News and Notes 10 March 28
This issue includes disabilities and human resources, Neuroimaging and Motor Control Lab recruits adults and youth in Chicago, April is Autism Awareness month, new findings in health promotion for women with disabilities, policy forum on disability benefits comes to Capitol Hill, and new research on predicting future employment for transition age youth with visual impairments.
Did you know that NARIC is part of the Maryland AskUsNow library reference collaborative? Did you also know that AskUsNow includes the MD Law Library, the National Agricultural Library, and the MD Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped? When you add in all the fabulous librarians at public and university libraries across the state, you have one powerful resource at your fingertips no matter where you live!
Disability and Human Resources
Human resources professionals are on the front lines of hiring and managing employees with disabilities. HR Tips from the NIDRR-funded Northeast ADA Center (H133A110020) at Cornell University helps HR professionals understand the ADA and providing accommodations in the workplace (available in English and Spanish).
NIDRR Presents: New Findings in Health Promotion for Women with Disabilities
On April 4th, NIDRR will host Dr. Susan Parish as she presents findings from a 3-year NIDRR-funded project to improve cervical and breast cancer screening for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (H133G090124). The centerpiece of the study was a randomized controlled trial of a health promotion intervention designed to increase low rates of cervical and breast cancer screening among women with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The presentation begins at 1:30 and is open to the public in-person at 550 12th St SW in DC or by phone at 866-682-8620, Pass code: 9671309 #. Learn more about the presentation and the project.
Policy Forum on Disability Benefits Comes to Capitol Hill
David Stapleton, PhD, of the NIDRR-funded Rehab Research and Training Center on Employment Policy and Measurement (H133B100030) will be a presenter at a policy forum on April 3rd in the Rayburn Office Building sponsored by the National Academy of Social Insurance. He will discuss the disability support system and structural reforms to slow expenditure growth while improving the economic status of people with disabilities in the US. The proposed plan is detailed in the report Fiscal Austerity and the Transition to Twenty-First Century Disabilty Policy: A Road Map. The policy forum is open to the public but space is limited.
New Research on Predicting Future Employment for Transition-Age Youth with Visual Impairments
Research from the NIDRR-funded Rehab Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (H133B100022) appears in the March issue of the Journal of Visual Impairments and Blindness. The article focuses on the impact of early work experiences on future employment outcomes for transition-age youth with visual impairments. Among the findings: particular characteristics of early work experience (e.g. types of work, how the jobs were obtained, and how long jobs lasted) significantly predict future employment among this population; and youths ages 17-21 with visual impairment who received Social Security Income were substantially less likely to engage in employment or productive activities. An abstract of this article is available online.
Currently Recruiting: Adults & Youth in the Chicago Area
The Neuroimaging and Motor Control Lab (H133B080031) at Northwestern University has multiple opportunities to participate in current research. Studies are recruiting adults with a history of stroke and youth with hemiplegia as well as control subjects without neuromuscular disorders. For registration information, visit the NIMC website. The NIMC lab is located in Chicago, IL.
April is Autism Awareness Month
April is National Autism Awareness Month, sponsored by the Autism Society. Autism is a developmental disability that affects 1 in 110 children in America. Early diagnosis and intervention are the best tools to improve outcomes for these children and their families. See what the Autism Society has planned for the month. Watch the NARIC blog for autism research and resources throughout April!
