07/09/99: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Final Funding Priorities for Fiscal Year 1999 for New Awards and Inviting Applications and Pre-Application Meeting for New Awards Under the Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance Program[OSERS]


[Federal Register: July 9, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 131)]
[Notices]               
[Page 37363-37366]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09jy99-112]                         

[[Page 37363]]

_______________________________________________________________________
Part VIII

Department of Education

_______________________________________________________________________

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Final 
Funding Priorities for Fiscal Year 1999 for New Awards and Inviting 
Applications and Pre-Application Meeting for New Awards Under the 
Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance Program; Notices


[[Page 37364]]



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final funding priorities for fiscal year 1999 for new 
awards Under the Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance Program.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final funding priorities for four 
assistive technology (AT) technical assistance (TA) activities under 
the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research 
(NIDRR) for fiscal year 1999. The Secretary takes this action to 
improve the activities of AT projects that serve individuals with 
disabilities.

DATES: These priorities are effective August 9, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3418, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2645. Telephone: (202) 205-5880. Individuals who 
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD 
number at (202) 205-2742. Internet: Donna__Nangle@ed.gov
    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.

Waiver of Rulemaking

    Pursuant to section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions 
Act, the Secretary has determined that this priority is exempt from the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553). Section 437(d)(1) exempts 
from rulemaking the first grant competition under a new or 
substantially revised program authority. This is NIDRR's first grant 
competition under the Assistive Technology Act (AT Act) of 1998, which 
replaces the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with 
Disabilities Act of 1998, as amended, (Tech Act), and was signed into 
law on November 13, 1998.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains four final priorities 
under the AT Act Program. The priorities are: (1) Technical Assistance 
to Assistive Technology Act State Grant Program Grantees; (2) Technical 
Assistance to Assistive Technology Act Protection and Advocacy (P&A) 
Program Grantees; (3) Assistive Technology Act Data Collection Project; 
and (4) National Assistive Technology Internet Site.
    These final priorities support the National Education Goal that 
calls for all Americans to possess the knowledge and skills necessary 
to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and 
responsibilities of citizenship.
    The authority for the Secretary to fund TA projects is contained in 
section 104 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998.

    Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit 
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition 
will be published in the Federal Register concurrent with or 
following the publication of the notice of final priorities.

Assistive Technology Act

Background

    The AT Act of 1998 reaffirms the Federal role of promoting access 
to AT devices and services for individuals with disabilities. In 1988 
Congress passed the Tech Act to assist States to identify and respond 
to the AT needs of individuals with disabilities. Reauthorized in 1994, 
the Tech Act was premised on the assumption that individuals with 
disabilities needed access to AT devices and services, and that Federal 
funds could function as a catalyst and as leverage to create permanent 
systemic change within State infrastructures that did, could, or should 
make AT devices and services more readily available to individuals with 
disabilities.
    In addition to continuing the Assistive Technology State grant 
program and TA conducted under the Tech Act, the 1994 Tech Act 
amendments required each State grant to fund Protection and Advocacy 
(P&A) systems to assist individuals with disabilities access AT devices 
and services. The amendments also included standards of accountability 
to ensure that States would meet the Tech Act goals within the ten-year 
funding period and mandated the provision of information and TA to the 
AT State grant program grantees, individuals with disabilities, and 
other persons.
    Although the AT State grant program under the Tech Act may have met 
many of the technology challenges related to individuals with 
disabilities, there is still a lack of: resources to pay for the AT 
devices and services; trained personnel to assist individuals with 
disabilities to use such devices and services; knowledge among targeted 
individuals about the availability and potential benefits of technology 
for individuals with disabilities; outreach to underrepresented and 
rural populations; systems that ensure timely acquisition and delivery 
of AT devices and services; coordination among State human services 
programs, and between such programs and private entities, particularly 
with respect to the transition between such programs and entities; and 
capacity in such programs to provide the necessary technology-related 
assistance.
    There are changes in the delivery of AT devices and services that 
include the increased prevalence of managed care entities as payers for 
these devices and services; an increased focus on universal design; the 
increased importance of AT in employment, as more individuals with 
disabilities move from public assistance to work through training and 
on-the-job accommodations; the role and impact that new technologies 
have on how individuals with disabilities will learn about, access, and 
participate in programs or services that will affect their lives; and 
the increased role that telecommunications play in education, 
employment, health care, and social activities.
    The AT Act was passed in recognition of the technology challenges 
that remain for individuals with disabilities. AT State grant programs 
have met some of these challenges, but there is a need for continuing 
Federal support to assist States to address these challenges in the 
most appropriate way, given its resources, expertise, experience, and 
approaches to assisting individuals with disabilities to access AT.

Description of Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance 
Program

    The purpose of the AT Act Technical Assistance Program is to 
address issues raised by States, individuals, P&amp;A providers, and other 
relevant organizations; the purpose of the AT Act Data Collection 
Project is to collect data that will provide information about AT 
devices and services that can be used to identify effective practices 
and formulate policies; and the purpose of the National Assistive 
Technology Internet Site is to provide information that will facilitate 
increased access to AT devices, AT services and other disability-
related resources.

Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), and Section 104 of the Assistive 
Technology Act of 1998, the Secretary gives an absolute preference to 
applications that meet the following priorities. The Secretary will 
fund under this competition only applications that meet these 
priorities.

[[Page 37365]]

Priority 1: Technical Assistance to Assistive Technology Act State 
Grant Program Grantees
    The Secretary will establish a TA project that will provide 
assistance to the AT Act State Grant Program grantees to reduce 
barriers and increase access to AT devices and services for consumers 
with disabilities of all ages. The TA project will also provide TA to 
AT Act State Grant Program grantees in areas related to universal 
design, State procurement actions, and funding of AT. Consistent with 
statutory requirements, the project must:
    (a) Respond to grantees' requests for and disseminate information 
about current Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, policies, 
practices, procedures, and organizational structures that increase 
access to AT devices and services;
    (b) Identify and disseminate information to grantees about 
exemplary Federal-State coordination of programs related to improving 
funding for and access to AT devices and services;
    (c) Identify and disseminate information to grantees about 
effective approaches to the development of consumer-controlled systems 
that increase access to, funding for, and awareness of AT devices and 
services; and
    (d) Provide TA to grantees to help them develop corrective action 
plans if the Secretary determines that the grantee has failed to comply 
with the requirements of the AT Act.
    In addition to the statutory requirements, the TA project must:
    (e) Provide TA to grantees to assist with their implementation of 
the mandates of the AT Act;
    (f) Develop and disseminate strategies that can be used to assist 
grantees to promote: (1) Universal design principles in the State's 
infrastructure in the built environment and the telecommunications and 
transportation environments; (2) compliance with section 508 of the 
Rehabilitation Act, as amended; (3) improvement of State policies for 
the financing of AT through public or private health insurance 
providers; and (4) modification of State revenue policy to increase the 
resource base for funding AT;
    (g) Assist grantees to identify weaknesses within their individual 
State programs and provide programmatic solutions to the problems;
    (h) Develop and maintain an accessible website that can be used by 
grantees to obtain, share, and disseminate information;
    (i) Coordinate and share resources with the TA project to AT Act 
P&A Program grantees, the AT Act Data Collection project, and the 
National Assistive Technology Internet Site project about activities of 
mutual interest; and
    (j) Develop and implement a self-assessment instrument to determine 
the effectiveness of this TA project.
Priority 2: Technical Assistance to Assistive Technology Act Protection 
and Advocacy Program Grantees
    The Secretary will establish a TA project that will provide 
assistance to AT Act P&A Program grantees to assist individuals with 
disabilities of all ages in acquiring, utilizing, or maintaining AT 
devices or services. The TA project will also provide TA to the AT Act 
P&A Program grantees in areas related to participation by individuals 
with disabilities in informal advocacy and formal representation 
activities. Consistent with statutory requirements, the TA project 
must:
    (a) Respond to grantees' requests for and disseminate information 
about current policies, practices, procedures, regulations, 
administrative hearing decisions or legal actions that can enhance 
access to and funding for AT devices and services; and
    (b) Provide TA to grantees to help them develop corrective action 
plans if the Secretary determines that the grantee has failed to comply 
with the requirements of the AT Act.
    In addition to the statutory requirements, the TA project must:
    (c) Provide TA to grantees to identify weaknesses within their P&A 
programs and provide programmatic solutions to the problems;
    (d) Develop and disseminate strategies to grantees to assist them 
to: (1) coordinate activities with P&A services funded through sources 
other than Section 102 of the AT Act; (2) participate in formal 
representation to assist individuals with disabilities in securing 
systems change and in increasing access to assistive technology devices 
and services; (3) participate in formal and informal advocacy to assist 
individuals with disabilities in securing AT devices and services; and 
(4) develop long-term abilities of individuals with disabilities and 
their family members, guardians, advocates and authorized 
representatives to advocate for the provision of AT devices and 
services to which the individuals with disabilities are entitled under 
laws other than the AT Act;
    (e) Develop and maintain an accessible website that can be used by 
grantees to obtain, share and disseminate information;
    (f) Coordinate and share resources with the TA project to AT Act 
State Grant Program Grantees, the AT Act Data Collection Project and 
the National Assistive Technology Internet Site Project about 
activities of mutual interest; and
    (g) Develop and implement a self-assessment instrument to determine 
the effectiveness of this TA project.
Priority 3: Assistive Technology Act Data Collection Project
    The Secretary will establish a Data Collection Project for the 
purpose of collecting data from the AT Act State Grant Program grantees 
and the AT Act P&A Program grantees that can provide policy-relevant 
information to Federal, State and local decision makers about the 
availability, use and reliability of AT devices and services and 
exemplary practices to improving access to AT services and devices. The 
data collection project must:
    (a) Develop and implement a process for producing performance 
standards for the assessment of AT State Program grantees;
    (b) Design a web-based data collection and analysis system, 
including a data collection instrument, to collect data required to 
assess performance;
    (c) Train entities funded under the AT Act in the use of the data 
collection system;
    (d) Generate evaluative reports from the data and prepare an annual 
report on performance;
    (e) Identify and evaluate model approaches to increased access to 
AT;
    (f) Conduct one or more evaluation studies on specific aspects of 
the use of AT by persons with disabilities;
    (g) Coordinate and share resources with the TA projects to the AT 
Act State Grant Program grantees, the AT Act P&A Program grantees and 
the National Assistive Technology Internet Site about activities of 
mutual interest; and
    (h) Develop and implement a self assessment instrument that will be 
used to determine the effectiveness of the data collection project.
Priority 4: National Assistive Technology Internet Site
    The Secretary will establish a National Assistive Technology 
Internet Site for the purpose of providing to individuals with 
disabilities and the general public TA and information that will 
increase access to AT devices, AT services, and other disability-
related resources. Consistent with statutory requirements, the Internet 
site must:
    (a) Develop, implement and maintain an accessible public Internet 
site that incorporates an innovative automated

[[Page 37366]]

intelligent agent to assist users in problem definition and selection 
of appropriate AT devices and services resources;
    (b) Provide Internet access to a comprehensive, accessible library 
(i.e. database) of information on AT and rehabilitation equipment, such 
as ABLEDATA, available for all environments including home, workplace, 
and transportation;
    (c) Identify and maintain electronic links to appropriate and 
accessible public and private resources and information related to all 
types of disabilities, including low-level reading skills, all funded 
AT Act Programs, the National Center for the Dissemination of 
Disability Research, and the National Rehabilitation Information 
Center; and
    (d) Identify and maintain electronic links to programs of 
excellence in areas such as information and referral, outreach, 
coordination, capacity building, public awareness, training, data 
collection, consumer control, funding and demonstrations sites.
    In addition to the statutory requirements, the Internet site must:
    (e) Provide TA to AT Act State Grant Program grantees and other 
entities funded under the AT Act, as appropriate, on accessible website 
development;
    (f) Coordinate and share resources with the TA projects to the AT 
Act State Grant Program grantees and AT Act P&A Program grantees, the 
AT Act Data Collection Project, and NIDRR-funded Dissemination and 
Utilization projects about activities of mutual interest; and
    (g) Develop and implement a self-assessment instrument that will be 
used to determine the effectiveness of the Internet site.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may review 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 the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office (GPO) toll free at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, D.C., 
area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
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 84.224B, Assistive 
Technology Act Technical Assistance Program)

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 3001.

    Dated: June 30, 1999.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 99-17135 Filed 7-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U