Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
August 1, 2005, Vol. 05-105

Comments Sought on Long-Range Plan for Disability & Rehabilitation Research

John H. Hager, assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education, would like to share with you an announcement on the National Institute on Disability and rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Long-Range Plan for Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

People with disabilities, their families and advocates, and researchers and service providers will have an opportunity to review and comment on a draft long-range plan prepared by the federal government's key agency for disability and rehabilitation research. In its plan, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), an organization within OSERS, emphasizes five "domains" as areas for expanded research efforts in the next five years in support of people with disabilities: employment; participation and community living; health and function; technology for access and function; and disability demographics.

The new plan will help focus NIDRR research on new approaches for defining, measuring, counting and categorizing disability; new research issues; and new methods for conducting and managing research.

The plan continues to emphasize the importance of research in the area of universal design, the guiding principle behind buildings and products that are accessible to people of all abilities and disabilities. NIDRR has taken a leadership role in the development and promulgation of universal design principles that can be applied to the built environment, telecommunications, information technologies, transportation, consumer products and the World Wide Web. Such developments as information technology (IT) systems to create accessible public information kiosks, electronic voting systems, ATMs, postal kiosks and airport information systems are examples of applied Universal Design principles.

The plan also continues research into the emerging universe of disability, including age-related disabilities and disabilities resulting from global conflicts.

Finally, the plan further recognizes the importance of research on interdependence, not only in its continued emphasis on personal assistance services, but a new accent on supports for family and other informal caregivers, direct care workers and paraprofessionals in facilitating community living and participation in the community.

The proposed plan was published in the Federal Register in a supplementary section on July 27, 2005, and is accessible at

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-14741.htm

<http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-14741.htm>.

NIDRR will consider all comments received within 30 days and make any necessary revisions to the plan. For more information on NIDRR, go to

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index.html
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The Center for Mental Health Services is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.