Thursday, May 9, 2024
5/9/2024
Community living is a civil right for people with disabilities that is enforced by the Americans with Disabilities Act and confirmed by case law. However, the reality is that numerous barriers still exist that prevent full integration into the community. The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern University, and Access Living have created ECLIPSE (Enhancing Community Living and Increasing Participation through Self-Efficacy), a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center that will address many of these barriers through two evidence-based interventions and an integrated program of dissemination, training, and technical assistance. The primary goal is to build self-efficacy and increase the ability of persons with a disability to successfully navigate their environment and manage new challenges. One project will create a peer navigator intervention delivered by smartphone to help people with newly acquired physical disabilities get the support they need as they transition to independent living. These supports are crucial given our fragmented health and social service system. Moreover, peer support is at the core of the independent living movement and builds on the accumulated strengths and knowledge of people with disabilities. The second project will develop an online communication partner-training program to improve the communication interactions of people with communication disorders and service providers and businesses in their community. This project seeks to build community capacity and promote access by changing the social environment. We also will conduct a training program in partnership with Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago that is targeted for emerging artists with disabilities whose practices combine art and disability rights advocacy.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
