FY 2019–2020 

Organization Highlights

The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, 

and Rehabilitation Research

Administration for Community Living

US Department of Health and Human Services
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The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and 

Rehabilitation Research

Mission 

The Administration for Community Living’s National Institute on Disability, Independent 

Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) was established by Congress to conduct 

research that would lead 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 selfsufficiency 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.

• 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. This report provides an 

overview of the distribution of NIDILRR’s funding and highlights grantee activities in fiscal 

years (FY) 2019 and 2020. These projects reflect the breadth of disability research within the 

agency’s outcome domains of community living and participation, health and function, and 

employment. 

How is NIDILRR Research Making a Difference?

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. Selected grantees from FY 2019 and 2020 are highlighted 

throughout this report to illustrate the variety of NIDILRR grantee activities and 
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achievements that are improving the lives of people with disabilities. NIDILRR’s grant 

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

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

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. 

NIDILRR Resources on Disability Policy, Assistive Technology, 

and Disability Research

NIDILRR supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network, AbleData, 

and the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), which help the public find and 

use current information about disability policy, assistive technology (AT), and disability 

research. Results from NIDILRR funded projects help to inform policymakers by 

highlighting key findings affecting the broader disability community. Specific examples 

of these findings informing policy work are included below.

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 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. These 10 centers conducted 1,103 training 

NIDILRR Outcome Areas:

1. Community Living and 

Participation

2. Employment 

3. Health and Function
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activities during 2019 and 184 during 2020, including customized training presentations, 

training courses, and conferences. The Network responded to more than 80,000 inquiries in 

FY 2019 and more than 17,000 inquiries in FY 2020 by phone, email, ADA center website, 

or in person. 

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 are examples of ADA National Network activities and achievements reported 

to NIDILRR: 

ADA, Disability, and COVID-19 Resources Portal (2020) — Grant # 90DP0090 

The Southeast ADA Center, located in Atlanta, Georgia, serves a vast array of ADA 

stakeholders across the eight-state Southeast Region, comprised of Alabama, Florida, 

Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The 

Center’s activities are guided and implemented by an extensive range of 78 partner 

organizations. The Center is a project of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, which 

allows for significant leveraging of diverse project resources by: (1) enhancing technical 

assistance, training, knowledge translation (KT), and dissemination through legal analyses of 

materials and development of case law alerts and briefs, providing diverse and accessible 

information dissemination channels and access to the Legal Team’s recognized advanced 

knowledge of the ADA and disability-related laws; (2) expanding scientific quality and scope 

of research projects; and (3) enabling access to Syracuse University’s extensive alumni base 

of 21,000+ in the Southeast who represent all ADA stakeholder groups. 

The Center recently collaborated with 10 ADA Centers to develop the ADA, Disability, and 

COVID-19 Resources Portal (https://www.adacovid19.org/) to provide the disability 

community with information about their rights under the ADA and how they apply to the 

COVID-19 pandemic. The portal contains links to resources posted by the ADA National 

Network, 10 regional ADA Centers, and more than 450 resources from trusted national, 

federal, and state sources. Resources are arranged by topics, including: state and region; 

people with disabilities; counseling and support; emergency preparedness; employment; 

health care; money, taxes, and benefits; plain language and visual supports; schools and 

education; travel and transportation; and workplace and business. 

Digital Access and Title III of the ADA (2020) — Grant # 90DP0086

The ADA Knowledge Translation Center published a research brief entitled Digital Access 

and Title III of the ADA. This brief highlights the impact of the digital divide that exists for 

people with disabilities and discusses digital accessibility issues. It highlights how the digital 

divide is an issue for businesses, agencies, and organizations considered public entities under 

Title III of the ADA. The brief outlines how people with disabilities have less access to and 

benefit less from technology when compared to their peers without disabilities. It highlights 
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the continued issues with web accessibility and suggests ways developers can enhance access 

and usability by creating accessible technology and widening their customer base.

AbleData

NIDILRR supported AbleData, an information center hosting an 

extensive database of AT products and resources to increase awareness of and access to 

assistive devices. More than 60 percent of patrons are people with disabilities, their families, 

and friends. In FY 2019, AbleData responded to 736 information requests and created 12 new 

informational products. AbleData hosted 426,960 visitors from 214 different countries. 

Special emphasis was placed on growing AbleData’s social media presence. FY 2020 was a 

year of milestones and transitions for AbleData. AbleData’s Information and Referral Center

responded to 444 information requests, had 229,111 visitors from 202 countries and 

published 11 information products, two of which were in Spanish. AbleData officially 

launched its Pinterest page and expanded its social networking presence via YouTube, 

Twitter, and Facebook, including posting the At Home blog series, which explored different 

leisurely activities people could participate in while at home using various AT products. 

AbleData is no longer supported by NIDILRR. As part of AbleData’s decommissioning, the 

website contents were provided to several non-governmental entities for future research and 

related activities. 

National Rehabilitation Information Center

NARIC 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 this reporting period, NARIC received more than 224,000 visitors 

on its website, had more than 8,600 social media followers, and connected with users via 

presentations and exhibits at various in-person and virtual conferences with more than 10,000 

attendees combined. In addition to these, NARIC reached more than 10,000 readers through 

their weekly distribution of the News and Notes newsletter and the monthly release of the 

REHABDATA Literature Awareness service.

Field-Initiated Projects (FIP)

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. The following are examples of FIP 

activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR: 
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Community Living and Participation

GoCC4All Emergency Notification System (2020) — Grant # 90IFDV0004

The Dicapta Foundation’s project aims to enhance community living and 

participation for individuals who are deaf-blind by bringing them access to TV 

information (including local emergency information through their mobile 

devices and braille displays) that is widely available to any other citizen. The GoCC4All 

website, social media, and emergencies functionalities officially launched. Some features of 

GoCC4All include: (1) emergency alerts on mobile devices or braille displays; (2) access to 

local emergency alerts; (3) the ability to automatically send a user’s location information to a 

primary contact in emergency situations; (4) the ability to send a user’s location information 

to a primary contact whenever the user chooses; (5) access to captions of selected television 

programming; (6) the ability to customize the size of characters on the user’s mobile device; 

(7) compatibility with different braille displays that allows for changing the speed at which 

TV captions are shown; and (8) compatibility with both iOS and Android operating systems. 

To learn more, visit the GoCC4All website: https://gocc4all.dicaptafoundation.org/.

Health and Function

Seated Buttocks Anatomy and Its Impact on Biomechanical Risk (2020) — 

Grant # 90IF0120 

Pressure ulcers are a critical problem with negative consequences for the health, activities of 

daily living, employment, and quality of life of wheelchair users. The evidence to date 

supports the hypothesis that internal tissue deformation is the primary factor in pressure ulcer 

development. Therefore, understanding how individuals’ tissues deform is key to identifying 

high-risk patients and informing personalized interventions. In 2020, Georgia Tech Research 

Corporation published an article providing quantitative evidence that biomechanical risk, or 

the intrinsic characteristic of an individual’s soft tissues to deform in response to extrinsic 

applied forces, is greater in individuals at greater risk for pressure ulcers. 

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965206X19301172 
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Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

The intent of NIDILRR’s 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, 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. The following are examples of SBIR 

activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR: 

Technology for Access and Function

Production 3D Printed Cochlear Electrode Arrays (2020) — Grant # 90BISA0021

MEMStim LLC’s project is in SBIR Phase I. Its goal is to determine the feasibility of 

producing 3D-printed cochlear electrode arrays that meet the requirements of surgical 

compatibility, biocompatibility, and durability necessary for Food and Drug Administration 

approval and use in commercial cochlear implant prosthesis. Their novel 3D printing process 

will enable the next generation of cochlear electrode arrays to be developed. Such future 

electrode arrays could be smaller and more flexible. Smaller arrays lead to increased residual 

hearing preservation, which allows for the combined use of cochlear implants and hearing 

aids through electrical acoustic stimulation. This type of stimulation has been shown to 

improve word recognition by as much as 30 percent in quiet and 72 percent in noisy 

environments. It also extends cochlear implant technology to the severely to profoundly deaf 

population, who are presently ineligible due to potential loss of residual hearing. This subset 

accounts for nearly 90 percent of the severely to profoundly deaf community. 

As a result of this work, the grantee learned that 3D printing of cochlear electrode arrays is 

quite feasible. Robust medical-grade materials can be printed in micro-feature sizes; 

nanoparticles can be manipulated to create novel inks; and micro molding of silicone carriers 

can be used to produce a surgically 

compatible device. They also learned 

that the ultimate completion of such 

devices requires a high degree of tool 

characterization and customization. It 

also requires a well-defined set of 

design rules to ensure repeatability and 

reliability.
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Employment Outcomes

WhenWear Advisor: A Cloud-Based Tool to Help 

Supervisors Increase Employment Options for 

Workers with Intellectual Disabilities (2020) — 

Grant # 90BISB0009 

CreateAbility Concepts Inc. developed the 

WhenWear Advisor system, in SBIR Phase II, 

which assists employees with intellectual 

disabilities to independently and successfully accomplish vocational tasks when provided 

with the proper automated prompts. COVID-19 created unique opportunities for this project 

due to its remote support capabilities. Using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

guidelines for prevention, cleaning, and exposure risk assessment, WhenWear delivered 

customizable task instructions at different levels of detail. If the individual was isolated in a 

group home and needed detailed video-modeling instructions, WhenWear would show 

detailed step-by-step procedures on how to clean their TV remote, hand rails, microwave and 

fridge handles, etc. At the end of the day, these task prompts would shift to a quick 

assessment of their exposure risk and symptom assessment. Alternatively, if the individual 

needed simple talking picture examples of these tasks, this was selectable by an operator in 

the cloud. A video describing the WhenWear Advisor system is available at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7FE7x9ct8Q. 

Model Systems 

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

(TBI), and burns 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. 

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

total of 29 funded centers. Fourteen funded centers, plus an additional five unfunded centers, 

actively collected SCI follow-up data in 2019 and 2020. Their actions contributed to the 

collection of SCI data from 62,593 individuals as of the end of FY 2019 and 49,743 

individuals as of the end of FY 2020. Nineteen centers contributed data to the TBI Model 

System (TBIMS) National Database in 2019 and 2020. Their efforts have collected 

information on 17,317 individuals admitted for inpatient acute TBI rehabilitation as of FY 

2019 and 18,487 individuals as of FY 2020. The Burn Model System collected data from four 

centers in FY 2019 and 2020. 

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 
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aspects of the conditions, and long-term outcomes. The following are examples of Model 

Systems activities and achievements reported to NIDILRR:

Health and Function

New Clinical Practice Guidelines and Minimum 

Competency Recommendations for Programs that 

Provide Rehabilitation Services for People with Severe 

TBI/Disorders of Consciousness (2020) — Grant # 

90DPTB0011 

The Spaulding-Harvard TBIMS Center is a national 

leader in TBI research and care and works to improve 

care for patients with severe acquired brain injury and to 

be on the cutting-edge of TBI research. During this 

funding year, the Spaulding-Harvard TBIMS Center created two important publications/tools:

(1) the publication of evidence-based practice guidelines, 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6139814/, for the diagnosis and treatment of 

persons with severe TBI/disorders of consciousness; and (2) a June 2020 position statement, 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003999320300939, on the 

recommendations for essential staff, knowledge, skills, and services required to manage 

persons with severe TBI. The position statement discusses practice guidelines and minimum 

competencies of the clinical programs for the treatment and support of individuals with 

disorders of consciousness. The recommendations fall into several categories: diagnostic and 

prognostic assessment, treatment, transitioning care/long-term care needs, and management 

of ethical issues. This most recent consensus statement marks a significant step forward in

establishing a clinical standard for treatment that will improve outcomes for persons with 

severe TBI. Summary fact sheets for families and providers were developed and can be found 

at https://www.aan.com/Guidelines/home/GuidelineDetail/926.

Link: https://www.sh-tbi.org/

A Cross-Sectional Study to Investigate the Effects of Perceived Discrimination in the 

Health Care Setting on Pain and Depressive Symptoms in Wheelchair Users with SCI 

(2019) — Grant # 90SI5014 

The University of Pittsburgh Model System Center 

for SCI provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary 

services to individuals with SCI from the time of 

injury through recovery. In addition, this Center 

educates patients, families, care providers, and the 

public about the natural course of SCI and 

disseminates new knowledge about innovative 

evidence-based interventions that improve health and function, community living and 

participation, and employment post SCI. In 2019, the Center published an article, 
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31421092/, that examines whether participant characteristics 

are associated with greater discrimination in the health care setting for wheelchair users with 

SCI. This publication also viewed how discrimination in the health care setting related to 

overall health outcomes of pain and depressive symptoms. 

Link: http://www.upmc-sci.pitt.edu/

Employment Outcomes

Post-Burn Injury Employment (2020) — Grant # 

90DPBU0004 

The Northwest Regional Burn Model System Center at the 

University of Washington-Seattle provides comprehensive, 

multidisciplinary services to individuals with burn injuries from 

the time of injury through recovery. In addition, the Center 

educates patients, families, care providers, and the public about 

the natural course of burn injury and disseminates new 

knowledge about innovative evidence-based interventions that 

improve health and function, community living and participation, 

and employment after burn injury. In 2020, the Center published 

an article, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31626744/, 

examining patient and injury characteristics that affect employment for individuals after burn 

injury using the multicenter Burn Model System national database. The results of this study 

found that the most significant predictor for post-burn employment was preinjury 

employment.

Link: https://burnrehab.washington.edu/

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP)

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. 

Employment Outcomes

Successful Employment and Quality Work Life After Severe Disability Due to SCI (2020) 

— Grant # 90DP0050 

The Medical University of South Carolina’s DRRP examines employment and quality worklife outcomes after severe disability from SCI occurs. This project has produced two recent 
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publications. The first recent publication, https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355219848493, from 

this project found that older age at severe SCI onset was associated with lower odds of 

employment. The same study also found that non-Hispanic Blacks with severe SCI had 

lowers odds of employment and that those who were employed earned $12,058 less than nonHispanic Whites with severe SCI. This study found that people with bachelor’s or 

postgraduate degrees had higher odds of employment and higher earnings when compared to 

peers who had a high school certificate or lower. The second recent publication, 

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-019-0374-1, found that the presence of significant pain and 

use of either prescription pain medications or nonprescription opioids had a significant 

adverse effect on the probability and quality of employment for people with severe SCI. 

Health and Function

iMHere 2.0: An Adaptive Mobile Health System to Support Self-Management for Persons 

with Chronic Conditions and Disabilities (2020) — Grant # 90DP0064 

The University of Pittsburgh’s mobile health (mHealth) project develops and implements 

mHealth tools to support self-management and aid youth with brain and spinal anomalies in 

their transition to adulthood. The mHealth system incorporates mechanisms for caregiver and 

family involvement as well as peer support. The project develops educational support and 

implements the mHealth-supported self-management program in a community-based setting 

for people with disabilities. People with disabilities who have impairments in selfmanagement skills are susceptible to secondary conditions, such as wounds (pressure ulcers) 

and urinary tract infections. Many secondary complications are preventable with appropriate 

self-management. The early teen years are a developmentally appropriate time in one’s life to 

seek separation from one’s parents and gain full independence with regard to selfmanagement. Many teens fail to develop the self-management skills necessary to 

independently manage medical and self-care routines. The technology in this project is based 

on the success with a self-management pilot project that produced remarkably improved 

outcomes for medical complications and health care utilization measures. The mHealth 

approach allows for expansion of the program to serve a larger number of people with 

disabilities, making the wellness program not only cost-effective but also scalable. 

The iMHere system includes a smartphone 

app with several modules that allow people 

with disabilities to manage their own selfmanagement routines, a smartphone app for a 

family or professional caregiver, a web-based 

portal for a case manager or coordinator, and 

two-way communication connecting the two. 

The smartphone app functionality includes 

medication management, the ability to set 

reminders, secure messaging with the case 
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manager, symptoms surveys and reporting, and the ability to submit photos of conditions like 

pressure injuries. The system is continually updated and improved across different platforms.

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6737885/

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC)

The purpose of the RERC 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. 

Technology for Access and Function

Amazon Sunnyvale Campus Interactive Touch Model (2020) — Grant # 90RE5022 

For people with disabilities, finding one’s destination inside buildings and on sites is often 

impossible without assistance. The main product development project of the RERC on 

Universal Design and the Built Environment at the University at Buffalo has been the 

development of touch-responsive models. These are 3D representations of buildings and 

plans, and 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 can also benefit other users. 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. In the current RERC universal 

design cycle, there was external adoption of the touch model. A tabletop wayfinding and 

orientation system was produced for Amazon’s Silicon Valley R&D Center. Users hear 

names and descriptions of streets, buildings, outdoor amenities, and other features when they 

touch this physical model.

YouDescribe Video Descriptions System Utilization and Improvements (2020) — 

Grant # 90RE5024 

The goal of the RERC to Develop and Evaluate 

Rehabilitation Technology and Methods for 

Individuals with Low Vision, Blindness, and 

Multiple Disabilities at the Smith-Kettlewell 

Eye Research Institute is to impact numerous 

current barriers to opportunity faced by 

individuals who are blind, have low vision, and 

have multiple disabilities. The Center aims to develop and apply new scientific knowledge 
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and practical, cost-effective devices to understand and address the real-world problems of 

consumers who are blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind. One recent project of the Center 

is YouDescribe, a project designed to enhance access to videos for blind and visually 

impaired persons. The system makes it easy for anyone, anywhere (teachers, family 

members, friends, and alternative media specialists), to add descriptions to online videos. 

YouDescribe is available as a downloadable application for mobile devices, and it allows the 

volume of the narration to be adjusted. You can view a sample YouDescribe video at 

https://youdescribe.org/video/0glagEn5-g4?ad=5db0d170e8154725b70c27c3. 

Link: https://www.ski.org/center/rehabilitation-engineering-research-center 

Tactile Maps Automated Production 

(TMAP): Utilization and Updates 

(2020) — Grant # 90RE5024 

The goal of the RERC on Low Vision 

and Blindness at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute is to impact numerous current 

barriers to opportunity faced by individuals who are blind, have low vision, and have multiple 

disabilities. The updated Tactile Maps Automated Production (TMAP) system provides free 

and low-cost maps to the blind and visually impaired community. It has revolutionized tactile 

map production and availability, allowing the production of high-quality, on-demand, tactile 

street maps, embossed to a scale suitable for exploration of the surrounding neighborhood. 

This TMAP 2.0 version builds on the knowledge gained and lessons learned in the earlier 

prototype TMAP 1.0 system to produce well-formatted, tactile street maps of any location in 

the world using an extensible, open-source web interface that complies with World Wide 

Web Consortium accessibility guidelines.

Link: https://lighthouse-sf.org/tmap/

Community Living and Participation

Innovative Solutions for Universal DesignTM – 

Hampton Inn by Hilton Receives Universal Design

Certification (2020) — Grant # 90RE5022 

The RERC on Universal Design and the Built 

Environment uses a Knowledge-To-Action Model to 

advance accessibility and universal design in the four 

domains of the built environment: (1) housing; (2) 

commercial and public buildings; (3) community 

infrastructure; and (4) transportation. A second test case 

of Innovative Solutions for Universal DesignTM started in 

2018 when Uniland Development Company came to the 

IDEA Center for consultation on a new Hampton Inn by 

Hilton hotels. “As the first hotel in the country to 
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embrace Universal Design, our new Hampton by Hilton at the Northtown Center will offer 

guests ‘the best experience possible,’” said Kellena Kane, Uniland Director of Development. 

Link: https://uniland.com/nations-first-universally-designed-hotel/

Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC)

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, pre-service, 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. 

Employment Outcomes

How to Talk about Mental Health: Addressing Misunderstandings about Mental Health in 

the Media (2020) — Grant # 90RT5031 

The Learning and Working during the Transition to Adulthood RRTC at the University of 

Massachusetts Medical School focuses on school-to-work transitions with an integrated 

research program examining this developmental stage for transition-age youth and young 

adults (Y&YAs) with serious mental health conditions (SMHCs). The Center develops and 

translates knowledge from state-of-the-art rigorous research on education and work among 

14–30-year-olds with SMHCs. Research is conducted in real-world settings in partnership 

with Y&YAs with lived experience and informed by family input to address three critical 

areas: (1) identifying the range of paths in the transition to employment and the factors that 

contribute to the variability in educational and working success of Y&YAs with SMHCs; 

(2) continuing to develop and test interventions with preliminary evidence of efficacy; and 

(3) continuing to examine the ways in which state VR, child mental health, and adult mental 

health agencies can improve employment success within subpopulations of those vulnerable 

to poor transitions to employment (i.e., young 

parents and individuals with justice-system 

involvement). This research increases 

capacity-building for service providers and 

the movement of findings into practice and 

policy. The Center provides national 

leadership in this area and shares developing 

knowledge with key stakeholders, including 

Y&YAs, their families, researchers, 

policymakers, and practitioners. 
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The Center created a tip sheet that clears up common misunderstandings about mental health 

conditions and provides strategies to talk about mental health in a more accurate and helpful 

way. It was written to erase stigma around mental health conditions and is targeted to 

Y&YAs. The tip sheet offers resources and to fight misconceptions in order to better educate 

the general population. The tip sheet is available online at: 

https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1136&context=pib. 

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Fidelity Scale for Transition-Aged Youth and 

Young Adults (2019) — Grant # 90RTEM0005 

The Learning and Working during the Transition to 

Adulthood RRTC at the University of Massachusetts 

Medical School develops and shares new knowledge about 

core concepts, interventions, and policies to greatly improve the transition to employment for 

Y&YAs ages 14 to 30 with SMHCs. The Center uses 

research and KT to help ensure that policies, programs, 

and supports for transition-age Y&YAs with SMHCs 

help them build the strong cornerstones that support 

successful long-term adult work lives. This RRTC 

conducts a coordinated and comprehensive set of 

activities that: (1) further the evidence base for 

interventions that build these capacities; (2) explore 

factors that contribute to successful transitions to 

employment in vulnerable subgroups of Y&YAs with 

SMHCs; (3) provide national statistics on how Y&YAs 

with SMHCs and their vulnerable subgroups are faring in 

education and employment; and (4) explore barriers and 

facilitators to access that Y&YAs with SMHCs have to 

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-mandated 

services for students with disabilities and Perkins Act-mandated Career and Technical 

Education. Through state-of-the-science KT processes, the RRTC speeds capacity-building 

for service providers and the movement of findings into practice and policy and prepares the 

future research workforce in this area. The Center’s Individual Placement and Support 

Fidelity Scale for Transition-Aged Youth and Young Adults was developed to assess whether 

the practice of Individual Placement and Support adapted to transition-aged youth in

programs adheres to manual prescriptions. Use of the scale is to ensure fidelity to the 

Individual Placement and Support for young adults’ model. Specifically, the scale adds items 

pertaining to supporting education goals, as well as to family involvement, peer support, and 

youth outreach. Achieving high fidelity means that these practice advances are being made by 

programs. Further details about the project can be found at: 

https://ipsworks.org/index.php/study/the-ips-young-adult-project-helping-young-adultssucceed-at-work-and-school-through-ips-supported-employment/. 
16 

RRTC on Employment for People with Blindness and Low Vision (2020) — 

Grant # 90RT5040 

The RRTC on Employment for People with Blindness and Low Vision at the University of 

Mississippi is the only Department of Health and Human Services-funded center focused on 

employment outcomes for people with blindness or low vision (B/LV). The goal of this 

RRTC is to develop new knowledge that improves employment outcomes for people with 

B/LV, including three specific subpopulations: youth with B/LV, people who are deaf-blind, 

and people with combined TBI and B/LV. This RRTC began in 2015 and has produced peerreviewed publications, conference presentations, an app, an intervention manual, policy and 

practice guides, and online courses. Two peer-reviewed publications on transition-age youth 

with B/LV were published. One peer-reviewed publication focuses on factors leading to 

successful employment outcomes for transition-age youth with B/LV. The second peerreviewed publication focuses on the short-term outcomes associated with a summer work 

program for transition-age youth with B/LV. 

Research summaries of these publications may be found here: (1) Keys to a Successful 

Transition: Ensuring Youth with Visual Impairments are Ready for Career and College and 

(2) Short-Term Effects of Job Search Skills Training and a Summer Work Experience 

Program for Youth. 

More information can be found on the RRTC’s website: https://www.blind.msstate.edu/.

Community Living and Participation

Invaluable – The Unrecognized 

Profession of Direct Support (2020) — 

Grant # 90RTCP0003 

The RRTC on Community Living and 

Participation at the University of 

Minnesota conducts advanced research, 

training, and technical assistance and 

dissemination activities focused on 

community living and participation of 

individuals with intellectual and 

developmental disabilities. The Center includes seven studies relevant to community living 

interventions, policy, and outcomes. The Center has developed a documentary film entitled 

Invaluable: The Unrecognized Profession of Direct Support that explores the 

underappreciated and underfunded work of direct support professionals, the people who 

support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in living full lives as 

members of their communities. The film honors the complexity of the work and the immense 

value it provides to individuals receiving support. Project staff organized film screenings and 

have developed and maintained a website that features selections from the film. The website 

also features a “Share Your Story” feature that encourages direct support professionals to 
17 

film a short story to share and honor the critical work that they are doing during the COVID19 pandemic. The website featuring film selections is available at: 

https://ici.umn.edu/product/invaluable/main.

Knowledge Translation (KT) 

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. As 

such, 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. 

Research-Based Publications Used by State/Local Authorities to Improve Community 

Living for People with Disabilities (2019) — Grant # 90DPAD0001 

A peer-reviewed publication from the ADA Participation Action Research Consortium: 

Advancing Participation Equity for People with Disabilities called Satisfaction, Safety, and 

Supports: Comparing People with Disabilities’ Insider Experiences about Participation in 

Institutional and Community Living was used by the State of Illinois Department of Human 

Services to evaluate whether their disability services and delivery systems complied with the 

Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. requiring states to provide services in the most 

integrated setting and to propose a new system using the methodology in the publication. 

This publication was also used by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus of Illinois, which 

represents more than 250 mayors in Illinois, as part of a targeted series of community forums 

done with their policy stakeholders. In addition, transit maps and updated transit regional 

maps are research-based informational products that were used by the Metropolitan Transit 

Authority of Harris County (Houston, TX) to focus on improving sidewalks around the transit 

stops that serve people with disabilities. These maps showed where people with disabilities 

lived as well as the transportation lines and common resources or services that they used.

Pocket Guide Provides Effective Communication Tips for Law Enforcement Personnel 

When Interacting with Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2019) 

— Grant # 90DP0094 

The Rocky Mountain ADA National Network Regional Center developed and made available 

a pocket guide, Law Enforcement – Interacting with People with Intellectual and 

Developmental Disabilities, as part of the information package on police, law enforcement, 

and individuals with disabilities. This pocket guide contains information and tips for law 

enforcement personnel when interacting with people with intellectual and developmental 

disabilities, as well as information on how the ADA applies to law enforcement entities. The 

need for this guide was identified and content developed based on research findings from 

their study Disability and Law Enforcement Personnel: Perceptions from the Rocky 

Mountain Region of the USA, which explores the perspectives of law enforcement personnel 
18 

regarding interaction and communication with individuals with disabilities in order to 

enhance training and technical assistance, community stakeholders’ input, and partnership 

with local law enforcement personnel. This pocket guide has been used by law enforcement 

agencies and other community stakeholders.

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.

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 Fellows 

Quotes from Switzer Fellows

“The Switzer Fellowship gave me the funds I needed to get pilot data to establish my 

major line of research on information processing speed among people with multiple 

sclerosis. It was fundamental to get the follow-on grant, which was exactly what I 

needed to establish myself as an independent scientist.” 

 – Silvana Lopes Costa (Grant # 90SF0012) 

“The Switzer Fellowship was an amazing jump-start to my work as an early career 

scholar, and the work continues more than 2 years following my official end date. The 

Switzer Fellowship was truly an amazing opportunity that has led to a tool that fills an 

important gap in resources and will aid in the increased coordination and delivery of 

pre-employment transition services as required under the Workforce Innovation and 

Opportunity Act of 2014.” 

 – Marcus Poppen (Grant # 90SF0017) 
19 

Dr. Jongsang Son (Grant # 90SFGE0005), a Switzer Fellow from 2017–2018, is now a 

Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at 

Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. His research focuses on motor recovery after 

stroke. As a Switzer Fellow, Dr. Son investigated In Vivo Three-Dimensional Changes in 

Muscle Geometry and Architecture After Stroke. Dr. Son published two papers in 2019 and 

two more in 2020. He also received a new award from the Davee Stroke Seed Grant from 

Northwestern University. More information about his work can be found at: 

https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=45229

Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Projects 

The AART 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 52 percent of Fellows in the ARRT funding 

program in FY 2019 and 44 percent of Fellows in the AART funding program in FY 2020 

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. 

Featured AART Fellows

Allison Hernandez, PhD, RN

Dr. Hernandez is a bilingual, bicultural Mexican-American registered 

nurse. She is trained as a biobehavioral health researcher and has a broad 

interest in older adult health and longevity. Her current research focuses 

on improving wellness programming for older adults as it relates to the 

promotion of exercise, nutrition, social engagement, and happiness. Dr. 

Hernandez’s policy placement was in the Office of U.S. Congresswoman 

Donna Shalala, where she worked on a variety of health, aging, and disability policy issues. 

Ivorie Stanley, MD, MPH 

Dr. Stanley is an occupational and environmental medicine physician. 

With a background in public health and preventive medicine, her 

research interests broadly center on interactions between employment 

and health to limit disease and disability in vulnerable populations. She 

has particular interests in the aging workforce and the impact of 

occupational and environmental exposures on the health of older adults. 

Dr. Stanley’s policy placement was in the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, 

where she worked on workforce and labor policy initiatives for older adults and people with 

disabilities.
20 

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 percent of 

NIDILRR appropriations be used to address traditionally underserved populations. The 

following are some of the activities and achievements of the Section 21 program: 

AT Access and Usage Barriers Among African Americans with Disabilities (2020) — 

Grant # 90RTST0001 

The Langston University RRTC on Research and Capacity-Building for Minority Entities

published an article in the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling about the literature 

on AT access and usage barriers among African Americans with disabilities. This article 

discusses the access and usage disparities and their impact on employment for African 

Americans with disabilities. The Center calls for bridging the digital divide through public 

policy reform, digital literacy awareness, and enhanced capacity-building within vocational 

rehabilitation (VR) and AT service delivery. This article urges VR counselors in education 

and practice to examine ways to increase AT access and bridge usage gaps for African 

Americans with disabilities in public policy, VR service delivery, and institutional 

infrastructure systems. 

Link: https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrjarc/51/2/115

Project CLAIM: Social-Cognitive Career Theory Variables for African American College 

Students with Disabilities (2019) — Grant # 90IF0103 

Southern University and A&M College’s FIP, Project CLAIM, develops methods and 

procedures to maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, 

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

with severe disabilities, especially those from underserved groups. Project CLAIM seeks to 

improve the effectiveness of services authorized by the ADA via theory-driven research and 

targeted dissemination for VR clients, their families, communities, practitioners, and 

employers. In 2019, Project CLAIM published an article on social-cognitive career theory 

variables as mediators for the relationship between deep learning and goal persistence in 

African American college students with disabilities. This study examined the social-cognitive 

career theory of academic barriers, coping self-efficacy, academic milestone self-efficacy, 

and academic outcome expectancy. In this study, career assessment data was collected from 

62 African American college students who self-identified as having a disability. Findings 

from the study indicate that deep learning is significantly linked to goal persistence. Project 

CLAIM found that higher levels of deep learning had the benefit of helping African 

American college students with disabilities develop coping self-efficacy, academic milestone 

self-efficacy, and academic outcome expectancy, which led to heightened goal persistence.

Link: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-vocational-rehabilitation/jvr180999 
21 

Highlights from Former NIDILRR Grantees

ADA National Network

Just-in-Time Toolkits: Pilot of an Employee Version of the Toolkit — Grant # 90DP0071: 

2011–2017 

The Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and 

Disability at Cornell University continues to 

build on the Just-in-Time toolkits, piloting an 

employee version of the toolkit. This toolkit was 

developed in response to requests from the field. 

The toolkit has been adopted by the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration and the 

Department of Transportation; the latter’s toolkit 

includes additional evaluation tools. The Just-inTime Toolkit can be found at 

https://www.disabilitytoolkit.org/. 

ADA Trainer Leadership Network Evaluation Tools Available Online — Grant # 

90DP0071: 2011–2017 

The Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University produced ADA 

Trainer Leadership Network evaluation tools. These evaluation tools are popular with VR 

offices across the country and the curriculum is now online so it can be done without 

traveling. Three regions have built networks around the training, including the Mid-Atlantic 

ADA Regional Center. It is also used with individuals with intellectual and developmental 

disabilities in a train-the-trainer setting. These individuals are paired with existing trainers,

and together they talk about the program. VR administrators in the State of New York talked 

about how the ADA Training Leadership Network has enhanced their capacity to serve 

businesses and educate them about the ADA. 

Community Living and Participation

Reducing Disparities Through a Culturally Informed Intervention for Latinx Parents of 

Children with Autism — Grant # 90IF0072: 2014–2017 

The Parents Taking Action intervention has been 

incorporated into a new FIP under the Minority-Serving 

Institutions (Section 21) program to further develop the 

program for Latinx parents of children with autism or social 

communication deficits. This program developed a 

culturally competent educational program for parents and 

evaluated it using a randomized controlled trial. The 

intervention drew from existing knowledge about autism, 

treatments, services, and strategies and made it accessible to the Spanish-speaking Latinx 
22 

community in a culturally competent and cost-effective way. For example, the curriculum 

was delivered by community health educators, or promotoras de salud, who themselves were 

parents of children with autism. Participants were Latinx mothers of children with an autism 

spectrum disorder or social communication deficit. Participants received 14 weeks of home 

visits by the promotora, who delivered intervention content using an interactive approach. 

The first part of the intervention included understanding autism symptoms and diagnosis, 

evidenced-based interventions, advocacy, reducing stress, and explaining their child’s 

behaviors to others. The second part of the intervention educated parents on how to reduce 

problem behaviors and improve their child’s social and communication skills. Measures of 

caregiver (family empowerment, caregiver efficacy, and use of targeted intervention 

strategies) and child outcomes (autism-related symptoms, services received) were collected 

pre- and post-intervention and at one additional follow-up point. The results from the 

California arm of the study showed that compared to the control group, the intervention 

group saw a significant decrease in autism symptoms and an increase in typical and evidencebased services for children. They found significant increases in parent outcomes on knowing 

their rights, accessing community, overall family empowerment, and efficacy in using 

strategies. The program’s published article, https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2019.1570890, 

contains more detailed information about these results.

Link: https://fsrtc.ahslabs.uic.edu/research/parents-taking-action/

The Game Plan Application — Grant # H133G120091: 2012–2015 

Dr. Jessica Kramer 

was invited to 

contribute to an 

international textbook 

(Participation: 

Optimizing Outcomes 

in Childhood-Onset 

Neurodisability) on 

participation in 

pediatric rehabilitation. The invited chapter features Project TEAM (Teens Making 

Environmental and Activity Modification) as an intervention approach that focuses on 

participation. Dr. Kramer was also invited to present a series of workshops across Florida for 

more than 300 occupational and physical therapists working in state schools, discussing the 

role of these therapies in transition planning. Project TEAM was featured as an evidencebased/research-based approach for this age group. Dr. Kramer continues to receive requests 

for the intervention from university/academic programs and schools serving youth across the 

state. In addition, the Game Plan app is in the final stages of development and will be 

available for beta testing in early 2020. 

Link: http://sites.bu.edu/yell/research/project-team/ 
23 

Employment Outcomes

Expansion of the VR Online Portal — Grant # 90IF0081: 2014–2017 

The VR Online Portal developed by Wright State University has been expanded to include 

two more webcasts, with plans to add at least two more in American Sign Language that will 

explain the use of behavioral assessments and the O*NET (an occupational interest scale), 

which is being used to develop 10 online assessment instruments in American Sign Language 

(GAIN-SS, AUDIT-US, AUDIT-C, DAST, SWLS, RSES, O*NET, PHQ-9, GAD-7, and 

SBQ-R) under a NIDILRR-funded DRRP. The portal is also used by Dr. Charlie Bernacchio 

at the University of Southern Maine in his research on counselor education as well as in the 

rehabilitation counseling education program itself. Dr. Bernacchio has also applied for a FIP 

grant in which he will collaborate with 12 other rehab counselor education programs to teach 

grad students to use VR online. The VR Online Portal is also used at the rehabilitation 

counseling graduate program at Eastern Carolina University. The VR Online Portal is 

actively promoted through exhibits and presentations at conferences and meetings.

Link: https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrjarc/49/2/40 

Incorporation of Grant Products at University of California-Davis and Presentation at the 

College and University Work-Family Association Annual Conference — 

Grant # 90IF0051: 2013–2016 

In 2019, results from this project at University of 

California-Davis were included in and informed two 

publications: a book chapter on bullying and 

harassment within Employment and Disability: 

Issues, Innovations, and Opportunities, and an 

encyclopedia entry on workplace bullying and 

harassment in Disability in American Life: An 

Encyclopedia of Concepts, Policies, and 

Controversies. Within the organization, results from 

this project support related research on 

employment-related decision-making among older 

health care workers. University of California-Davis has included content from this grant’s 

products and the link to the Work-Life Balance and Disability website in its workplace wellbeing toolkit for managers. This project has had an influence on policy and practice within 

organizations, beginning with the University of California-Davis adoption of these resources. 

In addition, they invited grantee LaWanda Cook to present at the College and University 

Work-Family Association annual conference in 2019.

Link: https://www.yti.cornell.edu/work/keeping-people-with-disabilities-in-the-workforcenegotiating-work-life-and-disability-work-life-balance
24 

Findings Presented on the Survey on Making VR Work — Grant # 90DP0009: 2010–2016

The Disability subgroup within the Campbell Collaboration is conducting an update of a prior 

NIDILRR-funded systematic review on interventions to promote the employment of 

transition-aged youth and young adults who have autism. The Campbell Collaboration’s 

survey, Making VR Work, was adapted as a baseline outcome measure for the current Center 

on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research, with findings reported in the 2019 

State of the Science and in an upcoming webcast. The former principal investigator on this 

grant, Kathleen Murphy, serves as a member of the KT Advisory Group for Temple 

University’s Collaborative from 2018–present. Another former member of this project, Ann 

Outlaw, serves on the advisory board for the Residential Information Systems Project at the 

University of Minnesota’s Institute for Community Integration from 2018–present. Gordon 

Duff directs Australia’s National Disability Services and wanted advice about how to infuse 

the provision of disability services in Australia with research. To advise on this topic, 

Kathleen Murphy met with Duff twice: once during the Campbell Collaboration Annual 

Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, in October 2018, when he attended a meeting of the 

Disability Coordinating Group, and once via teleconference on March 25, 2019, during his 

year as a Fulbright Scholar from Australia to the U.S. 

Health and Function

Development of a New Information Product: Research Alerts — 

Grant # 90IF0066: 2014–2017 

The research team of the Risk of Early Mortality After 

Spinal Cord Injury project at the Medical University of 

South Carolina is expanding their original conceptualization 

to include a larger cohort and a larger dataset. This will 

allow them to address newer questions and follow up on 

questions that came out of this study. The study results 

included important findings about specific risk factors, such 

as alcohol or opioid use and risk-taking, that are linked to 

mortality for people with SCI. Work continues on 

developing and refining the health calculator and risk 

calculator completed during the study period, and a new 

unintentional injury calculator is in development. The team 

developed Research Alert, a new information product 

designed to bring attention to an important finding from the study in an actionable format. 

The alerts describe what the study found about specific behavioral risks for mortality among 

people with SCI, who is at risk, and what an individual can do to mitigate that risk.
25 

How Does NIDILRR Collaborate?

NIDILRR has an extensive history of collaborating across federal institutions to identify best

practices, conduct co-sponsored research, and address shared goals. Well-established

partnerships exist both within the Department of Health and Human Services and across the 

federal government. For example, NIDILRR has working partnerships with the Department 

of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology, the Department of Transportation, the Access Board, and the Federal 

Communications Commission. 

Traumatic Brain Injury

The NIDILRR TBIMS, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

conducted a study on return to work and school post TBI. This collaboration used a 

secondary longitudinal analysis to examine the probability of returning to productivity more

than 5 years following moderate to severe brain injury. This study tracked the outcome of 

participation in productive activity in employment or school, as reported through phone 

interviews at different time periods post injury. This study was published in 2020 and can be 

accessed here. 

Mental Health 

Four RRTCs that focus on mental health receive funds from both NIDILRR and the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These include the RRTC on 

Transition to Employment for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Health 

Conditions at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the RRTC on Community 

Living and Participation Among Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Health 

Conditions at Portland State University, the RRTC on Improving Employment Outcomes for 

Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities at Boston University, and the RRTC on SelfDirected Recovery and Integrated Health Care at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Transportation

NIDILRR partly funds the Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative 

(ATTRI), which seeks to enhance the mobility of travelers with disabilities by providing the

capability to reliably, safely, and independently plan and execute their travel through 

integrated solutions and technologies. The initiative is led by the Federal Highway and 

Federal Transit Administrations and is funded by NIDILRR and the Department of 

Transportation. ATTRI has made significant headway in 

documenting travelers’ needs and applying multimodal technology, 

and it is broadening its reach nationally and internationally. ATTRI

is currently in the second phase of the project: designing prototypes 

and standards that build upon user research. 
26 

Cloud Computing 

NIDILRR, in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Institute 

for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education, is developing cloud computing 

technologies for the personalization of AT user preferences. Activities have included the 

development of a National Institute of Standards and Technology white paper examining 

accessibility issues; AT taxonomies; researching opportunities available through cloud 

computing, and an examination of how personal preferences can be captured quickly and 

effectively.

Military and Veteran Health

In response to the 2012 Executive Order 13625, Improving Access to Mental Health Services 

for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families, NIDILRR collaborated with the 

Department of Defense, VA, and the National Institutes of Health to create a National 

Research Action Plan, a 10-year blueprint released in 2013 for interagency research to 

enhance the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of PTSD and TBI and to improve suicide 

prevention. Additional research collaborations include work with VA and the Department of 

Defense to support our nation’s service members and veterans with TBI, including, for 

example, the establishment and expansion of the VA TBI Veterans Health Registry and the 

VA TBIMS Database. The former includes military personnel with symptoms of TBI who 

served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom and who apply for 

services or file a disability claim. The latter is the VA equivalent of the NIDILRR TBIMS 

National Database and includes service members and veterans who are admitted to any of the 

five VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center facilities nationwide and who have sustained a 

TBI of any severity. The sharing of data, resources, and expertise is helping to track 

outcomes of civilian and military individuals with TBI and conduct both descriptive and 

comparative studies. 

Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) 

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 2019 and 2020, the ICDR devoted much of its effort to planning how to implement 

specific 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 
27 

teleconferences related to promoting coordination, collaboration, and partnerships. In FY 

2019 and 2020, the ICDR Government-Wide Inventory working group moved forward with 

developing the database. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 

National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, and NIDILRR committed funds to this 

project.
28

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, 2019 Annual Performance Reports, and the 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, 

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, 2020 

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. (2020). FY 

2019–2020 Organization Highlights. Washington, DC.

This report was produced under U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Contract 

No. GS-00F-0038N with New Editions Consulting, Inc. Raina McDowell served as the 

contracting officer’s technical representative. The views expressed herein do not necessarily 

represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 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.