In observance of Memorial Day, we pause to remember those we lost to COVID-19; Anjali J. Forber-Pratt, PhD, joins the NIDILRR staff as its new Director; This Just In... features a study on family caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic; Research in Focus finds that community mental health center visits may increase community participation for people with serious mental illness; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Place-Based Solutions for Rural Community Participation, Health, and Employment publishes research brief, America at a Glance: COVID-19 Vaccination Among People with Disabilities; researcher from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Physical Access and Transportation receives the Outstanding Dissertation Reward from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group for Computer-Human Interaction for her study Profiling Artificial Intelligence as a Material for User Experience Design; the Center for Research Training and Dissemination of Family Support for People with Disabilities Across the Life Course hosts virtual seminar in observance of Older Americans Month, Supporting Family Caregivers of Older Americans; Parents Empowering Parents: National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities and Their Families hosts virtual State of the Science Conference, with session topics including Peers have much to offer parents - Leveraging the benefits of lived experience; the Southeast ADA Regional Center hosts next episode of ADA Live!; A Look at the Mental Health Needs of Indigenous People in America; the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services is accepting application submissions for the National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities, which will provide recommendations to the Secretary about medical, public health, and accessibility needs of people with disabilities related to emergencies.
News and Notes from the NIDILRR Community and Beyond Archive
News and Notes from the NIDILRR Community and Beyond is a weekly newsletter featuring news, resources, events, and opportunities to participate in research in disability and rehabilitation. Most of the stories focus on the achievements of the 250+ NIDILRR-funded projects across the US. We also include events and resources from other agencies and organizations. To sign up, go to our home page and enter your email address in the big blue box! Learn how to submit an item for the next newsletter. Are you a current subscriber or reader? We would love to know your opinion on the newsletter and how you share it with your colleagues!
In observance of May 20th, the tenth annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), NARIC posts News item and Research in Focus entry on access and inclusion in the digital world; This Just In... features a NIDILRR-funded study on company characteristics and effective disability inclusion practices related to the employment of people with disabilities in the post-COVID job economy; Research in Focus examines experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities accessing healthcare services; project TEST - Translating Evidence to Support Transitions: Improving Outcomes of Youth in Transition with Psychiatric Disabilities by Use and Adoption of Best Practice Transition Planning publishes practice guides to help youth with mental health conditions during their transition planning; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living and Participation publishes report, Direct Support Workforce and COVID-19 National Support: Six-Month Follow-Up, discussing a survey of direct support professionals (DSPs) about their experiences supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) during the pandemic; principal investigator of the Inclusive Information and Communications Technology Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) to present plenary talk at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) Symposium 2021, celebrating accomplishments and lessons learned in information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility system changes; the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Improving Health and Function Through Use of Performance Standards in Wheelchair Selection to host virtual discussion, Meet the Experts - A Lunch Hour with the University of Pittsburgh Wheelchair and Cushion Standards Group; the Effects of Customized Employment on the Employment Outcomes of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities: A Randomized Clinical Trial hosts webinar, Customized Job Development Fidelity: Establishing Consensus Among Professionals; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employer Practices Leading to Successful Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities hosts webcast, Workplace Accommodations and Universal Design for Young Adult Workers with Disabilities; the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) hosts virtual stakeholder meeting highlighting accomplishments and future vision.
In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, in its Spotlight blog; NARIC offers research from NIDILRR-funded projects to help people with mental health conditions get needed support; This Just In... presents study recently added to the NARIC collection on user needs of individuals aging with disability; the ADA Network Knowledge Translation Center publishes new factsheet, The ADA and Caregivers: Frequently Asked Questions; principal investigator for the Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System Center participated in online forum discussing the complexities of treating burn injuries and the long-term impacts burn injury survivors face; the Mid-Atlantic ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Fair Housing Act: Frequently Asked Questions, including the difference between the ADA and the Fair Housing Act; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Person-Centered Outcomes and Measures hosts webinar, The Evolution of Person-Centered Practices; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Higher Education and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), where presenters will review relevant regulations for colleges, universities, and community colleges; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities seeks participants for a six-week online course and a year of technical assistance to improve paid employment outcomes on college campuses for college students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD); the Office of Disability Employment Policy's Job Accommodation Network (JAN) publishes several blog articles to help employers and employees with disabilities navigate the accommodations process during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In observance of Arthritis Awareness Month, NARIC offers resources to people living with arthritis for staying active, managing pain, finding assistive technology solutions, and getting accommodations for the workplace; Research in Focus looks at connections between traumatic brain injury (TBI) pain and opiod use among adults over 50; This Just In... features a research review describing the use of case reports to illustrate significant contributions from the Burn Model System program to impact the recovery of individuals after burn injury; the research project Improving Assessment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in People with Disabilities Related to Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain launches new set of resources designed to help people with disabilities and their providers manage chronic pain; co-investigator for Parents Empowering Parents: National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities and Their Families was interviewed for article in online magazine Undark, For physically disabled parents, COVID's trials are amplified; the New England ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Recreation: the ADA and Programming - Let's Have Fun!, discussing ADA requirements and accessibility recommendations applying to recreation programs; the Pacific ADA Regional Center hosts ADA National Network Learning Session, Prepared4ALL: Whole Community Emergency Planning; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of Transition Age Youth with Disabilities hosts webcast, Effects of Paid Work in High School on the Employment Outcomes of Youth with Severe Disabilities; the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Knowledge Translation to Promote Patient-Centered Care Through Use of Standardized Assessments seeks participants, 18 years or older with a physical disability, for virtual focus groups to discuss standardized measures and provide input on changes and updates to the Rehabilitation Measures Database, the US Access Board to host panel discussions on access to self-service transaction machines as part of its next virtual board meeting.
In observance of Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, NARIC has posted research on prosthetics, robotics, myoelectrics and other related topics in its Spotlight Blog; This Just In features a study exploring experiences of people with aphasia in an intensive comprehensive aphasia program (ICAP); Research in Focus looks at how competitive integrated employment programs may offset the impact of COVID-19 on workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities; the Temple University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living and Participation of People with Serious Mental Illness (TU Collaborative) publishes guide, Family Leisure Planning and COVID-19; principal investigator for Research and Education to Support the Science of Independent Living for Inclusion and Engagement: National Center of Excellence Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RESILIENCE RRTC) was interviewed for New York Times article, Many older adults lack even simple, helpful equipment; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Play Areas, providing overview of the play area provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Standards; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Health and Function of People with Psychiatric Disabilities launches Twitter chat, Ask Me Anything About Integrated Health Research; the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living (CHRIL) seeks participants age 18 and older for the 2021 National Survey on Health and Disability; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) releases a public notice inviting comment on whether any updates are needed to the rules implementing the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA).
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NARIC has collected resources from the NIDILRR grantee community on staying healthy, safe community participation, inclusive telework, and remote learning in a special, permanent collection on its website; This Just In... features a research review on telepsychotherapy problem-solving and parent-training interventions, providing support for the utility of telepsychotherapy with children with neurological conditions and their families; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment for People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision has created video resources to educate employers about hiring and working with employees who are blind or have low vision, including Blindness Basics for Employers and the Inquiring Minds Video Series; research on the impact of COVID-19 on family caregivers from the Center for Research, Training, and Dissemination of Family Support for People Across the Life Course was highlighted in study report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; co-investigator of the Mayo Clinic Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center was inverviewed for article on COVID treatments borrowed from brain rehab tactics in the Wall Street Journal; the Pacific ADA Regional Center hosts special webinar, Vaccine Access for People with Disabilities: Guidance, Funding, Strategies and Best Practices; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities hosts webinar, Ask Me Anything About Employment: The Cost of Benefits; Temple University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living and Participation of People with Serious Mental Illness (TU Collaborative) seeks participants who are senior leaders working in early intervention in psychosis (EIP) programs for a survey on the role and contributions of occupational therapists (OTs) in EIP programs; the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the National Institutes of Health posts video of recent event, NIMH Expert Dr. Mary Rooney Discusses Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults.
NARIC staff mourns the passing at age 101 of Arthur Jampolsky, MD, founder of the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, which has been home to several NIDILRR-funded projects; This Just In... features a NIDILRR-funded study on the design, development, and validation of a semi-active ankle prosthesis with a novel non-backdrivable actuation system; Research in Focus features a novel technology-based intervention that may reduce the language-learning gap for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing; Langston University RRTC on Research and Capacity Buildiing for Minority Entities releases report, A Multisite Evaluation of an Emerging Institutional Research Capacity Building and Infrastructure Model for Advancing the Science on Disability/Health and Rehabilitation Research Capacity Building at Minority-Serving Institutions; researchers at NIDILRR and the New York Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center at Mount Sinai (NY-TBI-MS) to present at webinar, Building Partnerships That Last: Working with TBI Model Systems; the Mid-Atlantic ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Ask the Information Specialists: Taking Care of Business, discussing the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability by Title III of the ADA in the activitites of businesses open to the public; the RRTC on Promoting Healthy Aging for People with Long-Term Physical Disabilities hosts webinar, Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Adults with Physical Disabilities from Marginalized Communities; the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the Department of Health and Human Services publish several new resources to help states, vaccination providers, and others leading COVID-19 response activities improve access to vaccines for people with disabilities and older adults; the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and the Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor (DOL) host a national online dialogue on Advancing Racial and Social Equity in Employment for People with Disabilities.
In observance of Autism Acceptance Month, organized by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, NARIC presents recent research and development projects from the NIDILRR grantee community that help neurodiverse people meet challenges in their community in its Spotlight blog; This Just In presents a study examining the importance of common disability inclusion strategies related to hiring intention; Research in Focus looks at the impact of COVID-19 on people with mental and behavioral health disorders; the Initiative to Mobilize Partnerships for Successful Assistive Technology Transfer (IMPACT Center) launches podcast, ImpacTech, featuring stories from assistive technology researchers and entrepreneurs; RehaBot, developed under the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for ICT Access for Mobile Rehabilitation (mRehab) was featured in MossRehab using chatbot technology to help people with traumatic brain injuries on KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia; research from the RRTC on Employment of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities highlighted in Style Weekly magazine article, Career Opportunities: How the pandemic is changing job futures for people with disabilities; the Center for Enhancing Neurogenitive Health, Abilities, Networks, and Community Engagement (ENHANCE) hosts webinar, Artificial Intelligence in Accessibility and Rehabilitation; project on Human Factors Validation of the CathBuddy Cleaning and Sterilizer Operation Procedures seeks adult participants in the Houston, TX area for a study to test a catheter cleaning system; the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Autism Research Coordination at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) host webinar, The Federal Response to COVID-19: Addressing the Needs of the Autism and Disability Communities.
In observance of Occupational Therapy Month, organized by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), NARIC has information about occupational therapists (OTs) and the ways they support people with disabilities; This Just In... features a study examining the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Couples Intervention (TCI), designed to improve relationship quality, on caregiver needs and burden after brain injury; the Northwest ADA Regional Center publishes factsheet, Healthcare and Face Coverings: Reducing Communication Barriers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients; the Center for Research, Training, and Dissemination of Family Support for People with Disabilities Across the Life Course publishes COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility for Caregivers, a portal of information about vaccine eligibility for unpaid family caregivers in each US state; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center in collaboration with the ADA National Network to host ADA Audio Conference Webinar Special Session, What You Need to Know About the Justice Department Settlement Agreement with Amtrak regarding inaccessibility of stations; the Southeast ADA Regional Center hosts next episode of ADA Live!, Let's Dig-in: The ADA, Accessible Farming & Gardening; the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living (CHRIL) seeks adult participants with disabilities for the 2021 National Survey on Health and Disability, conducted to understand how access to health care, insurance, and the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the lives of people with disabilities; the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announces new website, Alzheimers.gov, an online portal for information and resources on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, also providing resources in Spanish.
NARIC staff share their thoughts on a year of working from home during the coronavirus pandemic; the Association for Community Living (ACL) hosts webinar, Improving Social Connection Among People with Disabilities, featuring presenters from NIDILRR, ACL's Office of Independent Living Programs, and the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living; the study Assciation of secondary health conditions with future chronic health conditions among persons with traumatic spinal cord injury is featured in This Just In...; Research in Focus discusses fear of falling as a link to lower physical activity for people with physical disabilities; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Health and Function of People with Psychiatric Disabilities launches Participatory Action Research (PAR) Podcast, with the inaugural episode highlighting research on a wellness self-management intervention; the Spinal Cord Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group (SCI-ISIG) of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) announces a new award program in honor of Dr. Margaret Nosek; technology developed under GoCC4All: Using Pervasive Technology to Provide Access to TV to the Deaf-Blind Community is nominated for a World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize; the ADA National Network hosts Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) State of the Science virtual conference; the New England ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Service Animals: An Overview of the ADA and Other Disability Rights Laws; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision seeks adult participants with blindness or low vision for a five-year study about access technology (AT) use: particularly in the workplace; the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers Spanish-language brochures and factsheets on mental health disorders and related topics, free of charge and also available in English.
