News and Notes 528 September 7

birgitta.chaiken - Wed, 09/07/2022 - 12:33

In observance of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Day, National SCI Awareness Month, and (Emergency) Preparedness Month, NARIC Director Mark Odum shares his experience as a person with SCI preparing for and navigating weather emergencies in the NARIC Spotlight blog; NIDILRR/ACL is holding stakeholder listening sessions in preparation for its 2024-2029 Long Range Plan; This Just In... presents study evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of in-bed wearable elbow robot training for motor recovery in patients with subacute stroke and upper-limb motor impairment; the Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center publishes seven-module course, Introduction to Assistive Technology; the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NCISC) announces recipient of the 2022 DeVivo Mentored Research Award, who will utilize the National SCI Model Systems Database for the project Defining New Quantifiable Criteria for Central Cord Syndrome; research from the study Assessment and Investigation of New Coverage Policies for Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) Within a Contemporary Accountable Care Environment is featured in the latest RehabTalk podcast from the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities hosts webinar, Supporting Business Owners with Psychiatric Disabilities; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, ADA Enforcement and Steps You Can Take Before You File an ADA Complaint; the Field Initiated Project on Contingent Employment of Individuals with Disabilities (FIP-CE) conducts survey of nontraditional employment among persons with disabilities; the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the Department of Labor announces theme for the 2022 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Disability, Part of the Equity Equation.

Date sent: 
2022-09-07
NARIC news: 

Welcome to September! This is an active month for awareness and remembrance events, including Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Day and National SCI Awareness Month. The International SCI Society declared September 5th as SCI Day, and the 2022 theme is SCI in Conflicts and Disasters: Prepare and Prevent. It's a good choice, since September is also Preparedness Month. Studies have shown that people with disabilities, including people with SCI, are less likely to be prepared for an emergency like a disaster, and are disproportionately impacted by the aftermath of disasters. NARIC Director Mark Odum shared his experience as a person with SCI preparing for and navigating weather emergences, and all he does to stay #Ready in our Spotlight blog.

This Just In: 
In-bed sensorimotor rehabilitation in early and late subacute stroke using a wearable elbow robot: A pilot study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Volume 15, Pgs. 669059. NARIC Accession Number: J89104.
New to the NARIC collection, this NIDILRR-funded study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of in-bed wearable elbow robot training for motor recovery in patients with early and late subacute stroke, who had moderate-to-severe upper-limb motor impairment and mild spasticity in elbow flexors. After about four weeks of 15 sessions using the wearable elbow robot, significant improvements were observed and the improvements were sustained at a 1-month follow-up. Patients with severe upper-limb motor impairment had a greater improvement rate in elbow flexor strength than those with moderate motor impairment. The results suggest that in-bed wearable elbow robotic rehabilitation is feasible and effective in improving biomechanical and clinical outcomes for early and late subacute stroke inpatients. Access the full abstract and ordering information in REHABDATA.
 
Resource Highlight: 
Course: Introduction to Assistive Technology
The NIDILRR-funded Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center (90DPAD0009) published a course, Introduction to Assistive Technology. The seven-module course focuses on understanding what assistive technologies (AT) are, including the types of AT available, their benefits, and how AT meets the needs of people with disabilities. The course includes a quiz, and users receive a certificate of completion upon passing. A free account is required to access this and more than 20 other courses covering an array of topics relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
 
NIDILRR News and Events: 
Long-Range Plan Stakeholder Listening Sessions: Disability Groups and Advocacy Organizations
NIDILRR/ACL is developing its 2024-2029 Long-Range Plan and has been seeking input from key stakeholders, including people with disabilities and their families, researchers, service providers, and others through a series of virtual listening sessions. The next session is September 13th, 1 – 4 pm ET, for disability groups and advocacy organizations. Additional sessions will be held in late September and in October. Registration is free and required for these sessions. Stakeholders may also provide written feedback by email to NIDILRRfuture@neweditions.net. Comments must be submitted by November 21st.
 
News items: 
2022 DeVivo Award Announced
The NIDILRR-funded National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) (90SIMS0016) announced the recipient of the 2022 DeVivo Mentored Research Award is Einat Engel-Haber, MD, of Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine. Over the next year, Dr. Engel-Haber will utilize the National SCI Model Systems Database (PDF) for the project Defining New, Quantifiable Criteria for Central Cord Syndrome, with mentoring from two SCI Model System investigators.
 
NIDILRR Research Featured on RehabTalk
Research from the NIDILRR-funded study Assessment and Investigation of New Coverage Policies for Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) Within a Contemporary Accountable Care Environment (90DPGE0014) is featured in the latest episode of the RehabTalk podcast from the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Co-investigator Brad Dicianno, MD, discussed the results of the project's recent study of the effect of assistive technology professionals on the provision of mobility assistive equipment such as wheelchairs. Dr. Dicianno also discussed future research to standardize processes and improve healthcare policy to get people with disabilities the equipment they need to remain independent.
 
Grantee event: 
Webinar: Supporting Business Owners with Psychiatric Disabilities
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities (90RTEM0004) will host a webinar, Supporting Business Owners with Psychiatric Disabilities, September 13th, 2 – 3 pm ET. Presenters will discuss finding from a recent survey of self-employed individuals with mental health challenges. Presenters will cover what supports and services these business owners were most likely to use and find helpful, and will discuss designing supports specific to their needs and preferences. Registration is free and required.
 
Webinar: ADA Enforcement and Steps You Can Take Before You File an ADA Complaint
The NIDILRR-funded Great Lakes ADA Regional Center (90DPAD0012) will host a webinar, ADA Enforcement and Steps You Can Take Before You File an ADA Complaint, September 20th, 2 – 3:30 pm ET. Presenters will share the steps that a person can take before filing an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint to resolve a disability discrimination issue and the process for filing an ADA complaint with the various federal agencies that enforce the law. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. Registration is free and required. Continuing education credits are available upon request.
 
Participate: 
Nontraditional Employment Participation Survey
The NIDILRR-funded Field Initiated Project on Contingent Employment of Individuals with Disabilities (FIP-CE) (90IFRE0004) is conducting a survey of nontraditional employment among persons with disabilities to understand how people find and obtain nontraditional work, such as temping, contracting, and freelancing. Researchers also are interested in learning how these jobs affect everyday life, expectations for work, and sense of independence for these workers with disabilities. The survey is open to individuals with disabilities who are 18 or older and who are working or have worked within the last six months in a nontraditional job, such as a temp placement, freelance, contract, commission, piecemeal work, or app-based job (i.e., Uber, TaskRabbit, Handy, or Upwork).
 
Elsewhere in the Community: 
ODEP Announces 2022 NDEAM Theme
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the Department of Labor announced the theme for the 2022 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Disability: Part of the Equity Equation. Observed in October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of US workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. The 2022 theme recognizes the vital role that people with disabilities play in making the nation's workforce diverse and inclusive. ODEP offers a collection of resources to help business, organizations, and agencies celebrate NDEAM, including a new poster, social media kit, and 31 Days of NDEAM with topics to highlight for each day.
 
Archive link: 
http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=654309&f=1190&s=26993&m=934730&t=635cba0a9267f719dd304fcd1ae764b160681b0bc4432192fe4b80b0dffecb7c