Disability
Policy and Services
U.S. Department of Education
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Logistical, Administrative, and Technical Support for
the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR)
The mission of the Interagency
Committee on Disability Research (ICDR)
is to promote coordination and cooperation among federal
departments and agencies conducting rehabilitation
research programs, and to make recommendations to
the president and Congress. The National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in the Department of Education is the
statutory chair of the ICDR. President Bush’s 2001 New Freedom Initiative
(NFI), recognized the unique role of the ICDR within the government
and directed it to prioritize the immediate assistive and universally
designed technology needs in the disability community.
CESSI is a full partner with the ICDR
in leading the activities to support this mission. CESSI works
closely with government leaders from approximately 40 different agencies,
nationally known researchers, and consumer advocates to enhance the coordination
of federally funded research to better meet the needs of citizens with
disabilities.
Major CESSI activities include consumer
research; research and policy analyses; scientific meetings; dissemination
activities; and development and maintenance of ICDR infrastructure tools.
The consumer research activities are designed to collect systematic
information from various disability stakeholder groups. Furthermore,
they serve to inform ICDR deliberations ensuring that research efforts
are leading to solutions for identified needs. We plan, implement and
report on:
- An annual series of regional focus groups targeting
individuals with disabilities who are members of
traditionally underrepresented groups;
- Open-ended Web comment forms to solicit feedback
from the broad range of disability research stakeholders;
- Surveys on consumer use of, satisfaction with,
and need for assistive devices; and
- An annual meeting with leaders of disability advocacy
organizations and professional associations.
In the area of research and policy analyses, CESSI completes
reviews, policy analyses, and technical reports in response to ICDR member
needs on a short turn around. Recent documents include:
- Federal Statutory Definitions of Disability
- Compendium of Federal Funding for Assistive Technology
- Analysis of Issues Affecting Interagency Collaboration
- Review and Analysis of Current Research Using the
International Classification of Functioning (ICF)
The full ICDR and its five subcommittees sponsor major scientific summits
and conferences annually. The meetings bring together respected researchers,
advocates, service providers, and federal representatives to summarize
the state-of-the-art in the field, identify research gaps, define data
needs for policy development , and prioritize research directions. CESSI provides
program, logistical and administrative expertise for all of these meetings.
Areas recently addressed include:
- Interference to Hearing Technologies by Digital
Wireless Telephones;
- Wheeled Mobility, Accessible Transportation and
Air Travel;
- The ICF: Potential Influence on Disability and
Rehabilitation; and
- Personal Assistance Services and Caregiving across
the Life Span.
CESSI also supports ICDR dissemination
activities. We designed and now maintain an accessible Web site for the
general public, including the logo. We prepare PowerPoint presentations,
exhibit booths, and accessible materials for ICDR members to use at conferences.
In addition, CESSI prepares press releases,
research briefs, and other informational resources in lay language.
Under this contract, CESSI helped establish
the first administrative infrastructure system for the ICDR. We handle
design, operations and technical support in several areas:
- Membership database and electronic communications;
- Logistic and administrative support for approximately
40 committee meetings annually;
- Preparation of the annual report to the president
and Congress; and
- Design of a Web portal/search engine to facilitate
identification of currently funded research across
multiple agencies.
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