News and Notes 491 December 8

birgitta.chaiken - Wed, 12/08/2021 - 12:23

NARIC staff mourns the passing of Senator Bob Dole, a staunch advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, who regarded the passage of the ADA as one of the proudest moments of his career; This Just In... features a study examining differences in sleep quality, architecture, and sleep-related respiration between patients receiving and not receiving opioid medication during inpatient rehabilitation following TBI; Research in Focus highlights an activity program that pairs rhythmic movements and music to help people post stroke improve their health and physical function; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of People who are Blind or Have Low Vision releases latest episode of its Employment Insights Podcast, featuring guest who has grown and managed his own vending business; the Southeast ADA Regional Center reaches 100th episode milestone with its ADA Live! podcast, Show Them How Smart You Are: Self-Advocacy, Parenting, and Autism; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Accessible Technology on Smartphones & Tablets for Users that Are Blind or Low Vision; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities (VCU-RRTC-Transition) hosts webcast, A Scoping Review of Community-Based Employment Programs for Transition Youth with Disabilities; the Assessment and Investigation of New Coverage Policies for Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) Within a Contemporary Accountable Care Environment project seeks CRT stakeholders for online survey related to wheelchair service and funding; the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (CDR) releases Assistive Technology and Universal Design: A Toolkit for Interagency Collaboration.

Date sent: 
2021-12-08
NARIC news: 

This weekend, we learned of the passing of Senator Bob Dole. Senator Dole was a staunch advocate for the rights of people with disabilities throughout his career. As a World War II veteran with a service-connected disability, he had personal experience in fighting for those rights. He regarded the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act as one of the proudest moments of his career. His work continued after leaving the Senate, including establishing the Dole Foundation for Employment of People with Disabilities and advocating for the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We are truly grateful for his service and dedication.

This Just In: 
The impact of opioid medications on sleep architecture and nocturnal respiration during acute recovery from moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: A TBI Model Systems study. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, Volume 36(5), Pgs. 374-387. NARIC Accession Number: J87448.
New to the NARIC collection, this NIDILRR-funded study examined differences in sleep quality, architecture, and sleep-related respiration between those receiving and not receiving opioid medications during inpatient rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants were 248 patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation care following moderate-to-severe TBI, who underwent a sleep study. Several sleep and respiratory parameters were measured, and findings indicate that opioid use following moderate-to-severe TBI is associated with an increase in indicators of sleep-related breathing disorders. Access the full abstract and ordering information in REHABDATA.
 
Research in Focus: 
A Novel Music-Based Exercise Intervention May Help Improve Physical Functioning in Adults Post-Stroke
This week's Research In Focus highlights an activity program that pairs rhythmic movements and music that may help people who have had a stroke improve their health and physical function.
 
Resource Highlight: 
Employment Insights Podcast
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of People who are Blind or Have Low Vision (90RTEM0007) released the latest episode of the Employment Insights Podcast. The podcast covers some of the challenges people with blindness or low vision encounter in finding and maintaining employment. In this episode, host Sylvia Stinson-Perez interviews Joe Roan who talks about his employment journey, including growing and managing his own vending business. He shares the challenges he faced in his first years of employment and tips he learned as he grew his career.
 
News items: 
ADA Live! Podcast Reaches 100th Episode Milestone
The NIDILRR-funded Southeast ADA Regional Center (90DPAD0005) marked a milestone with the 100th episode of the ADA Live! podcast. ADA Live! covers a variety of topics related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Episode 100, Show Them How Smart You Are: Self-Advocacy, Parenting, and Autism, presented the advocacy work of Clarise Shelby-Coleman and Chase Coleman and their grassroots organization, Show Them How Smart You Are. Ms. Shelby-Coleman and Mr. Coleman discussed the importance of self-advocacy for people with disabilities and the skills needed to self-advocate at school, work, home, in the community, and more.
 
Grantee event: 
Webinar Series: Accessible Technology on Smartphones & Tablets for Users that Are Blind or Low Vision
The NIDILRR-funded Great Lakes ADA Regional Center (90DPAD0012) will host a webinar, Accessible Technology on Smartphones & Tablets for Users that Are Blind or Low Vision, December 14th, 2 – 3:30 pm ET. The presenters will highlight mobile apps used by persons who are blind or have low vision, including apps used for wayfinding, social media, and more. Presenters will also explore built-in accessibility features of iOS and Android operating platforms. This is the first of two sessions highlighting accessible technology on smartphones and tablets for people with disabilities. Registration is free and required.
 
Webcast: A Scoping Review of Community-Based Employment Programs for Transition Youth with Disabilities
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities (VCU-RRTC-Transition) (90RTEEM0002) will host a webcast, A Scoping Review of Community-Based Employment Programs for Transition Youth with Disabilities, December 16th, 2 – 2:30 pm ET. Presenters will discuss a scoping review that examined empirical studies of transition services for youth with disabilities beyond school settings, including interventions for youth with varying demographic characteristics and transition goals. Presenters will discuss the strengths and limitations of using specific transition services for youth with identified needs and challenges throughout the service development and delivery process. Registration is free and required.
 
Participate: 
Complex Rehabilitation Technology Wheelchair Stakeholder Survey
The NIDILRR-funded project Assessment and Investigation of New Coverage Policies for Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) Within a Contemporary Accountable Care Environment (DPGE0014) seeks CRT stakeholders for an online survey related to wheelchair service and funding. The survey includes questions related to opinions of wheelchair service and funding such as timeliness, complexity of the process, repairs and maintenance, quality, durability, and access to proper equipment. Participation is open to wheelchair users, care-partners/caregivers, clinicians, suppliers, manufacturers, policymakers, and funding agencies and organizations anywhere in the world. The survey will take 5 to 10 minutes to complete and participation is confidential and voluntary. To learn more, email crtpolity@pitt.edu.
 
Elsewhere in the Community: 
New Toolkit Highlights Research and Resources for AT and Universal Design
The Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR), of which NIDILRR is a member, released Assistive Technology and Universal Design: A Toolkit for Interagency Collaboration. The toolkit provides an overview of current research efforts in assistive technology (AT) and universal design (UD) across the federal government. The toolkit highlights innovative examples of AT and UD from the private sector, along with a collection of tools and resources such as organizations, guides, and educational materials.
 
Archive link: 
http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=654309&f=1190&s=26993&m=927601&t=635cba0a9267f719dd304fcd1ae764b160681b0bc4432192fe4b80b0dffecb7c