News and Notes 489 November 24

birgitta.chaiken - Wed, 11/24/2021 - 12:23

In observance of Thanksgiving and Pennsylvania's declaration of November as Assistive Technology Month, staff at NARIC offers thanks to AT with a look at some of the latest research and resources in AT from the NIDILRR community and elsewhere in its Spotlight blog; This Just In... presents a study analyzing the impact of the Affordable Care Act's Medical Expansion on clinical outcomes and patient disposition after burn injury; the Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision publishes checklists to assist vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals in assessing the need for career advancement or job retention services for employed VR consumers with visual disabilities; ADA Specialist with the Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center was interviewed for Can You Race a Triathlon with a Service Dog? in Outside Magazine; the Center for Knowledge Translation on Employment Research (CeKTER) hosts Tips and Tricks for Using Social Media to Improve Knowledge Translation (KT) in Your Employment Research and Practice - Session 2; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Inclusive Exhibition Design, discussing the design of museum exhibits for people with and without disabilities, older adults, and children; the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (RERC on AAC) seeks participants with cerebral palsy for a study on patient-provider experiences of people with CP who use AAC; the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) co-hosts Advancing Inclusive Apprenticeships: A National Online Dialogue on Increasing Diversity, Equity Inclusion, and Accessibility in Apprenticeship, in collaboration with the Employment and Training Administration's Office of Apprenticeship, Women's Bureau, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and Wage and Hour Division.

Date sent: 
2021-11-24
NARIC news: 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US, a holiday where families and friends gather to share a meal and good company. Some families have a tradition where they go around the table to say what they're thankful for. Here at NARIC, we're giving thanks for assistive technology, or AT. Every member of our team uses some kind of assistive technology during their day, such as screen magnifiers to read small text, captions to understand dialogue on TV, and mobility aids to get out and about in the community. We're not the only ones who are thankful for AT: Pennsylvania has declared November to be Assistive Technology Month. We took a quick look at some of the latest research and resources in AT from the NIDILRR community and elsewhere in our Spotlight blog, including AT to help make holiday celebrations inclusive. We wish you all a healthy, happy Thanksgiving!

This Just In: 
Impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion on burn outcomes and disposition. Burns, Volume 47(1), Pgs. 35-41. NARIC Accession Number: J87410.
New to the NARIC collection, this NIDILRR-funded study analyzed the impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion on clinical outcomes and patient disposition after burn injury. The study reviewed the University of Washington Regional Burn Center registry data for patients admitted from 2011 to 2018. Patients were grouped into two categories: before Medicaid expansion (2011–2013) and after (2015−2018). Results showed that rates of uninsured patients decreased while Medicaid coverage increased. Despite increased median burn size after Medicaid expansion, inpatient mortality rates did not change, but average acute care length of stay increased. More patients were discharged to rehabilitation centers, showing that increased insurance coverage is associated with higher rates of discharge to inpatient rehabilitation programs after burn injury. Access the full abstract and ordering information in REHABDATA.
 
Resource Highlight: 
Job Retention and Career Advancement Checklists
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision (90RTEM0007) has published checklists to assist vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals in assessing the need for career advancement or job retention services for employed VR consumers with visual disabilities. For those consumers who gain employment later in the VR process, these checklists may help VR professionals assess if they have any job retention or advancement needs prior to closure. In addition to the checklists, this RRTC has developed a collection of resources for professionals and for persons with vision loss (PDF) that address common challenges to career advancement and job retention.
 
News items: 
Rocky Mountain ADA Center Specialist Interviewed by Outside
Chris Murphy, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Specialist with the NIDILRR-funded Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center (90DPAD0009), was interviewed for Can You Race a Triathlon with a Service Dog? in Outside Magazine. Mr. Murphy, who is also a member of the US Paracycling National Team and a two-time Paralympian, discussed how service animals support people with disabilities, including athletes, and the rights and responsibilities of race directors and facility managers with regard to service and support animals.
 
Grantee event: 
Webinar: Tips and Tricks for Using Social Media to Improve KT in Your Employment Research and Practice
The NIDILRR-funded Center on Knowledge Translation on Employment Research (CeKTER) (90DPEM0004) will host Tips and Tricks for Using Social Media to Improve Knowledge Translation (KT) in Your Employment Research and Practice - Session 2, December 1st, 12 – 1:30 pm ET. Presenters will review the first session of the series and share the progress made towards achieving previously set Social Media SMART goals. Presenters will also discuss basic analytic tools that can tell users how they are doing in meeting their KT and dissemination goals. Participants will have an opportunity to share their updated social media efforts and receive feedback from the guest experts and other participants. Space is limited. Registration is free and required, with priority for NIDILRR-funded employment projects and their collaborators.
 
Webinar: Developing Inclusive Exhibition Designs
The NIDILRR-funded Great Lakes ADA Regional Center (90DPAD0012) will host a webinar, Inclusive Exhibition Design, December 9th, 2 – 3:30 pm ET. Presenters will discuss designing museum exhibits for people with and without disabilities, older adults, and children. Presenters will address topics such as inclusive physical space and furniture; effective communication, including media and digital and mechanical interactives; and the critical role of staff training. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the presentation. Registration is free and required. Continuing education credits will be available upon request.
 
Participate: 
RERC on AAC Seeks Participants with CP for Study on Patient-Provider Experiences with AAC
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (RERC on AAC) (90REGE0014) seeks participants with cerebral palsy (CP) for a study on patient-provider experiences of people with CP who use AAC. Participants will complete four short online surveys about the benefits and challenges of using AAC to support communication with medical providers. Eligible participants must have a diagnosis of CP and use AAC, either for the majority of their communication needs or in combination with speech, when interacting with medical professionals. Participants will receive an honorarium of $50 for their time. See the website for additional criteria and participation information.
 
Elsewhere in the Community: 
National Dialogue on Advancing Inclusive Apprenticeships Now Open
The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is co-hosting Advancing Inclusive Apprenticeships: A National Online Dialogue on Increasing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Apprenticeship through December 3rd. The dialogue gathers ideas and input to foster inclusive Registered Apprenticeships to support career seekers from diverse and underrepresented communities, particularly people with disabilities, women, people of color, veterans, and people from the LGBTQIA+ community. Stakeholders can join the conversation to share and vote on ideas on policies, practices, strategies, and approaches to expand the availability of inclusive apprenticeships and help address barriers to their success. Registration is free and required to participate. This dialogue is presented in collaboration with the Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Apprenticeship, Women’s Bureau, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and Wage and Hour Division.
 
Archive link: 
http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=654309&f=1190&s=26993&m=927222&t=635cba0a9267f719dd304fcd1ae764b160681b0bc4432192fe4b80b0dffecb7c