66732 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 7, 2000 / Notices

9 Category 347–T: only HTS numbers

6103.19.2015, 6103.19.9020, 6103.22.0030,

6103.42.1020, 6103.42.1040, 6103.49.8010,

6112.11.0050, 6113.00.9038, 6203.19.1020,

6203.19.9020, 6203.22.3020, 6203.42.4005,

6203.42.4010, 6203.42.4015, 6203.42.4025,

6203.42.4035, 6203.42.4045, 6203.49.8020,

6210.40.9033, 6211.20.1520, 6211.20.3810

and 6211.32.0040; Category 348–T: only HTS

numbers 6104.12.0030, 6104.19.8030,

6104.22.0040, 6104.29.2034, 6104.62.2006,

6104.62.2011, 6104.62.2026, 6104.62.2028,

6104.69.8022, 6112.11.0060, 6113.00.9042,

6117.90.9060, 6204.12.0030, 6204.19.8030,

6204.22.3040, 6204.29.4034, 6204.62.3000,

6204.62.4005, 6204.62.4010, 6204.62.4020,

6204.62.4030, 6204.62.4040, 6204.62.4050,

6204.69.6010, 6204.69.9010. 6210.50.9060,

6211.20.1550, 6211.20.6810, 6211.42.0030

and 6217.90.9050. 10 Category 369–S: only HTS number

6307.10.2005.

The limits set forth above are subject to

adjustment pursuant to the provisions of the

ATC and administrative arrangements

notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body.

Products in the above categories exported

during 2000 shall be charged to the

applicable category limits for that year (see

directive dated November 9, 1999) to the

extent of any unfilled balances. In the event

the limits established for that period have

been exhausted by previous entries, such

products shall be charged to the limits set

forth in this directive.

In carrying out the above directions, the

Commissioner of Customs should construe

entry into the United States for consumption

to include entry for consumption into the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The Committee for the Implementation of

Textile Agreements has determined that

these actions fall within the foreign affairs

exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5

U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Richard B. Steinkamp,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 00–28547 Filed 11–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Institute on Disability and

Rehabilitation Research

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services, Department of

Education.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Funding

Priorities for Fiscal Years 2001–2002 for

a National Center on Accessible

Education-Based Information

Technology, the Disability and Business

Technical Assistance Centers, and a

Traumatic Brain Injury Data Collection

Center.

SUMMARY: We propose funding priorities

for a National Center on Accessible

Education-Based Information

Technology, the Disability and Business

Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs),

and a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Data

Collection Center under the National

Institute on Disability and

Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) for

fiscal years (FY) 2001–2002. We take

this action to focus research attention on

areas of national need. We intend these

priorities to improve the rehabilitation

services and outcomes for individuals

with disabilities. This notice contains

proposed priorities under the

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Technical Assistance Projects and the

Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Projects and Centers Program.

DATES: We must receive your comments

on or before December 7, 2000.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning

these proposed priorities should be

addressed to Donna Nangle, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland

Avenue, SW., room 3414, Switzer

Building, Washington, DC. 20202–2645.

Comments may also be sent through the

Internet: donnalnangle@ed.gov

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 205–

5880. Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number at (202)

205–4475.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this document in an alternate

format (e.g., Braille, large print,

audiotape, or computer diskette) on

request to the contact person listed in

the preceding paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation To Comment

We invite you to submit comments

regarding these proposed priorities.

We invite you to assist us in

complying with the specific

requirements of Executive Order 12866

and its overall requirement of reducing

regulatory burden that might result from

these proposed priorities. Please let us

know of any further opportunities we

should take to reduce potential costs or

increase potential benefits while

preserving the effective and efficient

administration of the program.

During and after the comment period,

you may inspect all public comments

about these priorities in Room 3414,

Switzer Building, 330 C Street SW.,

Washington, DC, between the hours of

8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday

through Friday of each week except

Federal holidays.

Assistance To Individuals With

Disabilities in Reviewing the

Rulemaking Record

On request, we will supply an

appropriate aid, such as a reader or

print magnifier, to an individual with a

disability who needs assistance to

review the comments or other

documents in the public rulemaking

record for these proposed priorities. If

you want to schedule an appointment

for this type of aid, you may call (202)

205–8113 or (202) 260–9895. If you use

a TDD, you may call the Federal

Information Relay Service at 1–800–

877–8339.

Goals 2000: Educate America Act

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act

(Goals 2000) focuses the Nation’s

education reform efforts on the eight

National Education Goals and provides

a framework for meeting them. Goals

2000 promotes new partnerships to

strengthen schools and expands the

Department’s capacities for helping

communities to exchange ideas and

obtain information needed to achieve

the goals.

These proposed priorities would

address the National Education Goal

that every adult American will be

literate and will possess the knowledge

and skills necessary to compete in a

global economy and exercise the rights

and responsibilities of citizenship.

The authority for the programs to

establish research priorities by reserving

funds to support particular research

activities is contained in sections 202(g)

and 204 of the Rehabilitation Act of

1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 762(g) and

764). Regulations governing these

programs are found in 34 CFR part 350.

We will announce the final priorities

in a notice in the Federal Register. We

will determine the final priorities after

considering responses to this notice and

other information available to the

Department. This notice does not

preclude us from proposing or funding

additional priorities, subject to meeting

applicable rulemaking requirements.

Note: This notice does not solicit

applications. In any year in which we choose

to use these proposed priorities, we invite

applications through a notice published in

the Federal Register. When inviting

applications we designate each priority as

absolute.

The proposed priorities refer to

NIDRR’s Long Range Plan (the Plan).

The Plan can be accessed on the World

Wide Web at: http://www.ed.gov/

legislation/FedRegister/other/1999–12/

68576.html.

Priorities on the ADA and Accessible

Education-Based Information

Technology (IT)

Public Law 101–336, the Americans

with Disability Act (ADA), enacted on

July 26, 1990, prohibits discrimination

against individuals with disabilities in

employment, public accommodations,

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 7, 2000 / Notices 66733

transportation, State and local

government, and telecommunications.

In October 1991, and again in October

1996, NIDRR awarded five-year grants to

establish 10 regional Disability and

Business Technical Assistance Centers

(DBTACs). These centers provide

technical assistance and training on all

of the requirements of the ADA to

covered entities and individuals with

responsibilities and rights under the

ADA. Currently, there is one DBTAC in

each of the 10 Department of Education

regions. For FY 2001 NIDRR is

proposing to fund 10 new DBTACs that

will maintain the current level of effort

on providing information and technical

assistance on the ADA as well as add a

special emphasis in the area of

education-based information technology

(IT). The purpose of this special

emphasis is to assist covered

educational entities in providing

children, youth, and adults with

disabilities with access to IT.

NIDRR is proposing two priorities

toward this end. The first establishes a

national center on accessible educationbased IT that will operate in

collaboration with the DBTACs and will

provide support and guidance on

education-based accessible IT technical

assistance activities. The second

proposed priority establishes 10 new

DBTACs and delineates the technical

assistance and training activities

required of them to promote the

successful implementation of the ADA,

including those activities related to the

special emphasis on educational

institutions and accessible IT.

For the purposes of these priorities,

and consistent with the Clinger-Cohen

Act of 1996, information technology is

defined to include any equipment or

interconnected system or subsystem of

equipment that is used in the automatic

acquisition, storage, manipulation,

management, movement, control,

display, switching, interchange,

transmission, or reception of data or

information. It includes computer

hardware, software, networks, and

peripherals as well as many electronic

and communications devices commonly

used in offices. Education-based IT

refers to any IT that is used by either

students or employees of educational

entities, including, but not limited to,

teachers, administrators, and

administrative staff.

Proposed Priority 1: National Center on

Accessible Education-based IT

Background

IT plays a critical role in all

educational settings. Regardless of their

age, students who cannot access IT are

operating at a significant disadvantage

to their peers who can. Recent reports

suggests that, regardless of age,

educators and students with disabilities

face significant IT accessibility issues

(‘‘Computer and Internet Use Among

People with Disabilities,’’ Dr. Stephen

Kaye, Disability Statistics Center,

University of California-San Francisco,

published by NIDRR, U.S. Department

of Education, March 2000; and ‘‘What

are the Barriers to Use of Advanced

Telecommunications for Students with

Disabilities in Public Schools,’’ Issue

Brief published by the National Center

for Education Statistics, U.S.

Department of Education, NCES 2000–

42, January 2000). These issues can be

broken down into two types: legal and

technological.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

of 1973, as amended, prohibits

discrimination on the basis of disability

in any program or activity of recipients

of Federal financial assistance. Virtually

all school districts receive Federal funds

and have been required to comply with

section 504 for many years. The ADA

extends this prohibition to a wider

range of educational entities; however,

with some exceptions, the ADA does

not impose any major new requirements

on school districts and other

educational entities that receive Federal

funds and are covered by section 504.

The ADA requires virtually all

educational entities to ensure that

persons with disabilities are not

excluded from participation in, or

denied the benefits of, its services,

programs, and activities. This includes

all aspects of the instructional

environment, employment

relationships, and services carried out

by contractors. When IT is part of the

programs, services, or activities

provided by the educational entity,

those entities have an obligation to

ensure that the hardware and software

that make up those technologies are

accessible to all users. In some

instances, educational entities may be

unaware of their legal obligation to

provide accessible IT to persons with

disabilities who enroll or seek to enroll

in their programs. Similarly, persons

with disabilities may be unaware that

they are entitled under the ADA to

access the IT of the educational entity.

It may also be the case that

educational entities do not have the

information they need to either

purchase accessible IT, or adapt the IT

they have so that it is accessible to

students or employees with disabilities.

Both the responsible party within the

educational entity (e.g., the procurement

officer, related services personnel, the

teacher, or the computer lab director)

and the student, or employee with a

disability, may be unaware that

accessible IT exists and can be

purchased, or that adaptations may be

made to the existing IT to provide

accessibility. When a student or

employee with a disability uses assistive

technology (e.g., an augmentative

communication device), the

technological problem may involve

identifying the proper interface between

the educational entity’s IT and the

student or employee’s assistive

technology. In these instances,

information and technical assistance

can aid the educational entity to provide

accessible IT.

Some educational entities may also be

required to comply with the standards

for accessible technology to be issued by

the Access Board, as required by Section

508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section

508 requires Federal agencies and

departments to ensure equal access to

electronic and information technology

for individuals with disabilities

comparable to those who do not have

disabilities, unless such a requirement

would cause an undue burden. The

Assistive Technology Act (AT Act)

requires that States receiving assistance,

including sub-recipients of AT Act

funds, under the AT State Grants

program comply with the requirements

of section 508, including the standards

developed by the Access Board. Each

State must determine whether entities

such as colleges and universities or

local and intermediate school districts

are considered part of the State and

therefore, must comply with Section

508 and the standards as published by

the Access Board.

Proposed Priority

We propose to establish a National

Center on Accessible Education-Based

IT to assist educational entities in

providing persons with disabilities with

accessible IT. The Center must:

(1) Develop new materials and

reformat or reprint existing materials to

assist educational entities to understand

and fulfill their legal obligations to

provide accessible IT. These materials

may include, but are not limited to, the

ADA self-evaluation guide for schools,

section 504 and ADA guidance for

educational entities, technical materials

on IT access, consumers guide to

accessible IT, and technical IT

standards;

(2) Conduct a national information

dissemination campaign to raise

awareness on accessible educationbased IT and inform target audiences on

the availability of technical assistance

from the DBTACs and others. This

campaign may include, but is not

66734 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 7, 2000 / Notices

limited to, print and electronic ads,

newsletters, presentations at national

conferences, and regular electronic

communication with national

organizations to update them on legal

and technological developments;

(3) Promote the procurement by

educational entities of accessible

information technology that meets the

standards for section 508 or universal

design principles;

(4) Coordinate with and provide

training, materials, and technical

assistance to the DBTACs in support of

their technical assistance efforts to

educational entities on accessible IT;

(5) Provide training, materials, and

technical assistance to the U.S.

Department of Education’s various IT

initiatives including, but not limited to,

the Regional Technology in Education

Consortia, Comprehensive Regional

Assistance Centers, the Technology

Literacy Challenge Fund, Community

Technology Centers, and the Preparing

Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use

Technology Programs in order to

promote accessibility by persons with

disabilities; and

In carrying out these activities, the

National Center on Accessible

Education-based IT must:

• Include in its primary target

audience elementary and secondary

institutions, and postsecondary

educational entities including, but not

limited to, institutions of higher

education, proprietary schools

(particularly those offering IT training),

and adult education programs;

• Coordinate with NIDRR’s

Rehabilitation Engineering Research

Centers (RERCs) on Information

Technology Access and

Telecommunications Access, and also

with NIDRR’s Information Technology

Technical Assistance and Training

Center;

• Coordinate with relevant Federal

agencies responsible for the

administration of public laws that

address access to and usability of

education-based IT for persons with

disabilities including, but not limited, to

the General Services Administration,

the Access Board, the Federal

Communications Commission, the

Department of Justice, and offices

within the Department of Education

including the Rehabilitation Services

Administration, the Office of Special

Education Programs, and the Office for

Civil Rights;

• Develop and maintain a web site to

assist educational entities to understand

and fulfill their legal obligations related

to accessible IT; and

• Provide information and technical

assistance consistent with other IT

accessibility laws, including, but not

limited to, section 508 of the

Rehabilitation Act.

Proposed Priority 2: Disability and

Business Technical Assistance Centers

Background

Covered entities and individuals with

responsibilities and rights under the

ADA continue to need technical

assistance on the ADA. The demand for

technical assistance services from the

DBTACs has remained high since 1992

(see Table 1), a trend that will likely

continue indefinitely.

TABLE 1.—SUMMARY OF SELECTED DBTAC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES FROM FY 1992 THROUGH

FY 1999

Fiscal year Number of 800

line calls

Number of

people trained

Number of technical assistance

efforts

Number of hard

copy materials

disseminated

1992 ................................................................................................. 20,000 30,759 40,313 188,842

1993 ................................................................................................. 61,000 63,341 79,964 539,511

1994 ................................................................................................. 75,700 56,800 127,736 698,040

1995 ................................................................................................. 90,400 64,870 152,395 901,878

1996 ................................................................................................. 88,500 64,502 135,000 1,800,000

1997 ................................................................................................. 91,534 70,000 180,909 785,695

1998 ................................................................................................. 92,312 86,000 157,126 1,082,294

1999 ................................................................................................. 90,839 74,500 170,865 1,014,057

Source: Annual Reports of NIDRR’s ADA Technical Assistance Grantees FY 1992–FY 1999

In many instances, the nature of the

technical assistance that the DBTACs

provide today is more complex than the

technical assistance they provided in

the years shortly after the passage of the

ADA. This is a result of covered entities

seeking to stay current with the growing

body of legal precedents as well as

standards and policy guidance issued by

responsible Federal agencies. However,

there are still many covered entities that

need information on the most

fundamental requirements of the law.

Subsequently, DBTACs must continue

to provide basic information about the

ADA as well as respond to more

complex requests for technical

assistance and training.

In order to be effective, it is virtually

imperative that the DBTACs exploit the

benefits of IT and stay current with new

developments in the field. For example,

the DBTACs use web-based programs to

carry out distance learning activities in

order to increase access to and

participation in their information

dissemination efforts. In FY 1999 the

DBTACs and the ADA Program

Assistance Coordinator’s web sites

received over 870,001 visits. While

there will always be a need to distribute

hard copies of materials, the DBTACs

receive increasing numbers of requests

for electronic copies of these same

materials. They also respond to

technical questions, provide training,

and participate in cooperative efforts

related to ADA technical assistance

activities using electronic media. To

carry out a wide variety of electronic

and web-based technical assistance and

training activities, the DBTACs’ staffs

must have a sufficiently high level of

expertise on IT.

The DBTACs provide a wide range of

technical assistance services such as

referrals, consultation, and information

dissemination. They also issue

newsletters and information briefs, and

participate in discussion groups on the

Internet. The DBTACs address the needs

of non-English populations by

distributing materials that have been

translated into other languages and

employing bilingual information

specialists when appropriate. Table 2

indicates the recipient groups of the

DBTACs technical assistance, training,

and materials distribution activities in

FY 1999.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 7, 2000 / Notices 66735

TABLE 2.—SUMMARY OF PERCENTAGE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING, AND MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED TO TARGET

AUDIENCE BY DBTACS IN FY 1999

Target Audience

Technical

assistance

(percent)

Training

(percent)

Materials

distribution

(percent)

Disability Entities .......................................................................................................................... 50 44 45

Businesses ................................................................................................................................... 31 24 30

Public Entities .............................................................................................................................. 14 23 18

Other ............................................................................................................................................ 5 9 7

Source: Annual Report of NIDRR’s ADA Technical Assistance Grantees FY 1999.

In addition, the DBTACs carry out

public awareness activities on the ADA

and the services provided by the

DBTACs through a variety of means

including, but not limited to, radio and

television appearances, presentations at

conferences, and the production of

materials for newspaper and magazine

articles. When it enhances their

technical assistance activities, the

DBTACs also disseminate ADA research

findings generated by NIDRR-sponsored

grantees and others.

In order to tailor their efforts to State

and local needs and maximize their

resources, DBTACs also work to

increase the capacity of State and local

organizations to provide technical

assistance, disseminate information,

provide training, and promote

awareness of the ADA. The DBTACs

have established at least one affiliate in

every State. These affiliates carry out

their activities in collaboration with

coalitions of organizations interested in

promoting the implementation of the

ADA. In addition, the DBTACs support

and collaborate with Centers for

Independent Living (CILs) to assist them

in implementing the ADA through the

provision of technical assistance and

training.

The DBTACs rely, to the maximum

extent possible, on existing Federallyapproved materials and, through a

systematic process of quality control,

ensure the legal sufficiency and

accuracy of the information

disseminated by the Centers and their

affiliates. DBTAC services and activities

are accessible to all individuals with

disabilities, and all of the materials they

distribute are available in alternate

formats. The DBTACs also share a

national toll-free telephone number that

automatically connects the caller with

the DBTAC serving the caller’s area

code. Further, the DBTACs meet semiannually to coordinate their activities

and receive briefings from Federal

agencies with responsibilities under the

ADA. They also evaluate their technical

assistance efforts using the ADA Impact

Measurement System (AIMS). AIMS

uses a follow-up telephone survey and

a postcard survey to measure the impact

that the DBTACs’ technical assistance

has had on its customers and their level

of satisfaction with the services that the

DBTACs provided. AIMS is currently

maintained by one of the DBTACs. The

proposed priority includes an optional

activity authorizing a DBTAC to

maintain AIMS over the proposed

project period. From among those

DBTAC applicants who propose to

maintain AIMS over the project period,

the application evaluation process will

select one successful applicant to carry

out this activity.

Since 1991, the DBTACs have

provided technical assistance and

training to educational entities on their

responsibilities under the ADA. In 1994,

NIDRR funded a training project on the

ADA for schools and supported the U.S.

Department of Education Office for Civil

Rights’ development and publication of

an ADA self-evaluation guide for public

elementary and secondary schools. A

toll-free ADA hotline specifically for

school systems, that originated with the

schools training project, is still in

operation through the Region I DBTAC.

The special emphasis that is being

placed on the DBTACs to provide

technical assistance on accessible IT to

educational entities represents an

expansion of their technical assistance

efforts. In those instances where the

requisite assistance is a matter of

helping the entity to understand its legal

obligation, NIDRR expects the DBTACs

to provide accurate information to the

educational entity on the requirements

of the ADA. In those instances where

the requisite assistance is technical and

involves assisting the entity to procure,

create, adapt, maintain or evaluate the

accessibility of their IT, NIDRR expects

the DBTACs to possess the requisite

technical expertise or develop

partnerships with agencies and

organizations who have the necessary

technical expertise.

The DBTACs routinely receive

inquiries that involve disability-related

laws or disability rights laws other than

the ADA. In some of these instances, the

inquiry concerns the interaction

between the ADA and disability-related

laws such as the Family and Medical

Leave Act or the Worker’s

Compensation Act. In other instances,

individuals with a disability may

believe that their civil rights have been

violated, but are not sure of the

controlling authority. For example,

individuals with a disability may want

to know about their landlord’s

responsibility to make their apartment

accessible. In this case, in order to

provide appropriate technical

assistance, the DBTAC must be

sufficiently familiar with not only the

ADA, but also the Fair Housing Act.

Thus to respond directly or to refer the

inquirer to an expert source of technical

assistance, the DBTACs must be

knowledgeable about a wide array of

disability-related or disability rights

laws.

Proposed Priority

We propose to establish a Regional

DBTAC in each of the Department of

Education 10 regions to facilitate

implementation of the ADA. Each center

must:

(1) Provide technical assistance and

training and disseminate information to

individuals and entities with

responsibilities and rights under the

ADA on the ADA’s requirements as well

as developments in case law, policy,

and implementation;

(2) Increase the capacity of

organizations, at the State and local

level, including CILs, to provide

technical assistance and training on,

disseminate information on, and

promote awareness of the ADA;

(3) Promote awareness of the ADA

and the availability of services provided

by the DBTACs, other NIDRR-sponsored

ADA grantees, and other Federal

information sources on the ADA;

(4) Provide technical assistance and

training and disseminate information on

legal obligations of educational entities

to provide accessible IT to students and

employees;

(5) Provide technical assistance to

educational entities to enable them to

66736 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 7, 2000 / Notices

conduct self-evaluations on the

accessibility of their IT;

(6) Provide technical assistance, either

directly or through referral, on how to

make existing IT accessible and ensure

that new IT acquisitions are accessible;

(7) Promote ‘‘best practices’’ by

encouraging educational entities to

purchase IT consistent with the

standards issued by the Access Board

under Section 508 or universal design

principles, regardless of whether they

have a legal obligation to do so;

(8) Provide information to CILs,

Parent Training Information Centers,

and the Regional Resource Centers on

accessible education-based IT; and

(9) Form regional partnerships among

Assistive Technology Act grantees,

RERCs, Office of Special Education

Programs’ technology grantees, and

other pertinent educational

organizations and agencies to guide,

coordinate, and if appropriate, carry out

technical assistance activities in each

region.

In carrying out these activities each

DBTAC must:

• Involve individuals with

disabilities, parents or other family

members of individuals with

disabilities, in all phases of the design

and operation of the DBTAC to the

maximum extent possible;

• Be knowledgeable about a wide

array of disability-related or disability

rights laws including, but not limited to,

sections 504 and 508 of the

Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act, the Air

Carriers Access Act, section 255 of the

Telecommunications Act, section 188 of

the Workforce Investment Act, the Fair

Housing Act, the Family and Medical

Leave Act, the AT Act, and the Worker’s

Compensation Act;

• Coordinate its activities with the

National Center on Accessible

Education-based IT, and Federal

agencies including, but not limited to,

the Department of Justice, the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission,

the Department of Transportation, the

Federal Communications Commission,

the Access Board, the Department of

Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the

President’s Committee on Employment

of Persons with Disabilities, the

National Council on Disability, and

other offices within the Department of

Education including the Rehabilitation

Services Administration, and the Office

of Special Education Programs;

• Provide performance accountability

data on a monthly and annual basis as

requested by NIDRR;

• Distribute services and resources

equitably—taking into account

population and size—among each State

in its region;

• Address the needs of non-English

speaking populations; and

Include in their target audience for

activities (4), (5), (6), and (7): elementary

and secondary institutions, and

postsecondary educational entities

including, but not limited to,

institutions of higher learning,

proprietary schools (particularly those

offering IT training), and adult

education programs.

In carrying out its evaluation

activities, a DBTAC may maintain the

ADA Impact Measurement System.

Proposed Additional Selection Criterion

for the DBTACs and the National Center

on Accessible Education-Based IT

Priorities

We will use the selection criteria in

34 CFR 350.54 to evaluate applications

under this program. In evaluating

applications for the DBTACs and the

National Center on Accessible

Education-based IT and, we will also

use the following factor under the

project staff criterion. In determining

the quality of the project staff, we will

consider the extent to which key

personnel have expert knowledge about

state-of-the-art IT to conduct all

proposed activities.

Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Project and Centers Program

The purpose of the DRRP program is

to plan and conduct research,

demonstration projects, training, and

related activities to:

(a) Develop methods, procedures, and

rehabilitation technology that

maximizes the full inclusion and

integration into society, employment,

independent living, family support, and

economic and social self-sufficiency of

individuals with disabilities; and

(b) Improve the effectiveness of

services authorized under the Act.

Proposed Priority 3: Traumatic Brain

Injury (TBI) Data Center

Background

An estimated 5.3 million Americans

currently live with disabilities resulting

from brain injury. The Centers for

Disease Control (CDC) estimates that

approximately 80,000 Americans

experience the onset of disabilities

resulting from TBI each year. The three

leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle

crashes, violence, and falls, particularly

among the elderly. As stated in the 1998

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Consensus Conference, ‘‘TBI may result

in lifelong impairment of an

individual’s physical, cognitive, and

psychosocial functioning.’’

In 1987, NIDRR established the

National Traumatic Brain Injury Model

Systems (TBIMS) Program by funding

four research and demonstration

projects to conduct research on

comprehensive, multidisciplinary

rehabilitation services to persons who

experience TBI. This number expanded

to 17 projects in 1998. The multi-project

TBIMS program is designed to study the

course of recovery and outcomes

following the delivery of a coordinated

system of care. (Additional information

on TBIMS can be found at http://

www.tbims.org). The TBIMS database

currently contains over 2,000 cases and

supports clinical research and research

on outcomes including employment,

community integration, and quality of

life. Through a complex data collection

and retrieval program, the TBIMS

projects are capable of analyzing

different system components to provide

information on project cost effectiveness

and benefits. Data is collected

throughout the rehabilitation process

and at specified follow up periods

following discharge from the

rehabilitation facility.

The parameters of the database are

determined collaboratively by TBIMS

project directors, in consultation with

NIDRR. A syllabus describing the

current data elements may be obtained

from Donna Nangle at the contact

information previously listed.

Expansion of the number of projects has

broadened the representation of subjects

in terms of geographic distribution,

ethnic group membership, and

socioeconomic status.

In the past, data from the TBIMS

database has been largely restricted to

the use of TBIMS researchers. Recent

Federal regulations (see March 16, 2000,

65 FR 14416–14418) outline conditions

under which outside parties may

request access to the data under the

auspices of the Freedom of Information

Act. In addition, there is increased

interest in expanding the use of this

data in conjunction with populationbased data to further research on TBI by

the larger research community. Both

activities require development of

guidelines that ensure subject

confidentiality, protect the identity of

individual projects, and support use of

the data in rigorous research efforts.

Historically, the data center has been

funded as a supplement to one of the

projects in the TBIMS. We propose to

establish a separate TBI data center to

maintain this information.

Proposed Priority

We propose to establish a data center

for the purpose of managing and

facilitating the use of information

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 7, 2000 / Notices 66737

collected by the TBIMS projects on

individuals with traumatic brain injury.

The data center must:

(1) Establish and maintain a database

repository for data from TBIMS projects

while providing for confidentiality,

quality control, and data retrieval

capabilities, using cost-effective and

user-friendly technology;

(2) Ensure data quality, reliability,

and integrity by providing training and

technical assistance to TBIMS projects

on data collection procedures, data

entry methods, and use of study

instruments;

(3) Provide consultation to NIDRR and

directors and staff of the TBIMS projects

on utility and quality of data elements;

(4) Support efforts to improve the

research findings of the TBIMS projects

by providing statistical and other

consultation regarding the national

database;

(5) Facilitate dissemination of

information generated by the TBIMS

projects, including statistical

information, scientific papers, and

consumer materials;

(6) Evaluate the feasibility of linking

and comparing TBIMS data to

population-based data sets, such as the

CDC State-based injury surveillance

data and provide technical assistance

for such linkage, as appropriate; and

(7) Develop guidelines to provide

access to TBIMS data by individuals

and institutions, ensuring that data are

available in accessible formats for

persons with disabilities.

In carrying out these purposes, the

center must:

• Demonstrate knowledge of

culturally appropriate methods of data

collection, including understanding of

culturally sensitive measurement

approaches; and

• Collaborate with other NIDRR

funded projects, e.g., the Model Spinal

Cord Injury and Burn Injury Model

System Data Centers, regarding issues

such as database development and

maintenance, center operations, and

data management.

Proposed Additional Selection Criterion

We will use the selection criteria in

34 CFR 350.54 to evaluate applications

under these programs. The maximum

score for all the criteria is 100 points;

however, we will also use the following

criterion so that up to an additional 10

points may be earned by an applicant

for a total possible score of 110 points.

Up to 10 points based on the extent

to which an application includes

effective strategies for employing and

advancing in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities in projects

awarded under these absolute priorities.

In determining the effectiveness of those

strategies, we will consider the

applicant’s prior success, as described

in the application, in employing and

advancing in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities.

Thus, for purposes of this competitive

preference, applicants can be awarded

up to a total of 10 points in addition to

those awarded under the published

selection criteria for these priorities.

That is, an applicant meeting this

competitive preference could earn a

maximum total of 110 points.

Applicable Program Regulations: 34

CFR part 350.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g)

and 764.

Electronic Access to This Document:

You may view this document, as well as

all other Department of Education

documents published in the Federal

Register, in text or Adobe Portable

Document Format (PDF) on the Internet

at either of the following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use PDF you must have Adobe

Acrobat Reader, which is available free

at either of the previous sites. If you

have questions about using PDF, call the

U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO),

toll free, at 1–888–293–6498; or in the

Washington, DC, area at (202) 512–1530.

Note: The official version of this document

is published in the Federal Register. Free

Internet access to the official edition of the

Federal Register and the Code of Federal

Regulations is available on GPO Access at:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number: 84.133D, Americans with

Disabilities Act Technical Assistance Projects

and 84.133A, Disability and Rehabilitation

Research Project and Centers Program)

Dated: November 2, 2000.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 00–28528 Filed 11–06–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–U

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

International Energy Agency Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: Subject to timely enactment

of legislation to reinstate the antitrust

defense under section 252 of the Energy

Policy and Conservation Act, a meeting

of the Industry Advisory Board to the

International Energy Agency will be

held on November 14, 2000, at the

headquarters of the IEA in Paris, France

in connection with a meeting of the

IEA’s Standing Group on Emergency

Questions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Samuel M. Bradley, Assistant General

Counsel for International and National

Security Programs, Department of

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20585, 202–586–

6738.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Subject to

timely enactment of legislation to

reinstate the antitrust defense under

section 252 of the Energy Policy and

Conservation Act (EPCA), the following

meeting notice is provided, in

accordance with section 252(c)(1)(A)(i)

of the EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6272(c)(1)(A)(i)):

A meeting of the Industry Advisory

Board (IAB) to the International Energy

Agency (IEA) will be held at the

headquarters of the IEA, 9, rue de la

Fe ́de ́ration, Paris, France, on November

14, 2000, beginning at approximately 9

a.m. The purpose of this notice is to

permit attendance by representatives of

U.S. company members of the IAB at a

meeting of the IEA’s Standing Group on

Emergency Questions (SEQ), which is

scheduled to be held at the IEA on

November 14, including a preparatory

encounter among company

representatives on November 14 from

approximately 9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

The Agenda for the preparatory

encounter among company

representatives is to elicit views

regarding items on the SEQ’s Agenda.

The Agenda for the SEQ meeting is

under the control of the SEQ. It is

expected that the SEQ will adopt the

following Agenda:

1. Adoption of the Agenda

2. Approval of the Summary Record of

the 99th Meeting

3. SEQ Work Program

• The Year 2001 Work Program of the

SEQ

4. Follow-up to the Governing Board

Decision of October 26

• Measures to Ensure Compliance

with IEA Stockholding

Commitments

• Alternative Criteria for Use of

Emergency Stocks

5. Emergency Response Preparedness

• Report on Results of Special Data

Collection on Stocks and Refinery

Operations

• Report on the Communications Test

• Arrangements for Preparedness

Checklist and Country Profiles

• Reports on Recent Test/Drawdown/

Sale Operations by the United

States, Japan and Germany

• United States Heating Oil Reserves

6. Policy and Legislative Developments

in Member Countries

• Status of United States EPCA