FR Doc E6-8799
[Federal Register: June 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 109)]
[Notices]
[Page 32938-32941]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jn06-64]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research;
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program;
Disability Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP)
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by
the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR) on Vocational Rehabilitation: Transition Services that Lead to
Competitive Employment Outcomes for Transition-Age Individuals With
Blindness or Other Visual Impairments. The Assistant Secretary may use
this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2006 and later
years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of
national need. We intend this priority to improve rehabilitation
services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before July 7, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Donna
Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
6030, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20204-2700. If you prefer to
send your comments through the Internet, use the
[[Page 32939]]
following address: donna.nangle@ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 245-
7462.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation To Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed
priority. Please let us know of any further opportunities we should
take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while
preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments on this notice of proposed priority in room 6030, 550 12th
Street, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC, between the hours of
8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week
except Federal holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking
Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. If you want to schedule
an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or funding
additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this proposed priority, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting
applications we designate the priority as absolute, competitive
preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of priority
follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by
either: (1) Awarding additional points, depending on how well or the
extent to which the application meets the competitive preference
priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application
that meets the competitive preference priority over an application
of comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over
other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
This notice of proposed priority is in concert with President
George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative (NFI) and NIDRR's Final Long-
Range Plan for FY 2005-2009 (Plan). The NFI can be accessed on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom
.
The Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on February
15, 2006 (71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the Internet at the following
site: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
Through the implementation of the NFI and the Plan, NIDRR seeks to--(1)
Improve the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation
research; (2) Foster an exchange of expertise, information, and
training to facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding
of the unique needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3)
Determine best strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation
outcomes for underserved populations; (4) Identify research gaps; (5)
Identify mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6)
Disseminate findings.
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program
The purpose of the DRRP program is to plan and conduct research,
demonstration projects, training, and related activities to develop
methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the
full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent
living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of
individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most
severe disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services
authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. DRRPs
carry out one or more of the following types of activities, as
specified and defined in 34 CFR 350.13 through 350.19: research,
development, demonstration, training, dissemination, utilization, and
technical assistance.
An applicant for assistance under this program must demonstrate in
its application how it will address, in whole or in part, the needs of
individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds (34 CFR
350.40(a)). The approaches an applicant may take to meet this
requirement are found in 34 CFR 350.40(b).
Additional information on the DRRP program can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#DRRP
.
Priority
Background
Each year, many youths and young adults with blindness or other
visual impairments move from secondary education to post-school
settings including postsecondary education and the workplace.
Unfortunately, many of these individuals may not receive the services
necessary to make this transition successful. While data from the
National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) showed that the
graduation rate for students with visual impairments was high (94
percent) and about two-thirds attended post-secondary education,
individuals with visual impairments continued to have high rates of
unemployment. Only 28 percent of those with blindness or low vision had
worked for pay since leaving high school as compared to 70 percent of
other students with disabilities (Cameto & Levine, 2005). A prior
longitudinal study revealed comparable findings (Blackorby & Wagner,
1996). Among all working-age adults in the United States, between 1 to
1.7 million people, or 55 to 60 percent of individuals with visual
impairments were not employed in 1994-1995 (Kirchner, Schmeidler &
Todorov, 1999).
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program is the primary Federal
vehicle for assisting individuals with disabilities to obtain
employment, including individuals with blindness or visual impairments.
State VR agencies provide a variety of services, such as vocational
evaluation, career guidance and counseling, mental and physical
restoration, education, vocational training, job placement,
rehabilitation technology, supported employment, and
[[Page 32940]]
transition services \1\ to eligible individuals. Priority is given to
serving individuals with the most significant disabilities. An
individual who has a disability or is blind as determined pursuant to
title II or XVI of the Social Security Act is considered to be an
individual with a significant disability under the VR program and
presumed to be eligible.
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\1\ The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, defines
transition services in section 7(37) as ``a coordinated set of
activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented
process, that promotes movement from school to post school
activities, including postsecondary education, vocational training,
integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing
and adult education, adult services, independent living, or
community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be
based upon the individual student's needs, taking into account the
student's preferences and interests, and shall include instruction,
community experiences, the development of employment and other post
school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition
of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.''
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State VR agencies are also required to enter into interagency
agreements with State educational agencies to assist in planning for
the transition of students with disabilities from school to post-school
activities, including the provision of vocational rehabilitation
services for those individuals who are eligible for such services.
Nearly 10,000 consumers with blindness or other visual impairments who
exited the VR program between fiscal years 2000 and 2004 were
transition-age youth between the ages of 14 and 24 when they entered
the VR program (RSA 911 Case Service Report). Approximately one-third
of these individuals had received services under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, as amended (IDEA), while in school and,
therefore, were eligible to receive transition services as part of
their special education program. In 2004, about 45 percent of
transition-age consumers with blindness or other visual impairments
exited the VR program with an employment outcome.
Early investment in VR services provided at the very beginning of a
career or employment path and may result in sustained economic benefit,
including reducing dependence on Social Security Administration (SSA)
benefits. Approximately 22 percent of individuals with blindness or
other visual impairments were receiving SSA disability benefits,
including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI), at the time of their application to VR (FY
2005 RSA 911 Case Service Report). Further, transition-age consumers
with blindness or other visual impairments were more likely to receive
SSA benefits than other consumers with disabilities at application.
Specifically, 30 percent of transition-age consumers with blindness or
other visual impairments who exited the VR program in FY 2004 received
SSA disability benefits as compared to 16 percent of consumers with
other disability types (FY 2004 RSA 911 Case Service Report). At age
18, continued eligibility for SSA programs often hinges on the
individual's inability to work. Although there have been significant
efforts in recent years to reduce SSA beneficiary program related
disincentives to work, we do not know the extent to which participation
in these programs may continue to influence employment decisions for
transition-age consumers with blindness or other visual impairments.
A recent study by Capella-McDonnall (2005) examined variables
associated with successful employment outcomes for VR consumers with
blindness or visual impairments. Based on analyses of the Longitudinal
Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program (LSVRSP), the
author concluded that there were four variables that have a significant
association with competitive employment outcomes for VR consumers who
are individuals with blindness or visual impairments. These variables
were: (1) The receipt of education as a rehabilitation service that
resulted in an educational certificate or degree; (2) having worked
since the onset of the disability; (3) the reason for applying to VR
related to obtaining a job; and (4) the relationship between the
counselor and the consumer being rated as high quality. It should be
noted these findings were based on a sample of VR individuals with
blindness or other visual impairments aged 65 or younger.
A literature review by Nagle (2001) discussed factors that may
influence poor post-school outcomes for youth with visual impairments
and provided recommendations for improving transition practices. Nagle
stated that it is necessary to know which services are the most useful
in rehabilitation agencies for particular populations and then to
tailor the services to the needs of the individual. The author argued
that youths with visual impairments need increased opportunities for
work experience through volunteer work, part-time work, paid summer
employment, and increased exposure to a wider variety of employment
opportunities. Students with visual impairments may be less aware of
career options and often select goals that are associated with a narrow
range of jobs. Nagle also suggested that youth with visual impairments
need to gain transferable skills that will allow them to be competitive
in a rapidly changing technological marketplace and to be encouraged to
explore innovative job-seeking strategies.
The purpose of this priority is to support projects that will
develop, demonstrate, and evaluate transition services and strategies
that may lead to improved outcomes for transition-age individuals with
blindness or other visual impairments, including outcomes in workforce
participation, competitive employment, or other areas of postsecondary
success.
References
Blackorby, J. & Wagner, M. (1996). Longitudinal postschool outcomes
of youth with disabilities: Findings from the National Longitudinal
Transition Study. Exceptional Children, 62, p. 399-413.
Cameto, R., Garza, N., & Levine, P. (2005). Changes in the
employment status and job characteristics of out-of-school youth
with disabilities. A report from the National Longitudinal
Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) [Online]. Menlo Park, CA: SRI
International. Retrieved January 16, 2006, from Study-2 [Online].
(2002). Retrieved June 16, 2005, from http://www.nlts2.org/pdfs/str6_ch5_emp.pdf
.
Capella-McDonnall, M.E. (May, 2005). Predictors of competitive
employment for blind and visually impaired consumers of vocational
rehabilitation services. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness,
99, 303-315.
D'Amico, R. (1991). The working world awaits: Employment experiences
during and shortly after secondary school. In Wagner, M., Newman,
L., D'Amico, R., Jay, E.D., Butler-Nalin, P., Marder, C., and Cox,
R., Youth with disabilities: How are they doing? The first
comprehensive report from the National Longitudinal Study of Special
Education Students. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
Kirchner, C., Schmeidler E., and Todorov, A. (1999). Looking at
Employment Through a Lifespan Telescope: Age, Health and Employment
Status of People with Serious Visual Impairment, Mississippi State,
MS: Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low
Vision.
Moore, J.E., and Wolfe, K.E. (1996). Employment considerations for
adults with low vision. In A.L. Corn & A.J. Koenig (Eds.),
Foundations of low vision: Clinical and functional perspectives (pp.
340-367). New York: AFB Press.
Nagle, K.M. (2001). Transition to employment and community life for
youths with visual impairments: Current status and future
directions. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 95, 725-738.
U.S. Department of Education (2005). RSA 911 Case Service Report.
Wolfe, K. (1997). The key to successful school-to-work programs for
blind or visually impaired students. Journal of
[[Page 32941]]
Visual Impairment & Blindness, 91 (Suppl.). 5-7.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services proposes a priority for a DRRP on VR: Transition Services that
Lead to Competitive Employment Outcomes for Transition-Age Individuals
With Blindness or Other Visual Impairments. Under this priority, the
project must be designed to contribute to the following outcomes:
(a) Increased knowledge about factors that influence vocational
rehabilitation and/or transition outcomes and contribute to the
acquisition of skills that correlate with sustained competitive
employment and postsecondary success for transition-age individuals
with blindness or other visual impairments. The grantee must: (1)
Conduct a comprehensive literature review of research in the area of VR
transition services that lead to successful employment outcomes for
transition-age individuals with blindness or other visual impairments;
(2) conduct a preliminary analysis of the RSA 911 Case Service Report
data and other appropriate data sets to identify all pertinent
information related to transition services for individuals with
blindness or other visual impairments; and (3) examine factors that
affect employment outcomes including the types of transition services
provided by VR; the types of transition services provided by special
education, if any; the age of the transitioning student at the time of
first contact with VR; the amount of interaction the transitioning
student has with VR prior to leaving school; the relationship the
transition-age individual has with the VR counselor; the transition-age
individual's early employment history; the transition-age individual's
dependence on SSA benefits; and the transition-age individual's socio-
economic factors. In implementing item (3), the grantee must review VR
case records from State VR agencies for the blind and State VR combined
agencies, and interview consumers, rehabilitation professionals,
teachers, postsecondary support service providers, SSA representatives,
and other individuals involved in providing transition services.
(b) Improved outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually
impaired. Through development, demonstration, and evaluation of
intervention methods, the grantee must identify practices that support
and lead to improved outcomes for transition-age individuals with
blindness or other visual impairments, including outcomes in workforce
participation, competitive employment, or other areas of postsecondary
success. The grantee should include activities that facilitate
development of skills that lead to employment (critical thinking and
problem-solving skills, and personal qualities). Grantees must utilize
a rigorous (e.g., experimental or quasi-experimental) design.
(c) Dissemination of research findings to State VR agencies,
education agencies, consumers, researchers, and other stakeholders.
(d) Coordination with projects sponsored by NIDRR, the
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and the Office of Special
Education Programs-sponsored projects to ensure that research conducted
under this priority builds on rather than duplicates related research
and to ensure effective dissemination strategies. At a minimum, the
grantee must coordinate with the NIDRR Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center (RRTC) on Measuring Rehabilitation Outcomes and current
RSA-sponsored research on related topics (including the post-VR
experiences study and the national study of transition policies and
practices in State VR agencies, and other relevant projects).
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priority has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed priority
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for administering these programs effectively
and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priority, we have
determined that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the
costs.
Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits
The potential costs associated with this proposed priority are
minimal while the benefits are significant.
The benefits of the DRRP have been well established over the years
in that similar projects have been completed successfully. This
proposed priority will generate new knowledge and technologies through
research, development, dissemination, utilization, and technical
assistance projects.
Another benefit of this proposed priority is that the establishment
of a new DRRP conducting research projects will support the President's
NFI and will improve the lives of persons with disabilities. This DRRP
will generate, disseminate, and promote the use of new information that
will improve the options for individuals with disabilities to perform
regular activities in the community.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
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Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.133A, Disability
Rehabilitation Research Projects)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(a).
Dated: June 2, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E6-8799 Filed 6-6-06; 8:45 am]
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