[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 15, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 2919-2923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00577]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
34 CFR Chapter III
Proposed Priority--National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research--Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Project--Inclusive Cloud and Web Computing
CFDA Number: 84.133A-01.
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Proposed priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by
the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR). Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for a Disability
and Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP) on inclusive Cloud and Web
computing. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for
competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this
action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend
this priority to contribute to improved employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before February 14, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this notice to Marlene Spencer,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 5133,
Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700.
If you prefer to send your comments by email, use the following
address: marlene.spencer@ed.gov. You must include the phrase ``Proposed
Priority for Inclusive Cloud and Web Computing'' in the subject line of
your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlene Spencer. Telephone: (202) 245-
7532 or by email: marlene.spencer@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed priority is in concert with
NIDRR's Long-Range Plan (Plan). The Plan, which was published in the
Federal Register on February 15, 2006 (71 FR 8165), can be accessed on
the Internet at the following site: www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2006-1/021506d.pdf.
Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve
the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2)
foster an exchange of expertise, information, and training methods to
facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the unique
needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine best
strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation outcomes for
underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5) identify
mechanisms for integrating research and practice; and (6) disseminate
findings.
This notice proposes a priority that NIDRR intends to use for a
DRRP competition in FY 2013 and possibly later years. However, nothing
precludes NIDRR from publishing additional priorities, if needed.
Furthermore, NIDRR is under no obligation to make an award using this
priority. The decision to make an award will be based on the quality of
applications received and available funding.
Invitation to Comment: We invite you to submit comments regarding
this notice. To ensure that your comments have maximum effect in
developing the
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notice of final priority, we urge you to identify clearly the specific
topic that each comment addresses.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 and their overall
requirement of reducing regulatory burden that might result from this
proposed priority. Please let us know of any further ways we could
reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving
the effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this notice in room 5133, 550 12th Street SW., PCP,
Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program is to plan and
conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related
activities, including international activities, to develop methods,
procedures, and rehabilitation technology, that maximize the full
inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living,
family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals
with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe
disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act).
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
The purpose of NIDRR's DRRPs, which are funded through the
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program,
are to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the
Rehabilitation Act, by developing methods, procedures, and
rehabilitation technologies that advance a wide range of independent
living and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities,
especially individuals with the most severe disabilities. DRRPs carry
out one or more of the following types of activities, as specified and
defined in 34 CFR 350.13 through 350.19: research, training,
demonstration, development, dissemination, utilization, and technical
assistance.
An applicant for assistance under this program must demonstrate in
its application how it will address, in whole or in part, the needs of
individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds (34 CFR
350.40(a)). The approaches an applicant may take to meet this
requirement are found in 34 CFR 350.40(b). Additional information on
the DRRP program can be found at: www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#DRRP.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(a).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
Proposed Priority:
This notice contains one proposed priority.
DRRP on Inclusive Cloud and Web Computing.
Background:
The World Wide Web (Web) has become a fundamental tool for
employment, education, civic participation, entertainment, and purchase
of goods and services. However, participation in such activities on the
Web for people with disabilities lags behind that for the general
population. For example, Web use often requires broadband access, but
the National Broadband Plan states that only 42 percent of people with
disabilities use broadband at home, compared to 65 percent of people
nationwide (Federal Communications Commission, 2010).
One reason for this disparity is that the Web infrastructure is not
set up to address disability access issues seamlessly across all of its
functions (Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure, n.d.). Additionally,
software and devices (e.g., computer, smart phone, tablet) used to
access the Web are often inaccessible for people with disabilities, and
individuals with disabilities have limited access to technical
assistance with selecting, setting up, and using appropriate
technologies. Furthermore, people with disabilities often are required
to purchase separate accessibility software and assistive devices for
each device they use to access the Web, which adds to the economic
burden of Web use by people with disabilities (Lyle, 2010).
Cloud computing, a technology used to store, access, and process
information on the Web, has the potential to enhance Web participation
by people with disabilities by providing an infrastructure that better
supports accessibility for this population. International efforts are
underway to develop a cloud-based infrastructure for the Web that
includes options for disability access within its general structure--a
change from the current, more inaccessible structure, where individuals
with disabilities must set up their personal Web-enabled devices (e.g.,
smartphones) to meet their specific needs. The goal of this effort is
to enable individuals with disabilities to log onto any Web-enabled
device and have their user profiles and accessibility needs
automatically recognized and appropriate tools activated, which would
reduce the need for individuals to set up assistive technologies on
each Web-enabled device they use. Three international projects
addressing this need are described at Global Public Inclusive
Infrastructure (n.d.), Cloud4all (n.d.), and Fluid (n.d.).
In order to support this effort, NIDRR has identified some (but not
all) of the research questions that must be answered (see Table 1),
together with possible computer science approaches to addressing them.
Answering these and other relevant questions successfully will require
collaboration between people with disabilities and experts in both
disability and computer science fields relevant to cloud and Web
accessibility and structure.
Table 1--Research Questions of Importance in Developing Accessible Cloud
and Web Computing Infrastructure
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Possible computer science
Research questions approaches
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How to make content and interactions Natural language processing.
easier to understand for people with
mental disabilities.
How to make it easier for people with Authentication technology.
disabilities to log on to the Web.
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How to change the presentation of Adaptive user interfaces.
information on Web pages to respond to
difficulties encountered by people
with disabilities.
How to manage user profiles and Federated information
accessibility options over time, as management.
technology evolves.
How to make software more easily Software architecture.
modifiable to meet individual needs.
How to improve the ability of software Automated user interface
tools to identify accessibility testing.
problems in documents.
How to enable people with disabilities Social computing.
to share accessibility experiences and
approaches.
How to incorporate specific Software design.
accessibility features (e.g., closed
captioning, volume control, video
description, screen reader technology,
accessible user interfaces) into an
inclusive Web infrastructure.
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Sources: Jurafsky and Martin (2008); Cranor (2011); Jameson (2009); Haas
et al. (2009); Fowler (2004); Li et al. (2007); Erickson (2011);
Nielsen-Bohlman et al. (2004); Meiselwitz et al. (2009); Hurst et al.
(2011); GPII (n.d.); Brajnik (2009); National Council on Disability
(2011); Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility
Act of 2011, Pub. L. 111-260.
References
Brajnik, G. (2009). Validity and reliability of Web accessibility
guidelines. In Proceedings of ASSETS '09 ACM SIGACCESS Conference on
Computers and Accessibility. New York: ACM, 131-138.
Cloud4all (n.d.). Cloud platforms lead to open and universal access
for people with disabilities and for all. Retrieved from http://cloud4all.info/.
Cranor, L. (Ed.) (2011). SOUPS 2011: Proceedings of the Seventh
Symposium On Usable Privacy and Security. New York: ACM.
Erickson, T. (2011). Social Computing. In M. Soegaard and R. Dam
(Eds.). Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction. Aarhus, Denmark:
The Interaction-Design.org Foundation.
Federal Communications Commission (2010). Connecting America: The
National Broadband Plan. Washington, DC: Federal Communications
Commission.
Fluid (n.d.). Designing software that works--for everyone. Retrieved
from http://fluidproject.org/.
Fowler, M. (2004). Inversion of control containers and the
dependency injection pattern. Retrieved from http://martinfowler.com/articles/injection.html.
Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (n.d.). About the Global
Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII). Retrieved from http://gpii.net/About.html.
Haas, L., Hentschel, M., Kossmann, D., and Miller, R. (2009). Schema
and data: A holistic approach to mapping, resolution and fusion in
information integration. Conceptual Modeling-ER, 27-40.
Hurst, A., Gajos, K., Findlater, L., Wobbrock, J., Sears, A., and
Trewin, S. (2011). Dynamic accessibility: Accommodating differences
in ability and situation. In Proceedings of the 2011 Annual
Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems,
CHI EA '11. New York: ACM, 41-44.
Jameson, A. (2009). Adaptive interfaces and agents. In A. Sears and
J. Jacko (Eds.). Human-Computer Interaction: Design Issues,
Solutions, and Applications. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 105-128.
Jurafsky, D., and Martin, J. (2008). Speech and Language Processing.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Li, P., Huynh, T., Reformat, M., and Miller, J. (2007). A practical
approach to testing GUI systems. Empirical Software Engineering,
12(4) 331-357.
Lyle, E. (2010). A giant leap & a big deal: Delivering on the
promise of equal access to broadband for people with disabilities.
OBI Working Paper Series No. 2. Washington, DC: Federal
Communications Commission.
Meiselwitz, G., Wentz, B., and Lazar, J. (2009). Universal
usability: Past, present, and future. Foundations and Trends in
Human-Computer Interaction, 3(4), 213-333.
National Council on Disability (2011). The Power of Digital
Inclusion: Technology's Impact on Employment and Opportunities for
People with Disabilities. Washington, DC: National Council on
Disability.
Nielsen-Bohlman, L., Panzer, A.M., Hamlin, B., and Kindig, D.A.
(Eds.) (2004). Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion.
Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of
2011, Public Law 111-260.
Proposed Priority:
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services proposes a priority for a Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Project (DRRP) on Inclusive Cloud and Web computing. The DRRP
must contribute to the development of an inclusive cloud and Web
infrastructure that incorporates options for disability access within
its general structure.
To contribute to this initiative, the DRRP must--
(1) Identify, design, prototype, and assess promising methods and
systems for, and technical approaches to designing, a cloud and Web
infrastructure that addresses the needs of individuals with
disabilities. The DRRP must address at least one of the research
questions outlined in Table 1 above. Applicants may also choose to
address additional research questions not reflected in Table 1. In that
case, the application must fully explain how work on the additional
topic or topics proposed by the applicant will advance disability
access in cloud and Web infrastructure design.
(2) Conduct knowledge translation activities (e.g., training,
technical assistance, dissemination, collaboration) in order to
facilitate use of the research results by key stakeholders (e.g.,
individuals with disabilities, computer scientists, other researchers
and software developers working on accessibility technology, policy
makers, international partners).
(3) Demonstrate meaningful involvement by key stakeholder groups
(e.g., individuals with disabilities, computer scientists, software
developers and researchers working on accessibility technology, policy
makers, international partners) in order to maximize the relevance and
usability of the research conducted under this priority. Involvement
may include, but is not limited to, participation in a
multidisciplinary research team, advisory board, focus group, or other
participatory action research method.
Types of Priorities:
When inviting applications for a competition using one or more
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications
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that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the priority over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Final Priority:
We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional
priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection criteria, subject
to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through
a notice in the Federal Register.
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563
Regulatory Impact Analysis
Under Executive Order 12866, the Secretary must determine whether
this regulatory action is ``significant'' and, therefore, subject to
the requirements of the Executive order and subject to review by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Section 3(f) of Executive Order
12866 defines a ``significant regulatory action'' as an action likely
to result in a rule that may--
(1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more,
or adversely affect a sector of the economy, productivity, competition,
jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or
tribal governments or communities in a material way (also referred to
as an ``economically significant'' rule);
(2) Create serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an
action taken or planned by another agency;
(3) Materially alter the budgetary impacts of entitlement grants,
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients
thereof; or
(4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles stated in the
Executive order.
This proposed regulatory action is not a significant regulatory
action subject to review by OMB under section 3(f) of Executive Order
12866.
We have also reviewed this proposed regulatory action under
Executive Order 13563, which supplements and explicitly reaffirms the
principles, structures, and definitions governing regulatory review
established in Executive Order 12866. To the extent permitted by law,
Executive Order 13563 requires that an agency--
(1) Propose or adopt regulations only upon a reasoned determination
that their benefits justify their costs (recognizing that some benefits
and costs are difficult to quantify);
(2) Tailor its regulations to impose the least burden on society,
consistent with obtaining regulatory objectives and taking into
account--among other things and to the extent practicable--the costs of
cumulative regulations;
(3) In choosing among alternative regulatory approaches, select
those approaches that maximize net benefits (including potential
economic, environmental, public health and safety, and other
advantages; distributive impacts; and equity);
(4) To the extent feasible, specify performance objectives, rather
than the behavior or manner of compliance a regulated entity must
adopt; and
(5) Identify and assess available alternatives to direct
regulation, including economic incentives--such as user fees or
marketable permits--to encourage the desired behavior, or provide
information that enables the public to make choices.
Executive Order 13563 also requires an agency ``to use the best
available techniques to quantify anticipated present and future
benefits and costs as accurately as possible.'' The Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB has emphasized that these
techniques may include ``identifying changing future compliance costs
that might result from technological innovation or anticipated
behavioral changes.''
We are issuing this proposed priority only upon a reasoned
determination that its benefits would justify its costs. In choosing
among alternative regulatory approaches, we selected those approaches
that would maximize net benefits. Based on the analysis that follows,
the Department believes that this proposed priority is consistent with
the principles in Executive Order 13563.
We also have determined that this regulatory action would not
unduly interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the
exercise of their governmental functions.
In accordance with both Executive orders, the Department has
assessed the potential costs and benefits, both quantitative and
qualitative, of this regulatory action. The potential costs are those
resulting from statutory requirements and those we have determined as
necessary for administering the Department's programs and activities.
The benefits of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
and Centers Program have been well established over the years, as
projects similar to the one envisioned by the proposed priority have
been completed successfully. Establishing a new DRRP based on the
proposed priority would generate new knowledge through research and
development and improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. The
new DRRP would generate, disseminate, and promote the use of new
information that would improve employment opportunities for individuals
with disabilities.
Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer disc) by contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
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Dated: January 9, 2013.
Michael Yudin,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 2013-00577 Filed 1-14-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P