News and Notes 478, September 8

birgitta.chaiken - Wed, 09/08/2021 - 12:24

In observance of Pain Awareness Month, NARIC has gathered resources from the NIDILRR community and elsewhere in its Spotlight blog to help people living with chronic pain and their providers work together to manage the pain effectively; This Just In... features a study investigating exercise participation among older adults with mobility disabilities to understand exercise barriers and challenges; the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Technologies to Support Aging-In-Place for People with Long-Term Disabilities (TechSAge RERC II) publishes its annual newsletter, TechSAge News, looking back at the past year to highlight achievements and updates; the Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center's latest episode of its podcast, Adventures in Accessibility, features Judy Heumann, internationally recognized leader in the disability rights and independent living movements; the Place-Based Solutions for Rural Community Participation, Health, and Employment (RTC: Rural) publishes research brief, People with Disabilities Still at Risk in Congregate Care Settings, summarizing data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on community response to increases in COVID-19 cases in nursing home settings; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, WCAG V2.1: Understanding the Basics, discussing the development and organization of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) V2.1; the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Exercise and Recreational Technologies for People with Disabilities (RERC RecTec) hosts Virtual state of the Science Conference; the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) seeks adult particpants with and without disabilities for survey on the effectiveness of wireless emergency alert (WEA) messages; the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the Department of Education releases factsheet, OSEP Fast Facts: Race and Ethnicity of Children with Disabilities Served under IDEA Part B, exploring data on the racial and ethnic diversity of children with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the 2019-2020 school year.

Date sent: 
2021-09-08
NARIC news: 

September is Pain Awareness Month. According to the National Institutes of Health, 100 million adults in the US live with chronic pain (PDF). Many of these are people with disabilities for whom pain may be a side effect or secondary condition to their disability, such as migraine after brain injury or chronic pain after a burn injury or spinal cord injury. For others, chronic pain is a significant part of their disability, such as arthritis or multiple sclerosis. Some healthcare providers may not be well trained in pain and pain management, which can make it difficult for people living with chronic pain to find support to manage their pain effectively. We gathered some resources from the NIDILRR community and elsewhere in our Spotlight blog to help people living with chronic pain and their providers work together toward independence.

This Just In: 
Understanding exercise challenges and barriers for older adults with mobility disabilities. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, Volume 64(1), Pgs. 1297-1301. NARIC Accession Number: J86840.
New to the NARIC collection, this NIDILRR-funded study investigated exercise participation among older adults with mobility disabilities to understand exercise barriers and challenges experienced by this population. A needs assessment was conducted using two archival datasets: A survey of 1,137 respondents revealed low participation of walking and less engagement of vigorous activities, and significant correlates of health status and lack of energy with vigorous activities. In-depth interviews with 23 participants showed exercise challenges were attributed to difficulties with physical limitations, accessibility, and environmental limitations. Access the full abstract and ordering information in REHABDATA.
 
Resource Highlight: 
TechSAge Annual Newsletter
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Technologies to Support Aging-In-Place for People with Long-Term Disabilities (TechSAge RERC II) (90REGE0006) has published its annual newsletter, TechSAge News (PDF). This edition looks back at the past year to highlight achievements and updates, including the Center's use of creative solutions to engage research participants remotely and conduct research during the pandemic. The newsletter also features the Center's training projects and the latest addition to the TechSAge Tools Series, as well as updates on staff, events, publications, and study opportunities.
 
News items: 
Adventures in Accessibility Features Judy Heumann
The latest episode of Adventures in Accessibility, the podcast of the NIDILRR-funded Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center (90DP0094), featured Judy Heumann, an internationally recognized leader in the disability rights and independent living movements. In the wide ranging interview, Ms. Heumann discussed her experience growing up with a disability, before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability rights laws, and what has changed; the importance of resilience; working with community leaders; and the strength and diversity of the disability community.
 
Research Brief Finds People with Disabilities Are Still at Risk from COVID in Congregate Care Settings
The NIDILRR-funded project Place-Based Solutions for Rural Community Participation, Health, and Employment (RTC: Rural) (90RTCP0002) published a research brief, People with Disabilities Still at Risk in Congregate Care Settings. The brief summarizes data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at county and regional levels to inform community response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing home settings through August 2021. The brief discusses how people with disabilities are over-represented in unsafe congregate settings, such as nursing homes where vaccination rates for residents and staff have stagnated in these settings.
 
Grantee event: 
Webinar: WCAG V2.1 - Understanding the Basics
The NIDILRR-funded Great Lakes ADA Regional Center (90DP0091) will host a webinar, WCAG V2.1: Understanding the Basics, September 29th, 2-3:30 pm ET. Presenters will discuss how the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) V2.1 were developed and organized based upon the principles of accessible design and the relationship between Section 508 and WCAG V2.1. Presenters will also discuss why the accessibility guidelines are organized into levels and how that is important in developing and evaluating a webpage. Presenters will use examples to show what accessible design looks like to the end user, as well as the user experience when web page elements are not accessible. Registration is free and required.
 
RERC RecTech Virtual State of the Science Conference
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Exercise and Recreational Technologies for People with Disabilities (RERC RecTech) (90REGE0002) will host a Virtual State of the Science Conference, October 8th, 11 am-3:30 pm ET. The conference will present research on new and emerging technologies to reduce sedentary behavior and promote health and function in people with disabilities. Registration is free and requested.
 
Participate: 
Survey on Wireless Emergency Alert Access
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) (90RE5025) seeks participants with and without disabilities for a survey to understand the effectiveness of wireless emergency alert (WEA) messages. Researchers at the Wireless RERC want to learn about the current barriers to message access presented by device design, access to WEA-capable devices, individual use habits, and individual behavioral responses to WEA messages. Participants must be at least 18 years of age and must reside in the US. To learn more about the survey or to participate by phone, email salimah@cacp.gatech.edu or text 404/839-8741 to schedule a time.
 
Elsewhere in the Community: 
OSEP Fast Facts Highlights the Diversity of Children with Disabilities
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the Department of Education released a factsheet, OSEP Fast Facts: Race and Ethnicity of Children with Disabilities Served under IDEA Part B. The factsheet explores data on the racial and ethnic diversity of children with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the 2019-2020 school year. The data include the percentage of children by race/ethnicity in each disability category, diversity in each state, disciplinary data, and school exit. OSEP also published a companion tool, Hand in Hand, to help parents and other stakeholders understand and engage with the data.
 
Archive link: 
http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=654309&f=1190&s=26993&m=925189&t=635cba0a9267f719dd304fcd1ae764b160681b0bc4432192fe4b80b0dffecb7c