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AUCDigest

May 29, 2007 • Volume 7, Number 5


RESOURCES

Network Related Resources

Effective Practice Briefings from the Center on Disability Studies (HI UCEDD).  The Hawaii State Improvement Grant II offers the Effective Practice Briefings.  These innovative products are audio interviews with national experts in education and are available through State Improvement Grant II website.  They can be listened to right at your computer, copied to a CD, or downloaded to your iPod as a podcast and are easily accessible through transcript too.  These audio interviews are part of a larger professional development project assisting teachers to improve their approach to instruction so that all students, including those with disabilities, can learn to the best of their ability.

Employment Rates for People with and Without Disabilities Study by Institute for Community Inclusion (MA UCEDD).   Data shows that people with disabilities are 37% less likely to work than their non-disabled counterparts.  In this data note, we compare the employment rate for working-age people with and without disabilities. We define "working-age" as non-institutionalized people ages 16-64. The employment rate is calculated by dividing the number of people who are employed by the sum of people who are employed, unemployed, and not in the labor force (i.e., unemployed and haven’t actively looked for work in the past four weeks).

American Indian Disability Technical Assistance Center (AIDTAC) Resources from the Montana Rural Institute (UCEDD).

  • TANAC Issue Briefs.  AIDTAC receives funding from the Social Security Administration for a project entitled Technical Assistance on Native American Culture (TANAC).  TANAC provides training and technical assistance to Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs).  Information is disseminated through a series of Issues Briefs covering various topics related to reaching out to Native Americans with disabilities.  CWICs must be aware of the unique relationship between the federal government and over 560 federally-recognized American Indian tribes in the United States. Violations of sovereignty issues are often addressed as CWICs work with Native Americans with disabilities who are applying for federal benefits. 
  • NACEPP Tip Sheets.  The Native American Considerations and the Electoral Process Project (NACEPP)  provides training and technical assistance to Protection and Advocacy Staff (P&As) who are actively promoting full participation in the electoral process for Native Americans with disabilities, including registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places.  Tip Sheets are distributed to P&As providing information on the historical and cultural barriers that have prevented full participation in the electoral process for Native Americans with disabilities.
For more information on these two resources, contact AIDTAC Director Julie Clay.

New Products and Resources from Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (UCEDD)’s Victims of Crime with Disabilities Resource Guide.

  • National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) National Conference & Day on Capitol Hill.  The NCVC National Conference is scheduled between June 18 and 20, 2007 in Washington, DC.  NCVC also invites you to attend our second Afternoon on Capitol Hill immediately after our National Conference.  By joining us, you can inform your elected officials and their staff about your organization's work and priorities. You can also introduce yourself as a resource to them, someone they can call when they have questions about issues affecting victims of crime.
  • Cases from the Headlines.  To bring attention to the serious issue of crimes against people with disabilities, the Resource Guide has begun developing an online collection of news stories involving victims with disabilities.  Selected from newspaper and news channel web sites, articles have been abstracted and posted in the Online Discussion section of the Resource Guide website.

Resources from the Partners of the Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD)
  • Highly Qualified Teachers and Special Education: Several State Approaches (Policy Analysis).  This In-Brief Policy Analysis from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education introduces the research on the importance of teacher quality to student achievement and the legislative background for highly qualified special educators. Strategies and data collection methods utilized by states to meet the requirements of highly qualified teachers are reported.  Policy recommendations that address implementation barriers similar to those identified by interviewees are shared.
  • Resolution Meetings: A Guide for Parents (Booklet). This 12-page booklet helps families better understand resolution meetings, one way in which special education disputes can be resolved.  It was developed by the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE in collaboration with the Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE).
  • Special Education Vouchers: Four State Approaches (Policy Analysis).  This In-Brief Policy Analysis from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education defines a school voucher as an allocation of public funds to parents to pay for the education of their children at a private school of their choice.  This document discusses voucher programs, focusing on programs specifically designed for students with disabilities.

New Products and Resources from National Center on Physical Activity and Disability, in association with Institute on Disability and Human Development (IL UCEDD)

  • Resources on Summer Camp for People with Disabilities
  • New NCPAD Document: Rock Climbing for Children with Disabilities.   Rock climbing is an indoor or outdoor recreational activity and has recently become more popular due to the increase in the number of facilities that offer indoor climbing.  Although rock climbing can be a risky activity when done incorrectly, with good instruction and the proper equipment, it can be a safe, enjoyable sport for anyone, including children and individuals with disabilities.
  • Article Review: Use of Assistive Technology to Reduce Pain for Manual Wheelchair Users.  Assistive technology that is designed to decrease the risk of pain in daily activities can be an important adaptation for people with disabilities.  Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among manual wheelchair users has been reported in the research literature to range from 40% to 74%, and wheelchair propulsion has been shown to contribute to development and exacerbation (worsening) of CTS. In the journal Assistive Technology Koontz et al. (2006) investigated an ergonomic handrim as a means of reducing pain for manual wheelchair users.
  • New Products: Physical activity need not only occur outdoors or within the confines of a gym. NCPAD would like to announce two exciting new exercise products for people with specific disabilities, one for stroke survivors and another designed for individuals with tetraplegia.
  • Emerging Horizons Accessible Travel News (Spring 2007 Magazine).  This consumer oriented magazine that focuses on accessible travel is here just in time for summer vacation planning. Access pdf versions of the magazine through the hyperlink or for more information contact Emerging Horizons at (209) 599-9409. 

Research to Know

Most Women of Childbearing Age in the United States Do Not Get Enough Folic Acid.  According to a recent CDC study most women of childbearing age in the United States are not getting enough folic acid.  CDC researchers analyzed nutrient intake data reported by non-pregnant women aged 15–49 years who participated in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 2001–2002.  In the study, more Hispanic and black women reported low folic acid consumption than white women. The entire article, “Race-ethnicity Differences in Folic Acid Intake in Women of Childbearing Age in the United States After Folic Acid Fortification: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2002” (Abstract), was published in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Other Resources

The Case for Inclusion 2007 (UCP Report).  United Cerebral Palsy released this report on how states are serving Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities under Medicaid. The report ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia on how well the states are providing community-based supports. UCP plans to use this new methodology as the foundation for any future rankings, providing advocates and elected officials with a vehicle for year-to-year comparisons on how their state is performing. 

Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Disability Policy Training Opportunity.  This opportunity provides advanced training in rehabilitation and disability policy research, with a particular focus on participation of people with disabilities in their communities.  This individualized training program offers to accommodate the needs of various postdoctoral researchers and others with advanced degrees.  Researchers and others who hold leadership positions in rehabilitation and related fields may also apply.  Trainees must be willing to locate to Syracuse, New York, and will receive a stipend for the academic year ($27,000 for the first year), up to 12 credits of tuition, and full Syracuse University benefits. Persons with disabilities and/or other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Applications should include: 1) Letter addressing selection criteria as well as applicant goals and interests; 2) Current vita; 3) Sample publications or other written work; 4) Two letters of reference, and; 5) Graduate transcript, if applicable. Applications should be sent by July 15, 2007 to: James Bellini, Ph.D., Co-Director; c/o Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies; 805 South Crouse Avenue; Syracuse, NY 13244-2280. FAX: 315-443-4338. Email: mailto:[email protected].  

Incenter Strategies Releases New Publications on Adolescent Health.  The executive directors of the Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center have created a new affiliate, Incenter Strategies, to focus on adolescent health care.  Four new publications are available on racial and ethnic disparities on adolescents and older adolescents, possibilities for restructuring Medicaid to be more responsive to adolescents' unique needs, and making the case for adolescent health care reform.  Incenter Strategies will be focusing on building partnerships and promoting interdisciplinary models of health care to improve the accessibility and availability of health care for adolescents.

Future of Disability Statistics: What we Know and Need to Know.   The Cornell Stats RRTC is pleased to announce the release of several new products related to disability statistics:

For more information about disability statistics and StatsRRTC products and publications, please feel free to email us at mailto:[email protected] or call us at (607) 255-1540.

Resources from the Community Living Exchange Collaborative

  • Consumer-Directed Home and Community-Based Services (Fact Sheet).  AARP Public Policy Institute has developed a two page Fact Sheet that offers a short overview of consumer preferences, program characteristics, the role of fiscal agents, and the ways consumer direction is expanding. 
  • Meeting the Long-Term Care Needs of the Baby Boomers (Urban Institute Study). This study projects to 2040 the number of people ages 65 and older with disabilities and their use of long-term care services. Declining family sizes, increasing childlessness, and rising divorce rates will limit the number of family caregivers.
  • Older Americans Update 2006: Key Indicators of Well-being (Report).  This updated report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics provides the latest data on the 37 key indicators selected by the Forum for its 2004 report to portray aspects of the lives of older Americans and their families. It is divided into five subject areas: population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.
  • Children and Nursing Facilities: Diversion Strategies and Lasting Systems Change (Study).  This study was conducted as part of the Nebraska Nursing Facility Transition Grant.  The goals of this paper were to decrease the number of children in nursing facilities, identify risk factors, and to develop a plan to keep children in home and community settings. 

Various Resources

  • New Online Training Course on Play Area Guidelines.  A new web-based course on the United States Access Board’s accessibility guidelines for play areas is now available on the Board’s website.
  • Parenting With a Mental Illness: Programs and Resources Guide.  This guide was developed by the UPenn Collaborative as a comprehensive resource to help parents, providers, and advocates find information about possible programs in their area; it will be continually updated as more programs are identified.
  • Facts from NLTS2: Secondary School Experiences of Students with Autism.  The National Center for Special Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences has released a new fact sheet on the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2).  This fact sheet provides a national picture of the secondary school experiences of students with autism using data from the NLTS2.
  • The Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Respite for Caregivers of Frail Older People (Journal Article).  The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published an article in its February 2007 issue (Volume 55, Issue 2) that finds that respite has small positive affect on caregivers, but does not delay entry to residential care.
  • New Resources on Children and Family Health Coverage from KCMU.  To focus on key health policy issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) held a briefing on state coverage trends and initiatives for children and families to highlight state actions.  Several new resources were released in conjunction with the event.  The resources and a webcast of the policy briefing are all available on the KCMU website. 

New Websites

Sections of Social Security Administration website.       

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Data Viewer.  The NCEO Data Viewer represents an interactive data reporting website.  At this site you can view data related to students with disabilities and create individualized reports based on criteria that you can choose. Two major databases are currently available for your use: 1) State Policies on Assessment Participation and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, and; 2) Annual Performance Reports.

Council for Disability Awareness.  The Council for Disability Awareness (CDA) is a non-profit group to help the American workforce become aware of the growing instances of disability and its financial consequences. 

 

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