ACL is pleased to announce the release of the 2024–2028 Long-Range Plan (LRP) for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). As mandated by Congress, NIDILRR’s LRP provides a five-year agenda for advancing the vital work being done in applied research and development to improve the inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society.
Shaped by extensive stakeholder input, the new LRP continues to emphasize scientific rigor and the need for research that is highly relevant to the lives of people with disabilities. In addition, it provides data to show progress made on goals included in the last LRP, demonstrating NIDILRR’s commitment to the field. The plan also contains several new areas of emphasis, including:
- Expanded commitment to broader inclusion of people with disabilities across the research enterprise;
- New opportunities for international research and development activities;
- An increased focus on the enabling or disabling characteristics of the communities in which we live; and
- Call to the field to pursue work that has an intersectional focus.
“Our new long-range plan presents a bold research agenda for the next five years and represents an important evolution in how we think about, describe, and engage on research topics related to disability,” said NIDILRR’s director, Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt. “The plan lays out a modernized approach to guide our planning and activities, with a focus on ensuring that people with disabilities are centered in all facets of disability research and increasing expectations for inclusion, accessibility and workplace supports for disabled people. It sets the bar high for all of us in the disability research field – starting with NIDILRR itself.”
NIDILRR, part of ACL, generates new knowledge and promotes its effective use so that people with disabilities can perform activities of their choice in the community. NIDILRR also works to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for people with disabilities.