ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is announcing several 2023 Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) grantees. Each grantee will receive an estimated amount of up to $875,000 annually for five years from September 1, 2023–August 31, 2028. 

Join the Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC) for a webinar as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This webinar is focused on how technology has the potential to advance access and equity for people with disabilities. Innovative technology tools, ranging from assistive technology to augmentative intelligence, are continually evolving to increase independence by providing accommodations or enhancing access to information and services.

ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is announcing 10 Switzer Research Fellowship awards for 2023. These projects are for one year from September 1, 2023-August 31, 2024, with the estimated funding amount of either $70,000 (Merit Fellowship) or $80,000 (Distinguished Fellowship).

ACL’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) seeks stakeholder feedback on its draft Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028. Mandated by Congress to develop a Long-Range Plan every five years, NIDILRR’s Long-Range Plan provides a five-year agenda that seeks to advance the vital work being done in applied disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research and development. 

Sign up by Tuesday, October 10, 2023 to join as a presenter ACL’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is sponsoring its second year of virtual matchmaking sessions for ACL/NIDILRR stakeholders to connect with each other to share information, discuss common research interests, and ultimately find partners for research collaboration.

ACL is announcing four new Assistive Technology (AT) Alternative Financing Program (AFP) discretionary grant awards. Nearly $2 million over one year will fund four projects. The new grants will establish or expand AFPs that provide individuals with additional options to access AT devices through programs such as a low-interest loan fund, an interest buy-down program, a revolving loan fund, a loan guarantee, an insurance program, or others.

In this policy round up: 

Join the Partnership to Align Social Care, the Aging and Disability Business Institute, and Camden Coalition for a webinar series offering a deep dive into leading contracting practices to effectively and efficiently address health-related social needs. Register for "Contracting to Align Health and Social Care Ecosystems: A Webinar Series Sharing Leading Practices," taking place on the second Tuesday of each month during October, November, and December. 

Every October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) offers us an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy. Led by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), NDEAM also showcases supportive and inclusive policies and practices benefiting workers and employers.

Older adults and people with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by all types of disasters. Disabled people and older adults may not be able to evacuate, access shelters, and receive information in accessible formats. They may lose critical home and community-based services and be unnecessarily forced into institutional settings (such as nursing homes), or even experience higher fatality rates. Those who are living with dementia-related health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, may also experience extra risk.