RRTCs must--
     Carry out coordinated advanced programs of rehabilitation 
research;
     Provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to help rehabilitation personnel more effectively 
provide rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
     Provide technical assistance to individuals with 
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested 
parties;
     Disseminate informational materials to individuals with 
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested 
parties; and
     Serve as centers of national excellence in rehabilitation 
research for individuals with disabilities, their representatives, 
providers, and other interested parties.
    Applicants for RRTC grants must also demonstrate in their 
applications how they will address, in whole or in part, the needs of 
individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds.

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
    Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.

Proposed Priority

    This notice contains one proposed priority.

Individual-Level Characteristics Related to Employment Among 
Individuals with Disabilities

    Background: Individuals with disabilities experience lower rates of 
employment than those without disabilities, and the disparity in 
employment rates is seen across all sociodemographic groups (Steinmetz, 
2006; U.S. Census Bureau, 2006; U.S. Department of Labor, 2009). This 
disparity in employment outcomes also extends to other aspects of 
employment, such as monthly earnings and hourly wages (Ozawa & Yeo, 
2006).
    Individuals with disabilities are a heterogeneous group and 
employment-related outcomes for people with disabilities appear to be 
associated with individual-level characteristics, such as severity of 
disability and sociodemographic characteristics (Crisp, 2005; Ozawa & 
Yeo, 2006). Many studies of individual-level characteristics and 
employment-related outcomes of individuals with disabilities have been 
based on samples of individuals with a specific disabling condition 
such as spinal cord injury, making it difficult to generalize findings 
across disability types (Krause, 2003; Krause & Terza, 2006; Phillips & 
Stuifbergen, 2006; Walker et al., 2006). In the few studies that have 
used samples of individuals with a variety of disabilities, disparities 
in employment outcomes across subpopulations of individuals with 
disabilities appear to be defined by the characteristics of the 
individual's disability or sociodemographic group. For example, the 
likelihood of poor employment outcomes tends to increase with severity 
of disability (Crisp, 2005; Meade et al., 2004; Ozawa & Yeo, 2006; 
Phillips & Stuifbergen, 2006; Walker et al., 2006). In addition, poorer 
employment outcomes are associated with being a member of a minority 
race or ethnic group or being less well educated (Crisp, 2005; Krause & 
Terza, 2006; Ozawa & Yeo, 2006; Randolph & Andresen, 2004).
    More systematic analyses of cross-disability data are needed to 
examine the associations among disability and sociodemographic 
characteristics and employment-related outcomes in order to identify 
those subpopulations of individuals with disabilities who are most at 
risk for poor employment outcomes. In addition, there is a need

[[Page 67188]]

for further information about the barriers to, and facilitators of, 
employment for specific subpopulations, which can be used to design 
interventions to improve the employment outcomes of members of these 
specific subpopulations.
    References:

    Crisp, R. (2005). Key factors related to vocational outcome: 
Trends for six disability groups. Journal of Rehabilitation, 71, 30-
37.
    Krause, J. S. (2003). Years to employment after spinal cord 
injury. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 84, 1282-
1289.
    Krause, J., Terza, J. (2006). Injury and demographic factors 
predictive of disparities in earnings after spinal cord injury. 
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 87, 1318-1326.
    Meade, M., A.L., Njeri, J.M., & Hess, D. (2004). Race, 
employment, and spinal cord injury. Archives of Physical Medicine 
and Rehabilitation, 85, 1782-1792.
    Ozawa, M.N., & Yeo, Y., H. (2006). Work status and work 
performance of people with disabilities. Journal of Disability 
Policy Studies, 17, 180-190.
    Phillips, L., & Stuifbergen, A. (2006). Predicting continued 
employment in persons with multiple sclerosis. Journal of 
Rehabilitation, 72, 35-43.
    Randolph, D.W., & Andresen, E.M. (2004). Disability, gender, and 
unemployment relationships in the United States from the behavioral 
risk factor surveillance system. Disability & Society, 19, 403-414.
    Steinmetz, E. (2006). Americans With Disabilities: 2002. 
Household Economic Studies Current Population Reports P70-107 
Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. See http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability/sipp/disable02.html.
    U.S. Census Bureau (2006). American Community Survey table 
B1802: Selected Economic Characteristics for the Civilian 
Noninstitutionalized Population By Disability Status. Washington, 
DC: U.S. Census Bureau. See http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S1802&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-format=&-CONTEXT=st.
    U.S. Department of Labor (2009). Labor force statistics from the 
current population survey. See http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm.
    Walker, W., Marwitz, J., Kreutzer, J., Hart, T., & Novack, T. 
(2006). Occupational categories and return to work after traumatic 
brain injury: A multicenter study. Archives of Physical Medicine and 
Rehabilitation, 87, 1576-1582.
    Proposed Priority: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education 
and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for a Rehabilitation 
Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Individual-Level Characteristics 
Related to Employment Among Individuals with Disabilities. This RRTC 
must identify subpopulations of individuals with disabilities who are 
at risk of poor employment outcomes, and document the barriers to, and 
facilitators of, employment that these subgroups experience. This new 
knowledge is intended to serve as a foundation for future interventions 
research that will target those who are most at risk of poor employment 
outcomes. The RRTC must be designed to contribute to the following 
outcomes:
    (a) A synthesis of available knowledge about employment disparities 
among subpopulations of individuals with disabilities. The RRTC must 
contribute to this outcome by conducting a review and synthesis of 
existing research on individual-level characteristics related to 
successful and poor employment outcomes among individuals with 
disabilities. Such individual-level characteristics may include, but 
are not limited to the following: disabling condition, severity of 
disability, age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, 
education level, and urban/rural status. Successful and poor employment 
outcomes may be measured by the following indicators: an individual's 
employment status (e.g., employed, unemployed, underemployed), income, 
and job retention or promotion. The RRTC must complete this activity by 
the end of the first year of the grant.
    (b) New knowledge about the individual-level characteristics that 
are most strongly associated with employment-related outcome variables 
among individuals with disabilities. The RRTC must contribute to this 
outcome by conducting research on the extent to which employment of 
individuals with disabilities is related to individual-level 
characteristics. This research must include, but is not limited to, 
multivariate analyses of existing national datasets. Analyses of 
existing data must examine possible variations of employment, including 
full- or part-time work, self-employment, and industry sector. The RRTC 
must complete this activity by the end of the second year of the grant.
    (c) New knowledge of the employment experiences of individuals who 
are at risk of poor employment outcomes. The RRTC must contribute to 
this outcome by collecting and analyzing information from members of 
subpopulations identified under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this 
priority. The RRTC must collect individual-level data about the 
barriers to, and facilitators of, employment that members of these 
subpopulations have experienced (e.g., the availability of 
transportation to and from work, social support, workplace 
accommodations, and employer practices).
    (d) Increased incorporation of disability and employment research 
findings into practice or policy. The RRTC must contribute to this 
outcome by:
    (1) Collaborating with stakeholder groups to develop, evaluate, or 
implement strategies to promote utilization of the RRTC's research 
findings.
    (2) Conducting training and dissemination activities to facilitate 
the utilization of the RRTC's research findings by individuals with 
disabilities, employers, policymakers, and State vocational 
rehabilitation agencies.
    In addition, this RRTC must collaborate with relevant 
Rehabilitation Services Administration grantees, such as the 10 
regional Technical Assistance and Continuing Education projects.
    Types of Priorities: When inviting applications for a competition 
using one or more priorities, we designate the type of each priority as 
absolute, competitive preference, or invitational through a notice the 
Federal Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
    Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only 
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
    Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference 
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1) 
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the 
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) 
selecting an application that meets the priority over an application of 
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
    Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are 
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority. 
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a 
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
    Final Priority: We will announce the final priority in a notice in 
the Federal Register. We will determine the final priority after 
considering responses to this notice and other information available to 
the Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing 
additional priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection 
criteria, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in 
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through 
a notice in the Federal Register.

    Executive Order 12866: This notice has been reviewed in accordance 
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have 
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this proposed regulatory 
action.

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    The potential costs associated with this proposed regulatory action 
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have 
determined as necessary for administering this program effectively and 
efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this proposed regulatory action, we have determined 
that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the costs.
    Discussion of Costs and Benefits: The benefits of the Disability 
and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Programs have been 
well established over the years in that similar projects have been 
completed successfully. This proposed priority will generate new 
knowledge through research and development.
    Another benefit of this proposed priority is that the establishment 
of a new RRTC will improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. 
The new RRTC will disseminate and promote the use of new information 
that will improve the options for individuals with disabilities to 
obtain, retain, and advance in employment.
    Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site.

    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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: December 15, 2009.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E9-30188 Filed 12-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P