The National Institute on 

Disability, Independent Living, 

and Rehabilitation Research

FY 2021-2022 Organization Highlights
ii | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mission 1

How Is NIDILRR Funding Used? 1

How Is NIDILRR Research Making a Difference? 2

Products of NIDILRR Grants 2

NIDILRR Resources on Disability Policy and Research 3

ADA National Network 3

National Rehabilitation Information Center 4

Field-Initiated Projects 4

Employment Outcomes 4

Small Business Innovation Research 5

Health and Function 5

Technology for Access and Function 6

Model Systems 7

Community Living and Participation 7

Health and Function 8

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects 8

Community Living and Participation 8

Health and Function 9

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers 9

Technology for Access and Function 10

Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers 11

Community Living and Participation 11

Employment Outcomes 12

Health and Function 12

Knowledge Translation 13

Research Capacity-Building Support 14

Mary E. Switzer Fellowship Program, or 

 Research Fellowship Program 14

Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Projects 15

Section 21 — Traditionally Underserved Populations 17

Highlights From Former NIDILRR Grantees 17

Employment Outcomes 17

Technology for Access and Function 18

How Does NIDILRR Collaborate? 18

Cross-Administration for Community Living Collaborations 18

Cross-Government NIDILRR Collaborations 19

Interagency Committee on Disability Research 19
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 1

MISSION

The Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) National Institute on Disability, 

Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) was established 

by Congress to conduct research that leads to improved health and function, 

employment, and community living outcomes of individuals with disabilities. 

NIDILRR’s mission is to generate new knowledge and promote its effective use to 

maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent 

living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals 

with disabilities of all ages. NIDILRR achieves this mission by

■ supporting research, development, capacity-building, knowledge translation, 

and related activities to maximize the full inclusion and integration of individuals with disabilities of all ages into society, employment, independent living, 

family support, and into economic and social self-sufficiency;

■ promoting the transfer of, use, and adoption of rehabilitation technology for 

individuals with disabilities in a timely manner; and

■ ensuring the widespread distribution, in usable formats, of practical scientific 

and technological information to advance policy, practice, and services to 

improve outcomes for people with disabilities.

NIDILRR organizes its activities around three major outcome domains—community 

living and participation, health and function, and employment—and addresses a 

wide range of disabilities and impairments across populations of all ages.

HOW IS NIDILRR FUNDING USED?

NIDILRR addresses a broad scope of research, capacity-building, and knowledge translation activities related to 

disability, rehabilitation, and independent living. These projects reflect the breadth of disability research within 

the agency’s outcome domains of community living and participation, health and function, and employment. 
2 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

NIDILRR research is designed to generate new knowledge and technologies and stimulate change in programs, 

practices, and public policies to the benefit of Americans with disabilities and their families. NIDILRR’s grant 

programs vary in purpose, scope, duration, size, and outcome area.

NIDILRR sponsors disability and rehabilitation research and development in the outcome domains of community living and participation, 

health and function, and employment. Through its grant programs, 

NIDILRR also invests in the following areas to promote positive community living and participation, employment, and health and function 

outcomes among people with disabilities:

■	 Technology for Access and Function

■	 Disability Demographics

■	 Knowledge Translation

■	 Capacity-Building for Rehabilitation 

Research and Training

NIDILRR Outcome Areas

• Community Living 

 and Participation

• Employment

• Health and Function

Products of NIDILRR Grants

The summaries that follow, organized by funding 

mechanism, highlight examples of grantee activities 

and achievements. Grantees employ an assortment of 

methodologies to conduct research and develop new 

products and technologies, including randomized controlled trials, longitudinal studies, qualitative studies, 

and intervention studies. NIDILRR grantees produce an 

assortment of output types, from the more traditional 

category of peer-reviewed publications to such outputs 

as technological devices, prototypes, special software, 

and new physiologic measurement tools, as well as 

audiovisual materials and intervention curricula. 

HOW IS NIDILRR RESEARCH MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

Selected projects from fiscal years (FYs) 2021 and 2022 are highlighted throughout this report to illustrate the 

variety of NIDILRR activities and achievements that are improving the lives of people with disabilities.
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 3

NIDILRR RESOURCES ON DISABILITY POLICY AND RESEARCH

NIDILRR supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network and the National Rehabilitation 

Information Center (NARIC), which help the public find and use current information about disability policy 

and research. 

ADA National Network

NIDILRR sponsors and oversees the ADA National 

Network, which conducts research and provides technical assistance, training, and information resources 

related to the ADA. The ADA is a comprehensive civil 

rights law designed to guarantee people with disabilities 

have equal opportunity in employment, public accommodations, state and local government services, transportation, and telecommunications. The ADA Network 

(http://adata.org) includes 10 regional centers and the 

ADA Knowledge Translation Center. Together, they serve 

local, regional, and national stakeholders to foster ADA 

implementation. The 10 regional centers conducted 1,113 

training activities during 2021 and 1,342 during 2022, 

including customized training presentations, training 

courses, and conferences. The network responded to 

more than 16,000 inquiries in FY 2021 and more than 

15,000 inquiries in FY 2022 by phone, email, ADA center 

website, or in person. Worth noting, the ADA centers 

added a tag to their database to capture and categorize 

COVID-related and long COVID-related data calls. From 

January 1, 2020, to December 14, 2022, there were 

3,898 COVID-related calls received by the ADA National 

Network centers, and of those, 88 (2.26%) were related 

to long COVID. The most frequent aspect of ADA asked 

about in relation to long COVID was Title I (Employment) 

—more specifically, reasonable accommodations (53% 

of interactions), and enforcement (20% of interactions).

The ADA Participation Action Research Consortium 

complements the Network’s activities through 

research on factors influencing the community living 

of citizens with disabilities, as well as through assessments of promising practices at state, regional, and 

community levels. 

The following is an example of an ADA National 

Network activity and achievement during this 

reporting period: 

Telemedicine Barriers for Persons With Disabilities 

(2022) – Grant #90DP0092

The Southwest ADA Center addressed telemedicine 

barriers for persons with disabilities in a publication 

entitled “Telemedicine Barriers and Challenges for 

Persons with Disabilities: COVID-19 and Beyond.”

The Southwest ADA National Network Regional Center 

provides training and technical assistance to benefit 

individuals and entities with rights and responsibilities under the ADA. In addition, this center conducts 

research into access barriers experienced by people 

with disabilities. This article describes key systematic 

challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that 

telemedicine is available and fully accessible to 

individuals with disabilities. During this reporting 

period, the publication has been cited by several 

researchers conducting studies in accessible telehealth, and it has implications for improving the 

health outcomes for persons with disabilities in a 

new era of healthcare delivery.
4 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

FIELD-INITIATED PROJECTS

Field-Initiated Projects (FIPs) are investigator-initiated research or development projects drawn from a pool of 

applicants proposing a wide variety of target populations and research and development aims. These projects 

generate new knowledge through research or development on a smaller scale relative to Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) and center grants. All FIP grantees must carry out research or development 

projects to improve outcomes of people with disabilities in the health and function, employment, or community 

living and participation domains. FIP awards are typically 3 years in duration. Following are examples of FIP 

activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR.

National Rehabilitation Information Center

NARIC (www.naric.com) is an information resource 

center funded by NIDILRR to disseminate information 

about disability, independent living, and rehabilitation 

research to the public. NARIC services are available 

through its website, social media, and other outreach 

avenues. During FY 2021, NARIC received more than 

210,000 visitors to its website, and another 105,704 

visited during FY 2022. NARIC had more than 10,000 

social media followers across multiple platforms in 

English and Spanish and connected with users via 

presentations and exhibits at virtual and in-person 

conferences that had more than 7,000 attendees. NARIC’s collection grew by more than 6,000 publications 

and products between FY 2021 and FY 2022, including 

more than 1,100 journal articles, books, reports, and 

multimedia materials produced by NIDILRR grantees.

Employment Outcomes

Predictors of Worklife Burnout Among Mental Health 

Certified Peer Specialists (2022) – Grant #90IFRE0029

Certified peer specialists (CPSs) are a growing workforce who use their lived experience of behavioral 

health disorders, plus skills learned in formal training, 

to deliver support services. Despite their important 

role in the mental health care system and research 

on their working conditions, experiences of burnout 

have not been widely studied among CPSs. A FIP 

grantee published a recent study entitled “Predictors 

of Worklife Burnout Among Mental Health Certified 

Peer Specialists.” This study used survey data from 

CPSs who were currently employed in any type of job, 

providing peer support services or not. The study used 

the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Areas of Worklife Survey, along with other measures of personal 

and job characteristics, to examine the relationships 

of predictor variables to burnout measures. Scores 

on each of the averaged burnout measures differed 

significantly between those employed in peer services 

jobs and those in other job types, with those in peer 

services jobs reporting lower exhaustion, lower cynicism, and higher professional efficacy. Better workload 

and fairness were associated with significantly lower 

exhaustion, and better reward and community were 

both associated with significantly lower cynicism. 

Those employed in peer services jobs had fewer signs 

of burnout than those in other occupations, a finding 

consistent with prior research. These results can be 
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 5

used by policy makers to better support and develop this valuable workforce, thus improving their job 

satisfaction and retention, along with the recovery 

outcomes of the people they serve.

Cross-Sectional Survey Data.” The purpose of this 

study was to examine the moderating role of work 

limitations in the relationship between job crafting 

and work performance and to understand the complex 

relationship between job crafting, work limitations, Work Limitations as a Moderator of the Relationship 

Between Job Crafting and Work Performance (2022) – 

Grant #90IFRE0008

work engagement, work performance, readiness to 

change, and worker characteristics. The study used 

an online survey of workers with and without disabilJob crafting is an incremental, employee-initiated job 

design process used to achieve a better fit between 

job demands and worker skills. Persons with work 

limitations face multiple barriers to optimal work 

performance. Some persons with work limitations 

may naturally use job crafting as a strategy to achieve 

better alignment with their job tasks and demands; 

however, the extent to which job crafting may be helpful in improving work performance and engagement is 

unknown. In 2022, an NIDILRR grantee published the 

ities, age 18 and older, to assess the relationships 

among job crafting, work limitations, work engagement, work performance, readiness to change, and 

worker characteristics. Ultimately, the study found 

that work limitation weakens the relationship between job crafting and work performance. Worker 

characteristics such as education and years of work 

experience predict crafting behaviors, and work 

engagement mediates the relationship between job 

crafting and work performance. Results of this study 

study, “Work Limitations as a Moderator of 

the Relationship Between Job Crafting and Work 

Performance: Results From an SEM Analysis of 

demonstrate that job crafting interventions may prove 

beneficial at increasing work engagement and performance for workers with limitations.

SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH

The intent of NIDILRR’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is to help support the development of 

new ideas and products that are useful to persons with disabilities by inviting the participation of small business 

firms with strong research capabilities in science, engineering, or educational technology. Small businesses must 

meet eligibility criteria to participate: the company must be American-owned and independently operated, it must 

be for-profit and employ no more than 500 employees, and the principal researcher must be employed by the business. During Phase I, NIDILRR-funded firms conduct feasibility studies to evaluate the scientific and technical merit 

of an idea. During Phase II, NIDILRR-funded firms expand on the results of Phase I to pursue further development 

and commercialization. Following are examples of SBIR activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR. 

Health and Function

Evalu8NOW Tool to Monitor Anxiety and Depression in 

Individuals With Parkinson’s and Other Neurological 

Diseases Using Avatar Technology (2022) – 

Grant #90BISB0014

This funding year, the Evalu8NOW tool, developed 

by CreateAbility Concepts, Inc., was introduced to 

respectfully monitor depression and anxiety of people 

with Parkinson’s and other degenerative neurological 

diseases, anywhere, anytime, using avatar technology. 

This tool allows providers to collect critical data and 
6 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

monitor clients’ physical and mental well-being using 

a combination of web-based assessments and interventions. Its aim is to increase data integrity and ensure clients have direct access to intervention for self-care outside of regular assessments. People with Parkinson’s 

disease and other similar degenerative neurological 

diseases may be able to maintain their levels of function 

with proper ongoing exercise programs geared towards 

their individualized deficit profile. There is significant 

evidence that supports the importance of depression 

and anxiety monitoring within the population of people 

with Parkinson’s disease. Without accounting for the 

effect of depression, researchers may miss significant 

reasons why individuals with Parkinson’s disease do 

not participate in activities that have been shown to 

help them, such as exercise. 

Technology for Access and Function

T3 Tactile Tablet (2022) – Grant #90BISB0012

Touch Graphic, Inc., created the T3 Platform, a system 

for creating, distributing, and consuming touch-responsive, audio-embedded tactile graphic maps, games, 

puzzles, and interactive lessons. In 2022, this grantee 

announced the release of their T3 Tactile Tablet. With 

the T3 platform, users drop a tactile overlay sheet onto 

a large Android tablet computer fitted with a plastic T3 

frame, then explore tactile figures and braille with both 

hands and all 10 fingers, tapping and swiping to trigger 

spoken descriptions and explanations of anything they 

want to know about. The T3 platform solves the problem 

of overlay sheet identification in a tactile tablet: as each 

new sheet is placed on the tablet, a barcode printed 

near the top will be scanned by the computer’s front-facing camera, bounced off a tilted mirror positioned one 

inch above the camera, on the underside of a plastic 

hood. An app running on the tablet queries a cloud 

server for data on the currently mounted sheet in an automatic transparent process. This innovation eliminates 

the requirement that the user find and press five different locations each time a new overlay is put in place. 

The result is a smoother, faster sheet change sequence, 

and no more sheet. T3 will also add the option to use 

voice commands instead of finding and pressing tactile 

buttons to control the system. This option may enhance 

efficiency and user satisfaction since users will be able 

to maintain contact with both hands on the braille or 

tactile graphic on which they are focused. Over the next 

10 years, Touch Graphics, Inc. anticipates selling 10,000 

T3 tactile tablets and a larger number of T3 binders full 

of tactile overlays. If a critical mass of content and users 

can be reached, T3 could approach worldwide popularity among tactile readers around the world. 

6 | 

Small businesses must meet eligibility 

criteria to participate: the company must 

be American-owned and independently operated, it must be for-profit and 

employ no more than 500 employees, 

and the principal researcher must be 

employed by the business. 
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 7

MODEL SYSTEMS

NIDILRR’s Model Systems programs in spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and burn injury 

provide coordinated systems of rehabilitation care and conduct research on recovery and long-term outcomes. 

These centers serve as platforms for collaborative, multisite research, including research on interventions using 

randomized controlled trials. 

Burn Model Systems (BMS) collected data on burn injury treatment from four centers in FY 2021 and 2022. As 

of December 2021, the BMS centers had enrolled 6,829 

participants into the BMS database and had follow-up 

data available for 4,901 participants, some going back 

more than 25 years.

Studies using these databases have provided researchers opportunities to explore the social and environmental factors influencing the community living and 

participation of individuals affected by these injuries, 

best clinical practices for screening and treatment, 

physiological aspects of the conditions, and long-term 

outcomes. Following are examples of Model Systems 

activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR.

Community Living and Participation

Impact of State Long-Term Services and Supports on 

Levels of Community Participation and Life Satisfaction for People With TBI (2021) – Grant #90DPTB0001

While a substantial literature has examined the effects 

of individual- and family-level factors on outcomes 

following TBI, minimal attention has been directed 

to the potential influence of the larger environmental 

context on outcomes. The Ohio Regional TBI Model 

System Center at Ohio State University conducted 

a study—“Do State Supports for Persons With Brain 

Injury Affect Outcomes in the 5 Years Following Acute 

Rehabilitation?”—that investigates the effects of 

state-level resources and supports as an environmental factor influencing long-term outcomes from TBI, 

using data from the TBIMS National Database funded 

by NIDILRR. The researchers examined the effects of 

state-level supports and resources on persons in their 

Founded in 1973, the National SCI Database has collected injury follow-up data through a total of 31 funded 

centers. Eighteen funded centers, plus an additional 

one previously funded center, actively collected SCI 

follow-up data in FY 2022. Their actions contributed to 

the collection of SCI data from 50,836 individuals as 

of the end of FY 2021 and 51,227 individuals as of the 

end of FY 2022. A new NIDILRR initiative brought forth 

in June 2022 was a challenge to the SCI Model Systems 

(SCIMS) to carefully, thoughtfully and with intentionality consider expansion of both the research projects and 

the longitudinal database to expand to include individuals with nontraumatic SCI (ntSCI). During FY22, the 

SCIMS data center worked to systematically identify the 

etiologic, neurological, and rehabilitation system-level variables associated with ntSCI with input from 

experts. Then, a landscape analysis was completed 

across 18 SCIMS to assess how many and what types of 

ntSCI patients were being seen and to gain information 

about potential data collection modifications. Currently, pilot data are being collected across all 18 SCIMS to 

inform the design of future ntSCI national database. 

Sixteen funded centers plus three longitudinal follow-up sites contributed data to the TBI Model System 

(TBIMS) National Database in 2021 and 2022. Their 

efforts have collected information on 18,994 individuals admitted for inpatient acute TBI rehabilitation as 

of FY 2021 and 19,353 individuals as of FY 2022. Worth 

noting, in addition to the 16 NIDILRR-funded TBIMS 

sites, there are five U.S. Department of Veterans 

Affairs Polytrauma Rehabilitation Research Centers 

that work closely with NIDILRR’s network, allowing for 

the sharing of data, resources, and expertise to track 

outcomes of civilian and military individuals with TBI. 

This collaborative approach has enabled both descriptive and comparative studies to be conducted. The 
8 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

first 5 years after rehabilitation for moderate and 

severe TBI. The primary hypothesis was that community participation, global functioning, and life satisfaction 

will be higher on average among people with TBI living 

in states with more brain-injury-specific programs and 

resources and better long-term services and support 

(LTSS). The researchers found that state supports have a 

small but significant impact on community participation 

and life satisfaction. The most consistent finding indicated that states with better LTSS had higher levels of 

community participation and life satisfaction on average 

for people with TBI over and above individual-level differences and fluctuations in these outcomes over time. 

There was also indication that more brain-injury-specific supports, as reflected in per capita brain injury 

trust fund revenues, result in better participation in the 

community, an effect which was more pronounced as a 

person was further post-injury. In states that had been 

long-term recipients of federal Health Resources and 

Services Administration and ACL TBI State Partnership 

funding, persons with more severe cognitive impairment 

did better over time than people in states that had not 

received this funding.

DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION RESEARCH PROJECTS

The DRRP funding program supports projects that carry out one or more of the following activities: research, development, training, dissemination, utilization, and technical assistance. The purpose of the DRRP program is to plan and 

conduct research, training, and related activities to develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology that 

maximize the full inclusion and integration of individuals with disabilities into society, employment, and independent 

living and to promote economic and social self-sufficiency and improve the effectiveness of services authorized under 

the Rehabilitation Act. Following are examples of DRRP activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR.

Health and Function

Setting the National Target for Recovery of People 

With TBI (2022) – Grant #90DPTB0018

Healthy People 2030, the nation’s current 10-year 

plan for addressing the most critical public health 

priorities, has accepted an objective for the recovery 

of individuals with TBI that was proposed by a small 

work group led by NIDILRR’s TBIMS National Data and 

Statistical Center. This objective is to “increase the 

percentage of adults who can resume more than half 

of their preinjury activities (with or without supports) 

5 years after receiving acute inpatient rehabilitation 

for traumatic brain injury.” The objective points to 

the critical importance of access to inpatient rehabilitation and to community-based services and supports for people with chronic brain injury. The TBIMS 

National Database is the approved data source for 

monitoring progress toward this objective over the 

coming decade. This database is the product of NIDILRR’s TBIMS centers and, is managed by the TBIMS 

National Data and Statistical Center.

Community Living and Participation

Factors That Influence Community Participation for 

Adults Aging With Long-Term Physical Disability 

(2022) – Grant #90DPCP0001

People aging with long-term physical disability are 

living longer and experiencing the challenges of aging, 

including the onset of secondary and age-related 

chronic health conditions, leaving them at high risk 

of diminished functional abilities and compromised 

participation. In 2022, an NIDILRR grantee at Washington University in St. Louis published the journal article, 

“Factors Influencing Participation Among Adults Aging 

With Long-Term Physical Disability.” There are currently limited evidence-based interventions that address 
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 9

to leave their homes to attend work or school. That 

conflicts with the spirit of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Modern healthcare is moving toward accountable and 

value-based care that uses a combination of research, 

large data, and best practices to determine what 

services will be paid for. This presents an opportunity 

for CRT and people who use these devices to seek a 

more equitable coverage policy. CRT supports independence for individuals with disabilities by enabling 

mobility for function, employment, education, and 

independent living. CRT service delivery is evolving, 

with changes to funding, provider qualifications, 

consumer needs, and technological advances. In 

2022, an NIDILRR grantee at University of Pittsburgh 

published “Service Delivery for Complex Rehabilitation Technology: A Scoping Review,” which investigates service delivery processes for individuals with 

disabilities who have a mobility impairment, while 

specifically identifying best practices, barriers, and 

unique features of health delivery policies and practices. This scoping review found that CRT consumers experience long wait times, lack of specialized 

clinical experience, and limited consumer education 

opportunities. To address this problem, more consistent and widespread research is needed on CRT 

to grow evidence-based practices. This review 

provides a foundation for developing novel policy 

on CRT services and devices to replace existing more 

restrictive policies. 

issues regarding participation for people aging with 

long-term physical disability. This study examined 

factors influencing participation in personal and life 

activities among people aging with long-term physical 

disability to inform future interventions. The study 

identified eight different categories of factors that 

influence participation: physical environment factors, 

social factors, symptoms, economic factors, policy 

factors, body structure and functions, mental and 

emotional state, and temporal factors. Ultimately, the 

study found that people aging with long-term physical 

disability experience a wide range of factors that impact their ability to participate in their community and 

maintain independence. By identifying what barriers 

people aging with long-term disabilities face, new interventions can be designed to address these barriers 

and promote increased participation in society. 

Health and Function

Service Delivery Processes for People With Disabilities 

Who Use Complex Rehabilitation Technology (2022) – 

Grant #90DPGE0014

Current health policy for custom manual and power 

wheelchairs (complex rehabilitation technology, or 

CRT) for people with disabilities is very restrictive to 

the point that they are not even covered for people 

REHABILITATION ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTERS

The purpose of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) program is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by conducting advanced engineering research and development of innovative technologies designed to solve particular rehabilitation problems or remove environmental barriers. RERCs also demonstrate and evaluate such technologies, facilitate service delivery systems 

changes, stimulate the production and distribution of equipment in the private sector, and provide training 

opportunities to enable individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to become researchers and providers of rehabilitation technology. Awards are normally made for a 5-year period. Following are examples of 

RERC activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR.
10 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

community between all abilities and all ages. A news 

article in June 2022 and a news article in October 

2022 both describe the important impact this inclusive playground has had on the lives of children with 

disabilities. More information is available on the 

isUD website.

Interactive Touch Model Widely Adopted 

(2022) – Grant #90RE5022 

In the current funding cycle of the RERC on Universal 

Design and the Built Environment at the University at 

Buffalo, State University of New York, the grantee’s 

Touch-Responsive Models (three-dimensional [3D] 

representations of buildings and plans) have been 

externally adopted. While the touch models were 

initially installed in various schools for the blind, 

they are now being commercialized and installed 

in locations that attract a more diverse population. 

Recent external adoption of the touch model included 

installation at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, 

Guide Dogs for the Blind, and University of California, Davis. Also, wall-mounted touch maps have 

been installed at the Google Hanger in Playa Vista, 

CA. Tactile graphics and models are a common way 

of presenting spatial information to people who do 

not see well enough to use print graphics. Buildings 

often provide two-dimensional diagrams like “you are 

here” maps to orient individuals and help them understand building layouts, but rarely are these maps 

augmented with tactile models for people with visual 

impairments. Multisensory models have benefits for 

Technology for Access and Function

Innovative Solutions for Universal Design (isUDTM) – 

Motion Junction Playground Receives UD Certification 

(2022) – Grant #90RE5022

In August 2022, a new, fully inclusive playground 

called Motion Junction formally opened in Canandaigua, NY, and recently it received the Reshaping Rochester Award for Best Design. This playground was the 

result of collaboration between a nonprofit organization, Inclusion in Motion, and the NIDILRR-grantee 

Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access 

(IDEA Center) at the State University of New York 

at Buffalo. With this partnership, the ultimate goal 

was to extend the limits of design and provide an 

enhanced experience for all playground visitors by 

incorporating universal design (UD) strategies into 

every aspect of the project. “The playground empowers all abilities and ages to play, exercise, learn, and 

socialize together while enriching our community,” 

says Sonya Smith, cofounder of Inclusion in Motion. 

Playgrounds provide many benefits for children to 

learn and play freely. This unstructured play is considered essential to the physical, cognitive, social, and 

emotional well-being of children. Unfortunately, many 

traditional playgrounds do not accommodate children with differing abilities and others that are ADA 

compliant provide only minimal access. A playground 

that is truly inclusive is not just accessible, but an 

environment that facilitates parallel play, where 

children of all abilities are able to play side by side 

and interact with each other. The socialization that is 

fostered from a play environment carries over into the 
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 11

all building users because they expand the amount of 

information available for all. These models incorporate innovative digital fabrication techniques, materials, and software to enhance utilization of buildings 

and sites by people with disabilities, using universal 

design principles that also benefit other users. Future 

commercial opportunities for the touch model include 

campuses, museums, hospitals, and other public 

spaces where pedestrians need orientation and wayfinding information in an accessible format.

Morphic, a Free Open-Source Software Application 

That Makes Computers Easier to Use, Is Focused on 

Social Equity Through Digital Inclusion (2022) – 

Grant #90REGE0008

The Inclusive Information and Communications Technology (ICT) RERC at University of Maryland, College 

Park, released a new version of Morphic, and it has 

already been installed on over 7,000 computers in 

universities, libraries, and disability programs across 

the country. Morphic is a free, open-source program 

for Windows and macOS that makes computers easier 

to use and makes the built-in accessibility features 

easier to find and use. Access to and use of computers has become essential for almost all aspects of 

life, yet some people cannot use computers because 

they are too complicated or they need adjustments to 

make the font larger or, if they have a reading disability, to have the text read to them. Modern operating 

systems have these features built into them, but they 

are hidden in control panels and other places where 

people do not know about them. For people with 

disabilities and many who are older, being able to 

easily access and use these features can be the difference between being able to use computers they need 

or not. In 2022, the Inclusive ICT RERC published a 

paper from the 2022 International Conference on 

Human-Computer Interaction, “Assistive Technology 

on Demand (AToD) + Morphic 2.0 – Changing What 

Is Possible With Assistive Technologies and Who 

Can Benefit.”

REHABILITATION RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTERS

Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs) conduct coordinated, integrated, and advanced programs 

of research, training, and information dissemination in topical areas that are specified by NIDILRR. Areas of focus 

include the improvement of rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems; the improvement of health 

and functioning; and the promotion of employment, independent living, family support, and economic and 

social self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. RRTCs provide training, including graduate, preservice, 

and in-service training, to build capacity for disability and rehabilitation research. They also serve as centers of 

national excellence in rehabilitation research. Awards are normally made for a 5-year period. Following are examples of RRTC activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR.

Community Living and Participation

Progress Over the Past 30 Years to Promote Community 

Living and Participation for People With Intellectual 

and/or Developmental Disabilities (2021) – 

Grant #90RTCP0003 

In 2021, the RRTC on Community Living for Persons 

With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at 

the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with 

two other ACL grantees, published 30 Years of Community Living for Individuals With Intellectual and/

or Developmental Disabilities (1987–2017). This free 

digital book provides data from longitudinal projects 

of national significance to illustrate the deinstitution-
12 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

alization movement in the United 

States using data about residential 

services, employment, and funding 

to illustrate the progress made 

over the past 30 years to promote community living. The book 

includes infographics, photos, 

accessible language, and a variety 

of personal perspectives on community living and inclusion from people with intellectual and/or developmental 

disabilities who participated as advisors on this project. 

More information about this book, including a link to a 

captioned video presentation about the book, may be 

found on the ACL website. 

Employment Outcomes

Changing Employers’ Implicit Attitudes About the 

Competence of People Who Are Blind (2022) – 

Grant #90RTEM0007

Long-held societal beliefs regarding people who are 

blind are thought to contribute to their low employment 

rates. In 2022, the RRTC on Employment of People Who 

Are Blind or Have Low Vision conducted an experimental 

study, “Changing Employers’ Implicit Attitudes About 

the Competence of People Who are Blind,” which 

examined the impact of a meeting between a vocational 

rehabilitation (VR) professional and a hiring manager 

on these beliefs, or implicit attitudes, about the competence of people who are blind. Participants were 57 hiring managers working for a financial services company 

in the South who participated in a 1-hour meeting with a 

VR professional. Two VR professionals, one sighted and 

one blind, conducted the meetings, utilizing one of two 

approaches. Results of the study showed that implicit 

attitude scores decreased significantly following the 

meeting, though the size of the change was small. Type 

of approach and the interaction between approach and 

the VR professional’s vision status were not significantly associated with implicit attitude change. However, 

follow-up analyses indicated that participants who met 

with the blind VR professional had a significant decrease in negative, implicit attitude scores. The authors 

concluded that hiring managers’ implicit attitudes 

significantly improved following a meeting with a VR 

professional, providing evidence that a brief interaction 

can decrease employers’ implicit bias regarding the 

competence of blind people. Additionally, hiring managers who met with the blind VR professional showed 

significant improvement in their implicit attitudes after 

the meeting, with a medium-to-large effect.

Health and Function

Food Sufficiency and the Utilization of Free Food 

Resources for Working-Age Americans With Disabilities 

During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022) – 

Grant #90RTGE0001

In 2022, the RRTC on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC) published a paper, “Food Sufficiency and the Utilization of Free Food Resources for 

Working-Age Americans With Disabilities During the 

COVID-19 Pandemic.” The objective of this study was 

to compare rates of food sufficiency and utilization of 

free food sources between working-age persons with 

and without disabilities in the United States during the 

COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted in 

2020 that included 13,270 working-age individuals, with 

and without disabilities, to gather information about 

food sufficiency prior to COVID-19 (i.e., in March 2020) 

and within the previous 7 days, as well as receipt of free 

groceries or meals, use of food programs or pantries, 

and concerns with using free food sources over the past 

week. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, 

the authors found that the proportion of working-age 

persons who were food sufficient decreased from March 

2020 to September 2020 for persons with disabilities 

(59% to 53%, a six-percentage-point decrease) and for 

persons without disabilities (77% to 73%, a four-percentage-point decrease). The rates of change were not 

significantly different between groups. In September 

2020, higher proportions of persons with disabilities 

(57%) used free food resources in the past week than 

persons without disabilities (41%). The authors concluded that the low rate of food sufficiency, the high rate of 

free food resource utilization, and the concerns noted 

by working-age persons with disabilities in using these 

sources suggest a need for continuing nutrition assistance policy and program development targeting the 

needs of persons with disabilities.
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 13

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION

Knowledge translation (KT) is an active process of ensuring that new knowledge and products from research and 

development are used to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. NIDILRR KT centers support NIDILRR 

grantees in producing and promoting the use of new knowledge and products among disability stakeholders in a 

variety of important disability issue areas. NIDILRR requires its grantees to involve stakeholders in the research 

and development process, translate findings into usable formats, and disseminate information to the community 

or identify plans to transfer products into the market. 

Model System Knowledge Translation Center: 

Award-Winning, Trusted Source of Consumer Information in Burn Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, and Traumatic 

Brain Injury (2022) – Grant #90DPKT0009

The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center 

(MSKTC) is a KT project funded, in part, to produce 

consumer materials that are based on the best available research findings. In collaboration with the SCI, 

TBI, and Burn Model Systems Centers, the MSKTC produced research-based consumer factsheets, educational videos, narrated slides, infocomics, and other 

informational materials on various topics directly relevant to the lives of people with these traumatic injuries. These resources are presented in language that 

all users can read and understand, in both English 

and Spanish, and hosted on the MSKTC website that 

has become the go-to source for consumers seeking 

trustable information over the years. During FY 2022, 

the MSKTC website received over 1,700,000 visitors, 

and the top 10 fact sheets alone were downloaded 

over 825,000 times. The MSKTC also received numerous awards over the years, recognizing the quality 

of the information materials they produced. Most 

recently, the MSKTC received a Silver Digital Health 

Award for their Respiratory Health and Spinal Cord 

Injury infocomic and a Bronze Digital Health Award for 

the Itchy Skin After Burn Injury infocomic. 

Timed Up and Go Test Infographic (2022) - 

Grant #90DPKT0007

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project 

on Knowledge Translation to Promote Patient-Centered Care Through Use of Standardized Assessments at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab aims to employ 

KT principles to develop materials for patients and 

care partners and enhance resources for clinicians 

regarding standardized assessments. Patients may 

have limited knowledge and understanding of how 

clinicians use standardized assessments to monitor 

progress, and not all clinicians and organizations 

routinely use them. This project leverages the Rehabilitation Measures Database (RMD), developed under 

previous NIDILRR funding, as a KT resource to provide 

clinicians with summaries of assessment instruments. 

Researchers work in partnership with graduate programs to involve faculty and students in developing 

enhanced resources for the target populations—patients and care partners, students, and rehabilitation 

clinicians—as well as adding new instruments to the 

RMD and producing new instrument summaries in 

peer-reviewed journals. The Timed Up and Go Test 

infographic provides easily understandable descriptions of the purpose of the test, the test procedures, 

and the meaning of the score. This infographic can be 

used for teaching, research, and practice.
14 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

Mary E. Switzer Fellowship Program, 

or Research Fellowship Program

The Switzer Fellowship Program gives qualified 

individual researchers, including individuals with 

disabilities, the opportunity to develop new ideas 

and concentrate on specific lines of research experience. Fellows work for 1 year on an independent 

research project of their own design. Switzer Fellows 

are actively engaged in independent research and 

have gone on to hold prominent positions, primarily 

on the tenure track in academic research institutions, 

but also in hospital centers or in the private sector for 

research and biotechnology companies.

Featured Switzer Fellow 

Dr. Anthony Plotner (Grant #90SFGE0025, ended 

2021), a 2020–2021Switzer Fellow, is now a professor 

in the Department of Special Education and Director 

of the Center for Transition Research and Leadership 

at the University of South Carolina at Columbia. His 

research focuses on community inclusion of individuals with significant disabilities. As a Switzer Fellow, 

Dr. Plotner investigated Centers for Independent 

Living and transition collaboration and expanded his 

role as a mentor for new researchers. Dr. Plotner was 

first author of four published papers and book chapters in 2022 and received a large new grant from the 

South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department. 

More information about his work can be found at: 

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anthony-Plotner.

RESEARCH CAPACITY-BUILDING SUPPORT 

NIDILRR’s goal is to increase capacity to conduct disability and rehabilitation research and development activities that make positive contributions to the lives of individuals with disabilities. To increase research capacity in 

the disability and rehabilitation field, NIDILRR supports three research training mechanisms: the Mary E. Switzer 

Fellowship Program, or Research Fellowship Program, Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Projects, and Section 21. 

Quotes from Previous Switzer Fellows

“The NIDILRR Switzer Fellowship was an incredible life and career changing experience. It was 

a significant part of obtaining tenure with my 

university, as it fostered new collaborations and 

future grant funding building on the research 

conducted, and it provided me with protected 

time to immerse myself in the research activities. 

I gained experience in managing all aspects of 

the fellowship grant and confidence to successfully apply for larger federal grants and leadership positions.” 

— Dr. Dara Chan 

 (Grant #90SFGE0008, ended 2021)

“With the Switzer Fellowship, I was able to study 

a topic that has historically been avoided— the 

vocational experiences and needs of Black young 

adults with mental illnesses—resulting in a publication on how the effects of culture and experience of discrimination impact vocational service 

priorities of young Black people. This work led 

to partnerships with Black-led organizations 

and Black researchers in which I assist in sizing 

up and approaching grant opportunities and 

in using community-based participatory action 

research in disability studies.” 

— Dr. Jonathan Delman

 (Grant #90SFGE0009, ended 2020)
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 15

Advanced Rehabilitation 

Research Training Projects 

The ARRT projects provide funding to institutions of 

higher education to recruit and provide advanced interdisciplinary research training to qualified postdoctoral 

fellows. In addition, research training is a requirement 

for RRTCs and RERCs. Other grants, such as the Model 

Systems, also support significant research training. The program supports a diverse cadre of young 

research professionals. An estimated 45% of fellows 

in the ARRT funding program in FY 2021 and 48% of 

fellows in the ARRT funding program in FY 2022 identify themselves as Latino, African American, American 

Indian, Asian, or Native Hawaiian. ARRT Fellows have 

been integral to several key research developments 

alongside mentors and senior researchers. 

NIDILRR ARRT Fellows Symposium – ACRM 99th 

Annual Conference – November 9, 2022

The purpose of the ARRT program is to provide advanced research training and experience to individuals 

with doctorates, or similar advanced degrees, who 

have clinical or other relevant experience. In partnership with the American Congress of Rehabilitation 

Medicine (ACRM), NIDILRR selects five outstanding 

ARRT Fellows to present research relevant to the ACRM 

mission and audience during the ACRM annual conference. This year in Chicago, the following oral presentations were made by fellows:

A Prediction of Fingertip Force and Joint Kinematics of 

Individual Fingers Using Motoneuron Firing Activities

Presenter: Rinku Roy, PhD – Postdoctoral Research 

Fellow, North Carolina State University/University of North 

Carolina Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Acute Intermittent Hypoxia Increases Motor Unit 

Discharge Rates and Strength in Persons With SCI

Presenter: Gregory Pearcey, PhD – Assistant Professor, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation and the 

Faculty of Medicine Division of Biomedical Sciences, 

Memorial University of Newfoundland. 

Formerly a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Departments 

of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Department 

of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, 

Northwestern University

Associations Between Functioning Recovery, Employment, and Neighborhood Disadvantage in People With 

Spinal Cord Injury 

Presenter: Han Su, PhD, RN – Assistant Professor, 

School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University. 

Formerly a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for 

Education in Health Science, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

Contribution of Lower Limb Eccentric Control to 

Balance Recovery from Surface Drop Perturbations 

Presenter: Woohyoung Jeon, PhD – Assistant Professor, 

Department of Health and Kinesiology, The University 

of Texas at Tyler.

Formerly a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University 

of Maryland School of Medicine

Experiences of Social Isolation Among People With 

Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Presenter: Jessica Kersey, PhD – Postdoctoral Research 

Fellow, Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois 

Chicago.

Bottom row (left to right): Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, 

Director, NIDILRR; Dr. Han Su; Dr. Anne Ordway, 

Program Specialist, NIDILRR; Dr. Rinku Roy

Top row (left to right): Dr. Allen Heinemann, Professor, 

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Emergency 

Medicine and Medical Social Sciences; Shirley Ryan 

AbilityLab and Feinberg School of Medicine,

Northwestern University; Dr. Jessica Kersey; 

Dr. Woohyoung Jeon; Dr. Gregory Pearcey
16 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

Featured ARRT Fellows

Anneliese De Wet, PhD 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Psychiatric 

Rehabilitation, Boston University

Dr. De Wet completed her PhD in Psychology at 

Stellenbosch University in South Africa. For her dissertation she developed an individual 

measure of recovery for a South 

African context by exploring the understanding of recovery for persons, 

their caregivers, and their service 

providers as well as the barriers and 

facilitators of recovery. This was the 

first such measure developed for a 

South African context. 

Dr. De Wet is particularly interested in issues related to 

peer support and in addressing mental health challenges, such as stigma, from a positive psychology 

perspective. She is currently conducting an innovative 

mixed methods study exploring the mechanisms of 

workplace stigma resistance among peer support 

specialists working with individuals with psychiatric 

disabilities. Interim findings reveal a wide range of 

stigma resistance mechanisms utilized by peer support 

specialists working in different mental health settings, 

including situational mechanisms as well as long-term 

personal growth trajectories reflecting positive changes in one’s ability to withstand prejudice and discrimination at work. Her study is expected to contribute to 

enhancements of training programs for peer specialists to increase their stigma resistance capacity. It 

may also inform positive changes in mental health 

work environments to minimize a peer specialist’s 

experiences of prejudice and discrimination. Dr. De 

Wet is also engaged in a randomized controlled trial 

testing the effectiveness of a coaching intervention 

to address peer specialist work-related stress.

Mercedes Rodriguez Celin, MD 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 

Marquette University

Dr. Rodriguez Celin is originally from Argentina, where 

she studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires 

and completed a 4-year residency 

in pediatric medicine. After finishing her training, she practiced pediatrics with a specialty in growth 

and development. She served as an 

attending physician at the Skeletal 

Dysplasia Clinic in the Garrahan 

Pediatric Referral Hospital in 

Buenos Aires for 6 years. Her focus 

at Garrahan was on clinical assistance and clinical research in osteogenesis imperfecta 

(OI) and other skeletal dysplasia. From 2017 to 2022, 

Dr. Rodriguez Celin worked as a clinician–researcher at 

Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago. During that 

time, she completed an ARRT postdoctoral research 

fellowship through a multidisciplinary program offered 

through Marquette University, the Medical College of 

Wisconsin (MCW), and Shriners Hospitals for Children. 

Dr. Rodriguez Celin was involved in several multicenter 

studies to improve knowledge about the functional, 

surgical, and pain status of patients with OI. This year, 

Dr. Rodriguez Celin started a residency program in 

pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and 

in 2023 she will start a residency program in medical 

genetics at MCW.
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 17

Section 21 — Traditionally Underserved 

Populations 

Section 21 focuses on research capacity-building for 

minority-serving institutions, such as historically 

Black colleges and universities and other institutions 

with significant racial/ethnic minority student populations. Section 21 of the Rehabilitation Act requires 

that 1% of NIDILRR appropriations be used to address 

traditionally underserved populations. The following 

is a recent activity and achievement of the Section 21 

program:

Research Capacity Building for Minority-Serving 

Institutions (2022) – Grant #90RTST0001 

The Langston University RRTC on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities engages minority-serving institutions (MSIs) in generating new knowledge 

leading to improved outcomes for persons with 

disabilities from traditionally underserved racial and 

ethnic populations and enhancing research capacity 

and infrastructure. The RRTC works with various MSIs 

to strengthen their faculty scholars’ and students’ 

research skills and address research infrastructure 

challenges. This grantee is conducting research that 

leads to strategies for enhancing research capacity of 

investigators from MSIs. Their work involves a longitudinal study on the Institutional Research Capacity Building & Infrastructure Model (IRCBIM). North 

Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is 

one of five MSIs participating in the study. Participants 

receive technical assistance to enhance faculty fellows’ 

research skills and enhance the institutions’ research 

infrastructure and culture. As a result of the capacity 

building received through the study, North Carolina 

Agricultural and Technical State University received a 

grant award under the Section 21 FIP-MSI competition. 

The IRCBIM intervention has promising implications for 

enhancing MSI participation in disability and rehabilitation research.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM FORMER NIDILRR GRANTEES

Employment Outcomes

Diversity Partners Curriculum Adopted by Employment 

Services Agencies – Grant #90DP0065: 2014–2019

The Diversity Partners 

curriculum developed 

under an NIDILRR grant 

at Cornell University 

aims to bridge the gap 

between employment 

service professionals, job seekers with disabilities, 

and business. The Diversity Partners intervention has 

been adopted by New York State to train its employment service providers. Diversity Partners was converted to a subscription service in May 2021 and has been 

purchased three times so far, including by an employment services agency in Singapore. Cornell University is 

transferring this product to its School of Industrial and 

Labor Relations, which will maintain it and market it to 

disability employment service agencies. This curriculum helps to facilitate better relationships between 

service providers and businesses and helps inform 

future tool development.

Partners of Refugees in Illinois Disability Employment 

(PRIDE) – Grant #90IF0110: 2016–2019 

The work of a previous NIDILRR-funded grant, Partners 

of Refugees in Illinois Disability Employment (PRIDE), 

continues to be used to support advocacy work for 

refugees. The PRIDE research team at the University 

of Illinois Chicago continues to develop materials, 

including a new website, a 21-minute documentary, 

and testimonial videos. The Refugee Employment 

Training Manuals that the PRIDE team developed have 

now been translated into 5 refugee languages (Arabic, 
18 | FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights

Amharic, French, Burmese, Tigrinya). The PRIDE team 

also recently developed an information technology tool 

designed to increase connections and referrals among 

refugee service providers, disability service providers, 

and potential employers. The team also released online training modules for refugee service providers and 

rights-based employment training modules for refugee 

participants. These self-paced courses are available on 

Moodle, including on all portable electronic devices. 

Technology for Access and Function

3D Printed Cochlear Electrode Arrays – 

Grant #90BISA002: 2019

MEMStim LLC, a former NIDILRR SBIR Phase I grantee, 

has filed for patents resulting from the work completed 

under the grant and recently won a Phase II National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication 

Disorders grant to continue the development of its 3D 

printed cochlear electrode arrays. MEMStim also plans 

to expand this technology to other areas, such as wearable sensors and animal cochlear arrays. In 2021, Dr. 

Angelique Johnson, chief executive officer of MEMStim, 

presented to Congress about the importance of funding 

SBIR projects in rural and underdeveloped areas. 

Assistive Technology Enabling Communications – 

Grant #90BISA0005: 2017

An SBIR grant to Pison Technology Incorporated furthered development on an effective early-stage assistive 

communication device for patients with Amyotrophic 

Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The wearable communication 

device in this project used electromyography signals to 

empower users with ALS and other neuromuscular disabilities to control household devices and communicate 

with their environment. As a result of work on this grant, 

Pison Technologies now has 12 patents on technology 

that emerged either from or with this project. This technology was featured on PBS Newshour in September 

2021, showcasing its application for prosthetics to help 

them feel and function like real limbs. 

HOW DOES NIDILRR COLLABORATE?

NIDILRR has an extensive history of collaborating across ACL and across federal institutions to identify best practices, conduct cosponsored research, and address shared goals. Well-established partnerships exist both within 

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and across the federal government. For example, during 

FY21 and FY22, NIDILRR had working partnerships with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Substance Abuse and 

Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Transportation, Department of Labor, Access Board, and 

Federal Aviation Administration.

Cross-Administration for 

Community Living Collaborations

NIDILRR and the Administration on Disabilities (AoD) 

co-fund a Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project: Minority Youth and Centers for Independent Living 

(MY-CIL). This project is one of the largest co-funded 

investments across ACL. It is working to generate and 

share new research-based knowledge that empowers 

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to improve transition outcomes of out-of-school youth from minority 

backgrounds. Several key products were created under 

this grant in FY21 and FY22, including descriptive demographics of youth and young adults with disabilities 

who are not working and not in school and an assessment of the degree to which CILs are serving youth 
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research | 19

tive participant in ongoing conversations, many led by 

the National Institutes of Health and its Centers, about 

diversifying the scientific workforce, including advancing opportunities for investigators with disabilities. 

Interagency Committee 

on Disability Research

The Interagency Committee on 

Disability Research (ICDR), a 

NIDILRR-led federal partnership, 

promotes a cohesive, strategic 

federal program of disability, 

rehabilitation, and independent 

living research; brokers partnerships; and facilitates coordination and collaboration 

among federal departments and agencies. NIDILRR’s 

director serves as the chair of the ICDR. NIDILRR plans 

to build upon this leadership role, enhancing its 

stature as a leading sponsor of disability and rehabilitation research through new and expanding collaborations with federal partners, researchers, and developers, as well as the disability community.

In FY 2021 and 2022, the ICDR devoted significant 

effort toward implementing activities in the approved 

government-wide strategic plan required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The ICDR hosted 

a number of meetings, webinars, and teleconferences 

related to promoting coordination, collaboration, and 

partnerships. In FY 2021, the ICDR launched a new 

Lunch & Learn series and continued to develop the 

government-wide inventory of disability research. In 

FY 2022, the ICDR completed the development of the 

government-wide inventory reorganized around three 

new focus areas: COVID-19, disability data and statistics, and equity. 

from minority backgrounds. Further, work from this 

collaboration led to the launch of an interactive map

and downloadable data briefs to help inform CILs on 

potential outreach efforts or programs to better reach 

minority youth with disabilities. Also in FY22, NIDILRR 

and AoD awarded grants to establish and maintain four 

national centers to support the work of advancing equity and inclusion for people with disabilities who face 

additional barriers due to other identities. Three of 

these grants are focused on conducting equity-based 

disability research, and each has multiple research 

projects focused on disparities experienced by disabled people of color and other marginalized identities. The funded center from AoD focuses on increasing 

the inclusion of multiply marginalized people with 

disabilities across programs and services and improving cultural competency across service delivery. All 

four centers, by design, come together twice per year, 

and each will serve as a national resource in its specific 

topical area. NIDILRR continues to work closely with 

the Administration on Aging when developing briefs 

or documents of mutual interest. For example, in FY22, 

NIDILRR subject matter experts provided input on the 

2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. 

Cross-Government NIDILRR Collaborations

NIDILRR-funded research is consistently being used 

and shared across government in formal and informal 

ways. For example, in FY22, NIDILRR-funded researchers shared key findings from their work to Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

colleagues to inform their work. Because of shared 

interests among the Access Board, Department of 

Transportation, and Federal Aviation Administration 

related to improving air travel options for people 

with disabilities, regular conversations and meetings 

around this topic occur among them. This collaboration 

includes connecting NIDILRR-funded researchers to key 

federal leaders working on policy issues on this topic. 

In FY22, NIDILRR-funded research was used to support 

several proposed and final rulemaking efforts around 

topics such as seat elevation for power wheelchair 

users and standards for height of medical diagnostic 

equipment. In FY21 and FY22, NIDILRR has been an ac-
20 | 

Information in this report is sourced from the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community 

Living, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, 

and Rehabilitation Research, 2021 Annual Performance 

Reports and 2022 Annual Performance Reports, “Program 

Performance Report Tables 18–22.”

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce 

it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint 

this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services, Administration 

for Community Living, National Institute on Disability, 

Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. (2023). 

FY 2021–2022 Organization Highlights. Washington, DC.

No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services of any product, commodity, service, 

or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or 

should be inferred.

COVER PHOTO: 

Chona Kasinger/Disabled And Here