National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, 

and Rehabilitation Research

(NIDILRR)

2018-2023 Long-Range Plan
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Introduction 

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that “disability is a natural part of the human experience 

and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to live independently, enjoy self-determination, 

make choices, contribute to society, pursue meaningful careers, and enjoy full inclusion and 

integration in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of American 

society.” This view of disability guides the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, 

and Rehabilitation Research’s (NIDILRR) work.

NIDILRR’s 2018-2023 Long-Range Plan (the Plan) presents a five-year agenda that will advance 

the vital work being done in applied disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research.1 

NIDILRR intends for this plan to emphasize consumer relevance and scientific rigor, to present an 

agenda that is scientifically sound and accountable and, as a result, to contribute to the 

refinement of national policy affecting people withdisabilities.

The Plan builds on the work of the 2013–2017 Long-Range Plan while responding to new 

developments in the disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research field and in 

government. Both plans stress the importance of NIDILRR’s significant role as a research institute 

in the public interest, carrying out a scientific research agenda to meet the diverse needs of 

people with disabilities.

The Plan extends NIDILRR’s emphasis on the major outcome domains of community living and

participation, health and function, and employment. NIDILRR measures contributions toward 

improved outcomes in these domains by systematically tracking the outputs and outcomes of 

grantees, including the new knowledge and products that they have created. NIDILRR measures 

long-term outcomes by assessing the extent to which this research-based knowledge is used to 

create new programs, policies, or practices to improve services and supports for people with 

disabilities. NIDILRR grantees regularly produce the following kinds of outputs based on their 

research activities including, but not limited to: peer-reviewed publications, research-based fact 

sheets, tools, measures, intervention protocols, technology products and devices, industry 

standards and guidelines, and patents. The results of this research are shared through 

mechanisms such as knowledge translation, technology transfer, training, and technical 

assistance. These mechanisms are supported by our statutes, regulations, and funding 

opportunity announcements (FOAs).

The Plan also reinforces the need for investment in three areas that support outcomes across

these domains: technology for access and function; disability statistics; and a nationwide network 

of technical assistance, training, and research centers to support implementation of the 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Activities that promote the quality and use of NIDILRR-

 1 Throughout the plan, NIDILRR’s use of the term “research” includes both research and development activities 

unless otherwise specified. According to NIDILRR’s program regulations (45 CFR Part 1330), NIDILRR grantees 

carrying out development activities must create—using knowledge and understanding gained from research—

models, methods, tools, systems, materials, devices, applications, or standards that are adopted by and beneficial to 

the target populations (45 CFR 1330.10(b)).
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sponsored research—capacity building and knowledge translation—will also continue under the

Plan.

This Plan will guide NIDILRR’s upcoming research agenda, based on two overarching principles 

that guide our past, present, and prospective sponsorship of efforts to improve the community 

living and participation of people withdisabilities:

1) The ultimate aim of all NIDILRR research is to enhance the ability of people with 

disabilities to achieve inclusion and integration into society; and

2) NIDILRR has a legacy and future as a primary funder of rigorous and relevant disability, 

independent living, and rehabilitation research, recognizing that this spans the continuum 

from acute settings into home- and community-based services (HCBS) and competitiveemployment environments.

Background

In developing the Plan, NIDILRR solicited written comments and public testimony at six in-person 

regional listening sessions to better understand the experiences and perspectives of people with 

disabilities, the providers who serve them, caregivers and other support system members (both 

formal and informal), policymakers, and academic researchers. Hundreds participated in the 

sessions. Feedback was diverse and often passionate. A number of themes emerged:

• People with disabilities have high expectations for themselves and the services and 

supports they receive to achieve their personal goals. In a post-ADA and post-Olmstead

(Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.) decision world, people with disabilities of all ages want to lead 

active lives in the community and access the same things as their able-bodied peers: a good 

job, friends, and a social life. They need consistent, high-quality services to accomplish these 

goals. There is frustration with the lack of information regarding the quality of services 

available from local providers.

• Choice and control matters. Whether it is access to affordable and accessible housing or a 

ride to the doctor’s office, people with disabilities want meaningful choices that respect their

desire for safety and security and the value of their time. This is consistent with the trend

toward person-centered planning, which prioritizes the goals and wishes of the end user of 

goods and services rather than the choices offered by a provider or care planner.

• The current environment of fiscal austerity is negatively impacting people with

disabilities and the providers that serve them. Many states are facing budget deficits even as 

the economy has rebounded. In this environment of retrenchment, hard-fought gains to 

improve access to needed services are perceived to be threatened. This was most acutely felt 

in the area of caregiver support and availability, a key facilitator of community participation 

and inclusion. Stakeholders also cited reimbursement rates paid to provider agencies and the 

inability to provide competitive wages for their workforce. Waiting lists for Medicaid-funded 
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services were also described.

• The health care system is rapidly changing, getting more complicated, and not always 

meeting defined needs. This was noted not just for medical and clinical services, but also for 

long-term services and supports (LTSS) that are provided in the community. People with 

disabilities reported feeling overwhelmed and confused by these changes and frustrated that 

the changes provide treatment for their episodic sickness and symptoms rather than

proactively managing their wellness and stability of health. Caregiver shortages and quality 

issues were of particularconcern.

• Access to technology would make life better. People with disabilities described 

frustrations with their inability to gain access to cell phones, durable medical equipment, and 

assistive technology. They noted that poverty, lack of existing sources of reimbursement, and 

policy challenges were barriers to access.

• What works and what doesn’t? All stakeholders were interested in research that showed 

promising or best practices that could be used in their local communities. Some specifically 

requested information in a form that is easy to understand. This knowledge translation 

function is one NIDILRR has devoted increased resources toward since implementation of the 

previous Long-Range Plan.

Taken together, the feedback received is consistent with findings from the existing research 

literature. People with disabilities of all ages want to live successfully in the community, with 

access to the tools and supports they need to lead productive and meaningful lives. Respondents 

paid specific attention to the areas of employment, housing, health, and transportation and their 

effects on community participation.

Mission

NIDILRR’s mission is to generate new knowledge and promote its effective useto 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 is governed by the definitions in Title II of the Rehabilitation Act (the Act). Title II 

describes a person with a disability as: “any person who (i) has a physical or mental impairment 

which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities; (ii) has a record of 

such an impairment; or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment.”

NIDILRR is required to focus the research it sponsors on the experiences and needs of individuals 

with the most significant disabilities, as defined in theAct. NIDILRR focuses on individuals across 

the age continuum, including all disability subpopulations: developmental, cognitive, sensory, 

psychiatric, and physical.
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State of People with Disabilities in theU.S.

People with disabilities, especially those living with significant disabilities, often face barriers 

that complicate the simple goal of leading a productive life in the community of one’s 

choosing. While some require little or no assistance to achieve this, others require a complex 

array of services and supports to facilitate social inclusion and participation. 

Despite multiple challenges and the often tenuous nature of multiple supports that function in 

concert to facilitate optimal community living needs of people with disabilities, many people 

across the United States are thriving. Public testimony and written comments received by 

NIDILRR indicate that significant progress has been made to support the principles of 

integration and community living first outlined in the Rehabilitation Act and reinforced by the 

ADA and the 1999 Olmstead decision. At the same time, not all people with disabilities have 

access to necessary supports and services. Successful community living can depend on 

geographic location and disability subpopulation. Interventions span multiple policy areas and 

governing jurisdictions, each with their own eligibility requirements and procedures. 

Improved research-informed policies and interventions in these critical areas would help 

support improved outcomes for people with disabilities in NIDILRR’s three inter-related 

domains: health and function, employment, and community living and participation. 

Agency Context

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) transferred NIDILRR to the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from the U.S. Department of Education. 

Specifically, NIDILRR became a part of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), whose 

mission is to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with 

disabilities across the lifespan, and their families and caregivers. Created in 2012, ACL combined 

the Administration on Aging, the Office on Disability, and the Administration on Intellectual and 

Developmental Disabilities to create a single agency charged with developing policies and 

improving supports for older adults and people with disabilities. NIDILRR’s addition brought 

research capacity and competency to a strong policy, program, and services organization. NIDILRR 

has established collaborations within ACL on topics such as traumatic brain injury and remains 

committed to exploring collaborative opportunities with Federal and state partners.

WIOA made changes to the NIDILRR statute but did not detract from or remove any 

responsibilities or program authorities. It did add the words “independent living” to the NIDILRR 

name, stressing a key philosophy that has long been an organizational priority and is an integral 

part of the ACL mission. Ultimately, active community living and meaningful social participation 

for individuals with disabilities is the desired goal and outcome of the research initiatives that 

NIDILRR sponsors.
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Federal Research Planning

While NIDILRR is one of several Federal agencies conducting research on behalf of people with 

disabilities, it is unique in conducting applied research. Other agencies include the National 

Institutes of Health (and within it, the National Institute on Aging, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver 

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and its National Center on Medical 

Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR), and the National Institute of Mental Health), the Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the U.S. Department of Defense, the 

National Center for Special Education Research, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Additionally, the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR), currently chaired by the 

NIDILRR director, is charged with coordinating disability research across the Federal government. 

The Plan acknowledges recent strategic planning processes conducted by the ICDR and NCMRR. 

NIDILRR has also worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation in research efforts to 

develop new transportation options for people with disabilities.

NIDILRR has a history of formal interagency agreements, where common interests across 

agencies have resulted in numerous combined funding opportunities. SAMHSA, for example, has 

partnered with NIDILRR for more than three decades to advance the mental health and 

community living outcomes of people with disabilities. Similar arrangements have existed with 

the VA and DOD. These arrangements are not just desirable, but are required by the 

Rehabilitation Act:

In order to promote cooperation among Federal departments and agencies conducting 

research programs, the [NIDILRR] Director shall consult with the administrators of such 

programs, and with the [ICDR], regarding the design of research projects conducted by such 

entities and the results and applications of such research. 29 U.S.C. §762 (i)

The [NIDILRR] Director shall take appropriate actions to provide for a comprehensive and 

coordinated research program under this subchapter. In providing such a program, the 

[NIDILRR] Director may undertake joint activities with other Federal entities engaged in 

research and with appropriate private entities. 29 U.S.C. §762 (j) 

Key Accomplishments of NIDILRR Grantees Since Last Long-Range Plan

Since the publication of NIDILRR’s Long-Range Plan for 2013–2017, there has been a concerted 

effort by NIDILRR to increase the number of field-initiated research opportunities. Such 

opportunities allow researchers to propose innovative research projects to promote improved 

outcomes among people with disabilities in the broad outcome domains of community living and 

participation, employment, and health and function. The field-initiated grant opportunities, along 

with NIDILRR’s sponsorship of the development and dissemination of new knowledge and 

innovative technological devices, prototypes, measurement tools, intervention materials, and 

other informational products to enhance community living, have resulted in more than 1,200 

products, including peer-reviewed publications, intervention protocols, software, and databases 

that may be used to enhance the community living opportunities of people with disabilities.
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NIDILRR has also established requirements for applicants to define progress along a series of 

stages. This requirement is designed to help applicants refine their rationale for proposed 

research or development and to help ensure that the knowledge or products generated will 

contribute to improved outcomes for people with disabilities. This requirement also helps 

NIDILRR monitor the progress of research initiatives.

I. Research Agenda

Overview

NIDILRR’s research programs have long been aimed at improving outcomes of people with 

disabilities in the three inter-related domains of: (1) community living and participation, (2) health 

and function, and (3) employment. Its research agenda for the next five years involves building on 

current investments and moving them along the stages of research and development while also 

initiating new research in developing fields. As a component of this, NIDILRR will sponsor

translational research to expand the utility of existing evidence-based programs and practices by 

adapting them for different populations of people with disabilities and the environments in which 

they live. Research activities will be aligned with the three outcome domains, with each 

supporting NIDILRR’s ultimate goal of enhancing the ability of people with disabilities to achieve 

their maximum desired participation in the community, with full access to all societal and life 

activities.

During the next five years, NIDILRR plans to carry out a research agenda that includes three 

important factors: (1) building on current investments through our stages of research and 

development, with the goal of both developing new interventions and moving existing findings 

into evidence-based programs, practices, and policies for people with disabilities; (2) taking 

advantage of the expertise of our colleagues in ACL to expand our research on issues of aging and 

disability and community living—viewing aging as a cross-cutting research area relevant to 

community living and participation, health and function, and employment; and (3) conducting 

research on health policy issues to inform the national agenda. 

It is also NIDILRR’s expectation that projects that receive NIDILRR funds will involve people with 

disabilities in research activities to help ensure that the perspective of the end users is taken into 

consideration. NIDILRR believes that this input is essential to ensure that the knowledge and 

products are useful in addressing real issues faced by people with disabilities.

Finally, NIDILRR is interested in research that expands the integration of person-centered 

planning into decisions affecting people with disabilities. While there have been many small 

studies of the impact of individual preference in decisions about rehabilitation and other 

interventions, there remains a need to expand current knowledge by supporting more evidencegenerating research for effective implementation of this approach across community, medical, 

and vocational settings. 
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Community Living and Participation Domain

While the three outcome domains contain equally important and rich areas of research

investment, the domain of community living and participation is the ultimate outcome of all of 

NIDILRR’s research, development, capacity building, and knowledge translation grants. NIDILRR 

sponsors research on health care and rehabilitation not just to improve health and functional 

abilities, but because improved health and function allows people with disabilities to be more 

active and engaged in their communities and families. It sponsors research on employment not 

just to generate new knowledge that can be used to close the large employment gap between 

those with and without disabilities, but because employment provides income and the financial 

means for people with disabilities to have real choices about how they engage and participate in 

their communities.

While the U.S. continues to create opportunities for integration and inclusion of people with 

disabilities through implementation of the ADA and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, 

people with disabilities of all ages continue to experience significant barriers to living in the 

community and participating in typical educational, employment, recreational, civic, and social 

activities. People with disabilities, especially those with more significant disabilities, report feeling 

socially isolated and lonely in their communities. They are less satisfied with their community 

participation than their counterparts without disabilities and participate in fewer community 

activities than their counterparts without disabilities. Barriers to community living and 

participation include, but are not limited to, insufficient home- and community-based LTSS, 

shortages of affordable and accessible housing, inadequate transportation services, and 

inaccessible built and natural environments.

NIDILRR seeks to improve community living outcomes among people with disabilities by 

sponsoring research to improve our knowledge of a wide variety of factors that promote or 

hinder community living. NIDILRR and its grantees will then apply this new knowledge toward 

improved policies, practices, services, and supports that promote improved community living 

outcomes for people with disabilities.

Context for Research on Community Living andParticipation

NIDILRR’s sponsored research in the community living and participation domain is motivated by 

its statutory mandate to improve community living outcomes for people with disabilities. 

NIDILRR’s research in the community living and participation domain will continue to be 

influenced and guided by the Act’s ultimate aim of full integration for people with disabilities and 

by the integration mandate that is central to the ADA and the Olmstead decision.

For more than 20 years, the U.S. has been actively shifting its provision of LTSS for people with 

disabilities into the community and away from institutional settings such as nursing homes. In 

1995, fewer than 20 percent of Medicaid LTSS dollars were spent on services and supports in 

home- and community-based settings. In 2013, that percentage had expanded to more than 50 

percent for the first time, and the figure currently rests at approximately 53 percent. The Centers 
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for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) project the continued growth of home- and 

community-based LTSS, with expenditures for such services to reach 63 percent of all Medicaid 

LTSS expenditures by the year 2020. As more people with significant disabilities live in and receive 

services and supports in the community, new research-based knowledge about individual- and 

system-level factors that impact community living outcomes is needed to guide and shape the 

provision of those services.

Proposed New Community Living and Participation Research Agenda

NIDILRR supports the development of new knowledge and products that can be used to increase 

community living and participation among people with disabilities. It will build upon current and 

prior investments in this domain, coordinating with its partners in ACL, other HHS components, 

and the broader Federal government, whenever possible. Given NIDILRR’s prior investments and 

the ongoing U.S. aim of expanding home- and community-based LTSS for people with disabilities, 

the areas of potential investment include:

• Community living and participation measurement. Sponsoring the development, 

validation, and use of measures of community living and participation among people with 

disabilities. NIDILRR considers these tools to be critical infrastructure for research that can be 

used to improve services and supports for, and outcomes of, people with disabilities. With the 

expansion of home- and community-based LTSS to people with a broad rangeof disabilities, 

the need for valid and reliable tools to measure the quality and the ultimate outcomes of 

these services is growing.

• Transportation access. Funding research activities to create knowledge and products that 

improve access to transportation for people with disabilities. This work may include research

activities to support the development of standards for the accessibility and usability of 

autonomous vehicles for people with disabilities as well as enhanced standards for 

accessibility and usability of paratransit vehicles, taxis, and emerging ride-share services. 

These investments may also include research toward reducing the most common 

transportation barriers experienced by people with disabilities—which occur in the first and 

last miles of their trip—as well as ensuring that existing and emerging transportation modes, 

technologies, and infrastructures are accessible, useful, available, and affordable to people 

with disabilities.

• Family caregivers. Sponsoring the development and implementation of a research agenda 

on family caregivers of people with disabilities. Research in this area can be used to promote 

the community living outcomes of people with disabilities by better understanding and 

providing for the economic, social, and health-related well-being of their family caregivers.

• Community access. Supporting: (1) research on specific unmet needs for services and 

supports among people with disabilities who are living in the community, (2) research on 

promising practices for delivering such services and supports, and (3) development of an 

evidence base needed for existing services and supports. As opportunities to receive home-
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and community-based LTSS expand to new jurisdictions and populations of people with 

disabilities, there will be an ongoing need to systematically track and understand 

communities’ capacity to provide those services and supports in a way that promotes 

community living.

• Accessible homes. Sponsoring research on ways to promote the accessibility, usability, 

and visitability of homes for people with disabilities. This research work may include 

applications of universal design principles to living spaces as well as research toward the 

development of policies, practices, programs, and incentives to promote accessibility and 

visitability features in new home construction and home additions.

Health and Function Domain

NIDILRR’s focus on health and function stems from its founding as a rehabilitation research 

agency aimed at developing an evidence base for interventions that maximize independenceof

people with disabilities. People with disabilities are significantly more likely than individuals 

without disabilities to be in fair or poor health and to experience a wide variety of diseases and 

chronic conditions. Health risks vary by condition or type of impairment. For example, individuals 

with significant vision loss or with an intellectual disability have a greater prevalence of obesity, 

hypertension, and heart disease than people without disabilities. Such risks often have major 

adverse health outcomes, including reduced longevity. It is estimated that people with serious 

mental illness die 10 years earlier than people in the general population due to preventable or 

treatable chronic diseases. Despite their substantial health needs and elevated risk of adverse 

health outcomes, people with disabilities experience significant health disparities attributable to 

poor access to needed health careservices.

In addition to having a greater likelihood of being in poor health, people with disabilities 

experience a wide range of functional limitations that jeopardize their access to employment and 

other forms of community participation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, five million adults 

need assistance from another person to perform one or more activities of daily living, such as 

getting around inside the home, getting into or out of bed, bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting. 

Approximately 15 million people have difficulty with one or more instrumental activities of daily 

living, such as going outside the home, managing money, preparing meals, doing housework, 

taking prescription medication, and using the phone.

Many individuals with disabilities who possess significant health conditions and functional 

limitations lack adequate access to health care, personal assistance services, and rehabilitation 

services. Maximizing the health and function of people with disabilities is critical to their general 

well-being and their fulfillment of personal aspirations in areas such as employment and 

community participation. As the number of people with disabilities in the U.S. continues to grow, 

it is necessary to improve the nation’s capacity to meet their needs and access their talents. This 

will require the development of new and improved rehabilitation strategies and refinement of 

policies, programs, practices, and technologies that reduce functional limitations and improve 

health outcomes.
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Context for Research on Health and Function

The context for NIDILRR‘s work in the area of health and function includes its historic role as the 

principal Federal funder of disability and rehabilitation research. During the period of the last 

Long-Range Plan, NIDILRR leveraged this position to collaborate with centers within the National 

Institutes of Health, the Center for Mental Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), and the VA, among others. For example, most recently, NIDILRR has been a 

partner in the development of the National Research Action Plan on post-traumatic stress 

disorder, other mental health conditions, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). This plan is part of a 

White House initiative designed, among other goals, to “improve the coordination of agency 

research on theseconditions.”

NIDILRR’s move to ACL has created opportunities for new or expanded research, particularly in 

the area of aging with long-term disability. ACL providesimproved access to service delivery 

programs that can serve as sites for testing newresearch-based interventions. Pending changes in 

how health care, rehabilitation, and social services are implemented, there may be new 

opportunities for examining access to services and the impact on health and function outcomes 

of people with disabilities.

Proposed New Health and Function Research Agenda

NIDILRR anticipates continuing to fund research related to rehabilitation interventions and access 

to rehabilitation and other health care services by people with disabilities. Areas of potential 

investment include:

• Aging with and into disability. Refers to individuals who experience the onset of a 

disability in early to mid-life as well as individuals for whom aging results in disabilities. 

NIDILRR’s research agenda will emphasize the development of a continuum of promising and 

evidence-based practices to promote health, support participation, and improve services for 

the growing population of people who are aging with and into disability. Examples include:

• Research that results in a portfolio of evidence-based practice and programs that are 

effective in moderating the negative consequences of aging with and into disability on 

health, function, participation, and community living.

• Collaborations that bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and 

individuals aging with and into disability and their advocates to generate new knowledge

that promotes and facilitates the common interests of affordable health care, LTSS, and 

assistive technologies.

• Development of analytic models and techniques to examine the differential effects of 

chronological age, age of onset, and duration of disability on the health and well-being of 

adults with long-term disability and aging with disability.
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• Development of interventions that improve health and function outcomes. Develop 

treatments and other interventions that help improve health and function outcomes for 

people with disabilities. As people with disabilities rely more on HCBS as a vehicle for 

maintaining health, minimizing re-hospitalizations, and maximizing community living 

outcomes, research that investigates the relationship among these services, interventions, 

and health and function outcomes is also needed. Intervention studies focused on mental 

health, substance abuse, suicide, and obesity are examples of areas of concern for people 

with disabilities. These investments toward evidence-based interventions to promote health 

and function outcomes will take place in NIDILRR’s long-standing Model Systems programs as 

well as other programs and grant mechanisms.

• Implementation of existing evidence-based practices. Move proven practices into 

broader settings that can directly benefit people with disabilities. To do this, NIDILRR 

proposes to support competitions that build on prior investments that resulted in evidence of 

efficacy and effectiveness. These competitions will provide funding for further development 

and testing of practices and interventions in additional settings or among new populations of 

people with disabilities. These translational research efforts may help develop practical 

strategies for ensuring more widespread use of new evidence-based findings in the area of 

disability and rehabilitation research.

• Policy impacts on access to health care services and outcomes. Continue research on the 

impact of health care policy on access to and outcomes of needed health care, rehabilitation, 

and long-term community supports among people with disabilities. NIDILRR will build on 

existing research initiatives to determine how policy changes impact the ability of people with 

disabilities to obtain needed rehabilitation and other health care services and what changes 

to morbidity, mortality, and independent living are associated with these changes.

Employment Domain

For many people with disabilities, employment is a significant component of community living 

and participation. It provides income and the opportunity to engage in meaningful, productive 

activity. In addition, it may enable people with disabilities to reduce their dependence on public 

benefits.

Employment research funded by NIDILRR is motivated by the need to improve employment 

outcomes, broadly defined, for people with disabilities. Areas of focus have included improving 

our understanding of the effects of public policy on the employment and financial well-being of 

people with disabilities, informing the development of improved policies that support 

employment for people with disabilities, developing interventions to improve employer practices, 

and developing employment-related services and supports that maximize employment outcomes.

Context for Research on Employment

The current disability employment environment has been shaped by a number of recent events, 
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including the Great Recession (2007–2009) and recent changes in legislation and public policy, 

programs, and services. The research context includes:

• Great Recession. Decreased employment rates for U.S. workers with and without 

disabilities. Since 2010, employment rates for people with disabilities have recovered more 

slowly than those for people withoutdisabilities.

• WIOA. Includes a number of points relevant to people with disabilities including: 

competitive integrated employment as a preferred employment outcome; transition to 

employment for students and young adults; use of evidence-based practices in employment 

and training programs; limitations on sub-minimum wage employment for people with 

disabilities; required coordination between state vocational rehabilitaion, Medicaid, and 

Intellectual and Developmental Disability agencies; supports and services to facilitate the 

transition of people from nursing homes and other institutions to home- and communitybased residences; and new definitions of customized and supported employment.

• Legislation designed to improve employer practices. The employment gap between 

people with and without disabilities is due, at least in part, to employer practices. The gap 

remains despite more recent actions (e.g., sections 501, 503, 504, and 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act, Executive Orders 11478, 13160) to eliminate disability-related 

discrimination in the workplace.

• Disincentives to employment. Being a beneficiary of publicly funded programs (e.g., 

Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance) can serve as a disincentive 

to employment. Workers who no longer receive such benefits may have insufficient earnings 

to avoid economic insecurity or poverty. Health care reform, as well as reforms in Social 

Security programs, could also affect employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

• Vocational Rehabilitation programs. Services and supports to help people with 

disabilities prepare for, obtain, keep, orregain employment. VR services are included in the 

coordinated programs covered by WIOA. There is, therefore, a need for evidence-based 

practices for use in VR. In addition, given the current economic situation, many states require 

that their VR agencies demonstrate adequate returns on investment in their programs, 

creating a need for valid models of return on investment that are usable by state VR agencies.

• Collaboration among Federal agencies. Increasing inter-agency coordination and 

collaboration. A number of agencies address employment of people with disabilities and have 

historically worked with NIDILRR to identify critical researchquestions. NIDILRR is committed 

to working closely with other agencies to improve employment outcomes for people with 

disabilities.

Proposed New Employment Research Agenda

NIDILRR’s research agenda for the next five years involves building on its current investments and 

moving them along the series of research stages with the goal of impacting employment 
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outcomes for people with disabilities. This work will include collaboration with other relevant 

Federal agencies (e.g., SAMHSA, Rehabilitation Services Administration) that can provide 

substantive expertise to inform research priorities. GivenNIDILRR’s previous investments and the 

current context of employment for people with disabilities, possible areas of research for the next 

five years include thefollowing:

• Disability statistics. Supporting work in employment disability statistics to track the 

employment status of people with disabilities nationwide.

• People with psychiatric disabilities. Advancing research to help people with psychiatric 

disabilities, who are among the most disadvantaged in terms of employment, prepare for 

and succeed in employment. NIDILRR has collaborated with SAMHSA for more than 20 years 

to develop interventions to help people with psychiatric disabilities. The two agencies plan to

continue to work together to encourage research-related activities that improve 

employment outcomes for youth and adults with psychiatricdisabilities.

• Employment disincentives. Developing research that moves beyond the identification of 

disincentives to employment with a strategic focus on the relationships among poverty, 

income assistance, and employment that would inform policies that improve employment 

outcomes for people with disabilities.

• Young adults. Funding research that identifies and develops effective services and 

programs to improve employment, career, and, relatedly, postsecondary education 

outcomes for youth and young adults. Disseminating and promoting research findings 

related to successful transition to adulthood for youth and young adults with disabilities. Of 

particular interest is research to find methods of meeting the needs of young adults 

experiencing the onset of serious mental illness. 

• Employer practices. Funding research on improving employer practices. NIDILRR-funded 

researchers have begun to develop interventions for employers to improve employment 

outcomes for people with disabilities. This work will continue for employers across a variety 

of settings (e.g., small v. large business, private v. public sector) and will include developing 

and testing a variety of interventions.

• Return on investment. Funding research in VR to improve efficiency and effectiveness of 

services. This includes the identification and development ofevidence-based practices and 

the continuation of development of return-on-investment models that can be used by VR 

agencies to optimize the services they provide.
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II. Cross-Cutting ResearchActivities

Technology for Access and Function

NIDILRR supports research, development, and adoption of technology products to promote 

positive near- and long-term outcomes of people with disabilities in the domains of health and 

function, community living and participation, and employment. While many Americans are born 

with, acquire, or age into disability, most will likely experience transient disability at some point in 

life due to life circumstances or environmental factors. Consequently, NIDILRR’s investments in 

technology products have broadly and positively impacted people with disabilities and American 

society as a whole.

Technology is the application of knowledge through scientific means to solve practical problems. 

NIDILRR expects that technology development will employ systematic methods to produce 

models, methods, tools, standards, applications, devices, and systems that promote and facilitate 

positive outcomes for diverse populations of people with disabilities. NIDILRR also expects that 

technology research will result in products that can be made available to people with disabilities 

and their families and service providers. Technology products are generally transferred through 

partner organizations including, but not limited to, manufacturers and distributors.

NIDILRR recognizes four key technology research topics that include rehabilitation, assistive, 

service, and system technologies. Rehabilitation technologies restore, maintain, or slow the 

decline of function among people with disabilities. Assistive technologies address activity and 

participation difficulties encountered by people with disabilities by augmenting, compensating for 

the loss of, or restoring function to improve performance. Service technologies facilitate the 

provision of rehabilitation, assistive technology, training, and other interventions to people with 

disabilities. Systems technologies provide improved access to and use of critical infrastructures 

used by people with disabilities and others in the general population. These include but are not 

necessarily limited to information and communication technology, the built environment, public 

transportation, and health care infrastructures.

Members of many engineering and non-engineering disciplines contribute to technology 

research. However, NIDILRR has long recognized the importance of the field of rehabilitation 

engineering to people with disabilities. Rehabilitation engineering is concerned with research of 

technologies to evaluate, diagnose, restore, maintain, or slow the decline of a person’s physical, 

sensory, communicative, or mental functions so as to maximize performance in community living 

and participation education and employment settings. This includes both rehabilitation and 

assistive technologies.

Context for Technology for Access and Function

Advances in scientific knowledge and technologies are rapid and accelerating. High-power and 

energy density batteries, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, machine learning, big data and 

analytics, rapid design and fabrication, advanced materials, micro electro-mechanical systems, 
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personal and environmental sensor technologies, pervasive information, computing, and 

communication technologies may all be adapted or built upon to address problems encountered 

by people with disabilities. Automation and robotics techniques have the potential to change 

many aspects of transportation for people with disabilities. The rapid changes happening in 

technology have the potential to change the lives of peoplewith disabilities in amazing ways; 

however, like all change, NIDILRR is aware that accessibility must be built into each innovation to 

ensure that people with disabilities can use the new technology.

Proposed New Technology for Access and Function Research Agenda

NIDILRR will build on current research findings and products as well as invest in emerging 

opportunities during the next five years. NIDILRR will continue its support of universal design 

through further research of advanced universal design concepts and their application to all 

rehabilitation, assistive, service, and systems technologies. Universal design means a concept or 

philosophy for designing and delivering products and services that are usable by individuals with 

the widest possible range of functionalcapacities.

NIDILRR will continue to support research of assistive technology devices and software 

applications that facilitate positive outcomes for people with mobility, cognitive, sensory, and 

communication disabilities. Such technology products may include, for example, advanced human 

computer interfaces, personalized exo-prostheses, exo-skeletons that augment muscle function 

or compensate for the loss of structure and/or function, advanced wheelchair and seating and 

positioning, rehabilitative and assistive robotics, or advanced sensory technologies. NIDILRR also 

anticipates continuing research of information and communications technology, built 

environment, and public transportation systems that maximize the independence of people with

disabilities.

Other potential areas of investment include research of standardized evidence-based, 

interdisciplinary methods and guidelines (and associated outcomes measures) for face-to-face 

and remote provision of rehabilitation, habilitation, and assistivetechnology services. Such 

methods and guidelines would strengthen professional education and interdisciplinary practice; 

structure the gathering, analysis, and interpretation of service outcomes; and improve access to 

and efficacy of services provided to individuals living in rural and resource-limited environments. 

For example, guidelines for mobility assistive technology services could greatly improve the 

medical and functional outcomes of individuals receiving such services.

NIDILRR supports national and international collaboration on technology research to leverage the 

knowledge, expertise, and resources of colleagues and institutions. NIDILRR also supports the 

participation of grant investigators and colleagues on committees to advise the development of 

Federal, industry, and other technology development standards and guidelines.

Disability Statistics and Demographic Research

Disability statistics research supports outcomes in each of NIDILRR’s research domains. 
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Synthesizing and promoting the use of the vast amount of data collected each year by the Federal 

government and others allows for a greater understanding of the experiences and outcomes of 

people with disabilities. The ultimate goal of NIDILRR’s disability statistics and demographics 

effort is to generate new information that can be used by people with disabilities, service 

providers, policymakers, and others working to identify and eliminate disparities in community 

living and participation, health and function, and employment.

Valid and reliable demographic data serve as a foundation to the broader mission of NIDILRR and 

help provide a platform for all agencies in the disability field. High-quality demographic data 

contribute to NIDILRR’s mission and support research in the following ways:

• Policy decisions. Informing policies, practices, and programs for people withdisabilities.

• Demographics. Identifying potential changes in the characteristics and needs of the 

people with disabilities.

• Prevalence and context. Understanding changes in disability prevalence and 

environmental context.

• Service delivery. Informing service delivery.

• Current and emerging needs. Planning research to address current and emergingneeds.

Context for Disability Statistics and Demographic Research

Several national surveys have adopted the six-question sequence of disability identifiers first 

included in the American Community Survey (ACS). Based on the International Classification of 

Functioning, Disability and Health conceptual framework, these questions assess difficulty with 

hearing, vision, cognition, ambulation, self-help, and independent living. Respondents who report 

having one or more of the six types of disabilities included in the questions are considered to 

have a disability. Data can be pooled to analyze outcomes forsubgroups. Having these 

standardized measures included in national surveys, year after year, and across multiple 

questionnaires with different purposes has greatly expanded the opportunities to create new 

knowledge about the characteristics, needs, experiences, and outcomes of people with 

disabilities at the population level. The move to collect disability data throughout federally

funded surveys represents substantial progress toward measuring the characteristics, 

experiences, and outcomes of people with disabilities and will inform the redesign of the National 

Health Interview Survey (NHIS). NIDILRR staff and grantees have provided input regarding the 

capacity of the NHIS to produce good knowledge about the health and function of people with 

disabilities and will continue to track the development of final changes.

Proposed New Disability Statistics and Demographics Research Agenda

The goal of NIDILRR’s disability statistics and demographics effort is to increase capacity to 

generate new information for use by stakeholders who are working to identify and eliminate 
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disparities experienced by people with disabilities in community living and participation, health 

and function, and employment. Disability statistics and demographic data are interwoven through 

virtually all components of the study of disability as quantitative analyses play a key role in 

understanding population-level needs, impacts, and outcomes. NIDILRR’s research agenda for 

disability statistics and demographics for the next five yearsincludes:

• Uniform disability identifiers. Continuing to support work that creates and implements 

uniform concepts, language, and methods for identifying the number and characteristics 

of people with disabilities.

• Adoption of the ACS six-question sequence of disability identifiers. Including the ACS sixquestion sequence in a number of surveys to provide additional opportunities for 

generating new knowledge about the characteristics, experiences, and outcomes of 

people with disabilities.

• Data mining. Sponsoring research that mines existing data to examine the current state of 

affairs and trends for forecasting future needs of people with disabilities.

• Policy research. Supporting research that develops and uses standard measures such as 

the ACS six-question sequence to assess the effectiveness of policies designed to improve 

participation among people with disabilities.

• Methodological quality. Supporting research that improves the quality of disability data 

by improving methodological standards in sampling and data collection. This includes, but 

is not limited to, improvements in sampling methods to better include and identify 

individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in surveys.

• Usage of measures. Developing research that creates topical survey modules (e.g., unmet 

needs, community living, transportation, housing, employment, caregiving) with reliable 

and valid measures. This work should yield instruments for use in various modes of data 

collection so that information is available about disability subgroups or the interaction of 

demographic and social factors.

Americans with Disabilities Act—Technical Assistance, Training, andResearch

Since 1991, NIDILRR has supported a network of 10 regional centers to provide technical 

assistance, training, and information dissemination about the ADA for the benefit of individuals 

and entities with rights and responsibilities under this law. The ADA regional centers also 

collaborate with other relevant grants funded across NIDILRR’s outcome domains by sharing data 

and resources relevant to their training and technical assistance efforts. These 10 regional 

centers, along with the ADA Knowledge TranslationCenter and the ADA Collaborative Research 

Project, comprise what NIDILRR calls the ADA National Network.

A number of developments have shaped the context for how the ADA National Network program 
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has been implemented. In 2006, NIDILRR incorporated a research component into the scope of 

activities for the ADA National Network in order to develop new knowledge about barriers to ADA 

compliance, strategies for its effective implementation, and a greater understanding of 

stakeholders needs for and use of ADA National Network services. Since these changes, ADA 

National Network grantees have published numerous journal articles, held a series of research 

conferences, and conducted other knowledge translation activities to share new knowledge.

Examples of key research topics include access to postsecondary education among students with 

disabilities, access to health care services among people with disabilities, and reasonable 

accommodations in theworkplace.

Proposed New ADA National Network Research Agenda

While the work of the ADA National Network leads to improved community participation 

opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities, there is still much more progress to be 

made in improving stakeholder knowledge of their rights and responsibilities under theADA.

There is ongoing need for provision of training and technical assistance for those with rights and 

responsibilities under the ADA as well as data about the impact of such efforts. In addition, there 

is continued value derived from supporting research efforts that generate new knowledge that 

further enhances implementation of the ADA. This new knowledge not only contributes to 

NIDILRR’s mission of improving community participation of people with disabilities, but also has 

implications for technical assistance, training, and implementation efforts of Federal enforcement 

agencies. NIDILRR intends to continue its support of the technical assistance, training, research,

and data collection activities conducted by the ADA National Network. It will explore ways to 

expand the impact of the Network to new audiences by fostering innovation in practices that aim 

to improve community participation and by creating greater linkages with other ACL, HHS, and 

Federal programs and constituencies.

Stages of Research and Development

NIDILRR continues to promote concepts of stages of research and development as it funds grants 

in the community living and participation, health and function, and employment domains.

NIDILRR uses these stages to emphasize its role as an applied research agency. Through the 

implementation of this stages framework, NIDILRR emphasized that all of the research it sponsors

in the exploration and discovery, intervention development, intervention efficacy, and scale-up 

evaluation stages leads to new knowledge that can be used to create and implement 

interventions that improve the lives of people withdisabilities. Similarly, the development work 

that NIDILRR sponsors at the proof of concept, proof of product, and proof of adoption stages 

leads to products that are used to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

NIDILRR first published and sought public comments on the stages of research as part of its FOAs

in 2012 and 2013. Since then, NIDILRR has included the stages in all of its relevant research FOAs 

and asked applicants to describe and justify the stage or stages of research they propose. NIDILRR

formalized the stages of research in its Long-Range Plan published in FY 2013 and in its final 

program regulations published in FY 2016. NIDILRR first published its stages of development in 
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the draft NIDILRR program regulations in FY 2012. NIDILRR formalized these stages in the final 

version of the NIDILRR program regulations in 2016. These final regulations included new review 

criteria that allow peer reviewersto evaluate the extent to which applicants describe and justify 

the stage or stages of their proposed research and development projects.

NIDILRR values and funds research at each of these stages because it is essential to derive 

interventions and develop products systematically and methodically based on scientifically sound 

foundations and concepts. While NIDILRR’s ultimate aim is to sponsor research toward 

interventions and products to improve the lives of people with disabilities, it does not favor 

research in the intervention efficacy or scale-up evaluation stages over earlier stages of 

exploration and intervention development. NIDILRR recognizes that there is a great deal of earlystage exploratory research that must take place to create the foundation of knowledge for new 

interventions and products. NIDILRR seeks to ensure that the work that it sponsors is appropriate 

to the levels of knowledge available in specific topicareas.

Requiring applicants and peer reviewers to pay close attention to stages of research and 

development helps NIDILRR ensure, for example, that it sponsors research that tests the efficacy 

of an intervention only if there is already research-based knowledge about its relevance and 

feasibility and if there are measures to properly reflect the intended effects of the intervention. 

Similarly, use of the development stages helps NIDILRR ensure the transfer and promotion of 

sponsored technologies only if they have been properly conceptualized, tested for utility and 

feasibility among users, and refined. 

NIDILRR intends to continue to provide training and information to our applicants, grantees, and 

reviewers to help ensure the proper use of its stages of research and development. Continued 

implementation and use of these stages in the field will help NIDILRR maximize the efficiency and 

productivity of its research resources and programs.

III. Activities That Promote the Quality and Use of NIDILRR-Sponsored Research

Capacity Building

NIDILRR sponsors capacity-building grants and activities to help ensure that the field of disability, 

independent living, and rehabilitation research has well-trained researchpersonnel as well as 

tools and methods to support high-quality research activities that result in new knowledge and 

products. Title II of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, authorizes NIDILRR to build capacity for 

conducting high-quality disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research by providing for 

advanced training in disability and rehabilitation research, including people with disabilities and 

underserved populations. NIDILRR meets these statutory mandates for training and capacity 

building primarily through its Research Fellowship Program (Switzer) and its Advanced 

Rehabilitation Research Training Program (ARRT). Grantees in NIDILRR’s Rehabilitation Research 

and Training Centers (RRTCs) and Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) programs 

are also required to provide research training to investigators in the early stages of their research

careers.
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NIDILRR’s Switzer Fellowship Program is designed to build capacity by funding individual 

researchers to conduct research activities in rehabilitation. These Fellowships provide one year of 

financial support with which recipients carry out independent research projects that further 

NIDILRR’s mission. Fellowships are awarded competitively through peer review, selected primarily 

on the basis of the applicant’s qualifications and experience and on the strength of the proposed 

research project. Prospective fellows apply at the “Merit” or “Distinguished” levels. Merit 

Fellowships are available to individuals who are at the start of their careers in disability, 

independent living, and rehabilitation research. Distinguished Fellowships are available to 

individuals with more independent research experience and are funded at a somewhat higher 

budget level than Merit Fellowships. Over the years, NIDILRR has awarded more than 300 Switzer 

Fellowships. 

NIDILRR also funds institutions of higher education to conduct postdoctoral training under its 

ARRT program. The primary purpose of the ARRT program is to provide advanced training in 

disability and rehabilitation research to individuals with doctoral or similar advanced degrees who 

have clinical or other relevant experience. ARRT grants provide multidisciplinary research training 

that teaches and enhances research methodology skills. They provide researchers with 

experience in grant writing, conduct of research, and presentation and dissemination of research 

findings. The intent of this training is to support NIDILRR’s mission by preparing individuals to 

conduct independent, high-quality research on questions related to disability, independent living, 

and rehabilitation.

Under Section 21 of the Rehabilitation Act, NIDILRR is mandated to allocate one percent of its 

annual budget to carrying out activities related to traditionally underserved populations. Under 

this authority, NIDILRR focuses on building the capacity of minority-serving institutions and their 

personnel to conduct disability and rehabilitation research and on developing a cadre of 

researchers who represent underserved populations, including people withdisabilities.

Proposed New Capacity-Building Agenda

There is an ongoing need for well-trained researchers in the disability and rehabilitation research

fields given the rapidly changing demographics and the growing recognition of the importance of 

having an evidence base for disability, independent living, and rehabilitation interventions and 

practice. NIDILRR intends to continue its capacity-building efforts through the Research 

Fellowship Program and the ARRT program as well as training and mentoring opportunities in the 

RRTC and RERC programs. NIDILRR will build its capacity to collect and analyze data to capture the 

long-term impact of these capacity-buildingefforts.

NIDILRR also intends to highlight and promote the Section 21 program by creating research

opportunities for minority-serving institutions and by enhancing data collection and evaluation 

practices to assess capacity building targeted at minority-servinginstitutions and minority 

researchers, including those with disabilities. NIDILRR will continue to implement strategies that 

result in increased minority representation across NIDILRR’s grant mechanisms. Through these 
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efforts, NIDILRR will help ensure that the new knowledge that our grantees generate reflect the 

needs, experiences, and outcomes of the diverse population of people with disabilities in the

United States.

Knowledge Translation

For NIDILRR, Knowledge Translation (KT) is the multidimensional, active process of ensuring that 

new knowledge and products gained through the course of research ultimately improves the lives 

of people with disabilities and furthers their participation in society. KT is applicable to both 

technological and non-technological knowledge and products. NIDILRR uses KT to promote the 

effective use of NIDILRR-funded knowledge and products, which is a critical component of our

mission.

For KT to be successful, NIDILRR believes that the new knowledge or product must: (1) address 

real issues faced by people with disabilities, (2) offer helpful information or solutions related to 

those issues, (3) be presented in ways that make it accessible to and feasible for the intended 

users, and (4) be disseminated or distributed effectively. When users are aware of the availability 

of new knowledge or products, they can make an informed decision or take action to change 

behavior, practice, policy, or systems as appropriate to improve the lives of people with 

disabilities and further their participation in society.

To maximize the relevance, feasibility, usability, and reach of the new knowledge or products, it is 

crucial that researchers involve people with disabilities and other stakeholders in all KT 

components starting from the initial identification of needs for knowledge andproducts.

Stakeholders include not only direct users of the knowledge or product, but also individuals or 

entities with a stake in the issues because of their role and function within the context in which 

the knowledge or product will be used. The input, or lack of input of a variety of stakeholders, can 

influence the likelihood that new knowledge or products will be used in thefuture. Different kinds 

of knowledge or products have different stakeholders, determined by the type of knowledge or 

product, its anticipated use, and the context in which it will beused. Stakeholders may include 

people with disabilities, their family members, practitioners, policymakers, employers, Centers for 

Independent Living staff members, disability advocates, educators, assistive device 

manufacturers, insurance companies, and others asappropriate.

Proposed New Knowledge Translation Agenda

For the next five years, NIDILRR intends to continue its efforts to help ensure that knowledge and 

products generated by NIDILRR grantees are used to improve the lives of people with disabilities:

• Expansion. Fund KT grants in different content areas to provide KT support for NIDILRR 

grantees and advance understanding and applications of KT in the disability context.

• Strategic initiative support. Fund KT contracts to provide support for NIDILRR’sKT 
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strategies and initiatives.

• Business processes. Integrate the KT framework into NIDILRR operations such as funding 

priority requirements, peer review criteria, performance reporting, and other business 

processes as appropriate.

• Partnerships. Strengthen existing connections with, and establish new connections to,

disability, independent living, and rehabilitation stakeholders within and outside the Federal 

government.

• Awareness and promotion. Identify and pursue opportunities to raise awareness and 

promote the use of NIDILRR-funded knowledge and products within ACL, HHS, other Federal

agencies, and the broader community in which people with disabilities live. Work closely with 

ACL and Federal colleagues to disseminate and promote NIDILRR’s research findings to state 

and local agencies and programs that provide services and supports to people with 

disabilities.

• Public access. Fully implement the public access requirements for both peer-reviewed 

publications and scientific data to ensure that knowledge, products, and data from NIDILRRfunded work can be accessed and used by the public at no cost.

Summary

This Plan acknowledges the current environmental context in which people with disabilities 

across the lifespan are striving to forge meaningful and active lives in support of their personal 

goals. It recognizes NIDILRR’s place within ACL and the importance of partnership and 

collaboration with other Federal agencies as well as other stakeholders, with the understanding 

that research outcomes are increasingly needed to help refine national policy in support of those 

individual aspirations. By investing in a relevant and robust program of applied research across 

the domains of community living and participation, health and function, and employment, 

supported by additional cross-cutting activities and initiatives to promote its quality and use, 

NIDILRR believes the Plan will significantly improve the social participation and community living 

outcomes of people with disabilities.