Our Accomplishments for 2021

Disability and Aging Policy and Research

Providing Leadership and Support for Disability and Older Americans Research and Data Collection

• Developed NIDILRR’s 2020 Annual Report to Congress and Annual Performance Report. These documents present significant organizational accomplishments to Congressional leadership, federal partners, and the broader research community. The NIDILRR 2019-2020 Organizational Highlights report that New Editions developed is available on NIDILRR’s website.  
• Developed a white paper on the impact of COVID-19 on disability research. People in the field of disability research have worked extensively to bridge disparities between people with and without disabilities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and accentuated existing disparities for people with disabilities and had vast implications for federal research, creating new challenges for the safe and efficient continuation of research with human subjects throughout the pandemic. “The Impact of COVID-19 on Disability Research: New Challenges and Widening Disparities” discusses the impact of COVID-19 on federal research and the disability research community. This paper highlights areas of disability research related to COVID-19 that warrant further exploration and discusses challenges specific to disability research during the pandemic.
• Continued to manage the implementation of the ACL Data Council. The Council supports ACL’s mission by improving the coordination of ACL’s data governance, including the development of improved processes and standards for defining, collecting, reviewing, certifying, analyzing, and presenting data ACL collects through its evaluation, grant reporting, and administrative performance measures. Supported and hosted eight Council meetings, maintained the Council website, and drafted five public-facing products and four resources for internal use by ACL. Public-facing products include a data quality 201 brief focused on data visualization, a data quality 202 brief focused on data quality standards, an updated Data Governance Primer with ACL examples, a systems change brief (short and long versions).
• Performed random sampling of state applications for CMS Home and Community-Based Settings programs using a modifiable statistical program authored and managed by New Editions. The statistical program is easily updated to import state application information that CMS receives on a rolling basis and randomly sample states for CMS compliance review. New Editions also consulted with CMS to explain key concepts in sampling theory and methodology to address CMS questions and concerns about sample size determination.
• Reviewed up to 10 years of data from a total of seven aging and disability datasets from ACL and U.S. Census Bureau to identify practical, efficient, and statistically sound approaches for linking the datasets. New Editions produced detailed dataset-level and variable-level documentation for the datasets, built and tested a SQL Server database linking the datasets, proposed ways for aligning measures across the datasets to improve linkages, and performed business analysis, requirements gathering, and documentation activities to produce a foundational requirements document to guide ACL in its development of the next generation of ACL’s AGing, Independence, and Disability (AGID) Program Data Portal.
• Recruited and trained nine states to participate in the Adult Protective Services (APS) Client Outcomes Study, the first such study of APS client outcomes in more than fifty years. New Editions partnered with these states to conduct all data collection from March to September 2021. Data collection activities included survey data collection and virtual site visits consisting of interviews and focus groups with APS stakeholders and clients. Also collected data to monitor monthly changes in participating state APS practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New Editions maintained contact with state and county leaders through monthly check-in calls, data reports, and newsletters to maintain strong participation despite challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Conceptualized and hosted an interactive roundtable discussion via Zoom on the adult protective services (APS) research agenda with APS researchers and APS program leads to discuss what can be done to promote research in the APS field and how the field can make the research questions from the APS Research Agenda (developed last year) more actionable. As part of the roundtable, the 45 participants broke into three groups to discuss challenges and opportunities for conducting APS research and brainstorm ideas for designing research studies for selected questions from the research agenda. In addition, the roundtable was intended to foster relationships between APS program staff and researchers to support future partnerships.
• Presented The Elder Abuse Screening and Assessment Tools Inventory: A Resource for Practitioners as a webinar through the APS Technical Assistance Resource Center and at the 31st National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Annual Conference.
• Developed three policy and practice briefs for elder justice practitioners. The briefs focused on tools designed to detect neglect and self-neglect, tools developed to detect financial exploitation, and tools developed for use by healthcare workers.
• Developed a social media-based communication campaign to increase awareness and use of the Elder Abuse Screening and Assessment Tools Inventory. The plan included: (1) messaging plan and recommendations for specific social media platforms; (2) infographics describing the overall content of the Inventory, and how to download and use the Inventory; and, (3) ready-to-use “thumbnail” images designed to enhance brand awareness of the Inventory.
• Conducted an annual analysis of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Limited Data Set Files (LDS) and population estimates and projections from the U.S. Census Bureau to produce data tables for the Administration for Community Living (ACL) Annual Report to Congress on Older Americans Act (OAA) programs.
• Conducted a pilot project with 18 Title VI grantees to support the use and refinement of a data entry workbook to track Older Americans Act (OAA) program services to American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian adults. During this 12-month pilot, conducted user experience (UX) testing using structured activities to ensure the tool’s usefulness to this important population. Also conducted periodic webinars and provided individual technical assistance to enhance adoption of this tool across Title VI grantees and support national program monitoring and reporting.
• Developed a comprehensive report for general audiences on Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III program highlights and accomplishments. This report was designed to describe and illustrate Title III services and outcomes in a visually engaging and accessible way. New Editions drafted comprehensive background about the OAA, including its history, importance, funding, implementation, and services. To showcase the impact of the Title III service programs, New Editions summarized and illustrated information about service participants and program outcomes using 2018 data from State Performance Reports and from the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants. Given the success of the report, ACL tasked New Editions with developing an additional report and expanding the content to include 2020 program highlights and accomplishments for OAA Title III, Title VI, and Title VII.
• Integrated and cleaned the data contained in several Older Americans Act Performance System (OAAPS) Title III, VI, and VII technical assistance (TA) tracking documents. Staff used coding to merge the records into a single file and identify duplicate entries and blank information fields. New Editions then developed additional variables to describe the status of documented TA responses by Title and used an available FAQ to create suggested topics for categorization. This process resulted in additional items for inclusion in an FAQ update. These collective actions improved the technical assistance tracking data quality and the comprehensiveness of the FAQ available to Title III, VI, and VII grantees.  
• Developed an infographic to illustrate accomplishments of ACL Office of Performance and Evaluation in an appealing, audience-friendly format.
• Assessed the level of consistency between grantee estimates for the number of OAA Title VI service-eligible elders available from Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-2023 Title VI grant applications with estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. New Editions conducted in-depth reviews of all 282 OAA Title VI grantee applications, extracted relevant grantee information, and compared that information to Census estimates following search decision-rules we defined with ACL and applied on data.census.gov. New Editions also calculated descriptive statistics and performed statistical tests to examine how closely service-eligible population estimates from OAA Title VI grantee applications matched with Census estimates. Used Fiscal Year 2020 funding band information for OAA Title VI grant awards to examine potential impact of estimation methodologies on grantee/program funding. Developed and submitted a detailed report, data workbook, and PowerPoint slide deck to ACL for presentations to OAA Title VI program leaders and stakeholders.
• Leveraged statistical program and documentation for OAA Title VI Program Performance Report (PPR) data cleaning that New Editions authored in 2020 to quickly generate updated multi-year reports for each of 273 OAA Title VI grantees including the new year of data (2019).
• Conceptualized, designed, and implemented a preliminary study on the use and value of volunteers in the programs ACL funds. As part of the study, New Editions analyzed existing national data and conducted 38 interviews with ACL staff, grantees staff, and volunteers to examine the role of volunteers in and their economic contribution to Older American Act programs and State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). To highlight the findings and share effective volunteer practices, New Editions developed several products: final study report, effective volunteer practices guide, stories from volunteers, and a short infographic booklet highlighting the study’s key findings. In addition, New Editions submitted a journal article for publication to the Journal of Aging & Social Policy and developed a plan for future studies. New Editions will continue to share the findings with ACL stakeholders, including program leadership/staff and ACL grantees.
• Designed and conducted a multistate exploratory study of senior nutrition services provided by state and local stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Designed the study to capture information about how delivery, management, and provision of nutrition services changed during the pandemic, as well as identify barriers, innovations, and promising practices emerging in programs during this time. To develop and conduct the study, New Editions collaborated with ACL program leads to identify research questions, select key informants in nine states, and develop interview guides. New Editions conducted interviews of officials and providers within State Units of Aging, Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), and Local Service Providers. Analysts coded interview data to describe community experiences and needs, program practices and policies, obstacles and innovations. Summarized findings, together with implications for technical assistance and preparation for future events such as pandemics, in a report for ACL.
• Provided planning, coordination, and support services for the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) Executive Committee Meetings. Each year, New Editions supports four ICDR Executive committee meetings that bring together designated representatives from each member agency to share activities and efforts from across the federal government, continue the work of finalizing and implementing the government-wide strategic plan, and identify opportunities to collaborate and leverage resources and efforts. We also supported the June ICDR Stakeholder Meeting bringing together diverse audiences to meet the new NIDILRR director and hear about the current state of science surrounding key disability research topic areas: Community Integration & Participation; Employment & Education; Health, Functioning & Wellness; and Assistive Technology & Universal Design.
• Supported the 2021 ICDR Lunch and Learn Series. In 2021, the ICDR a Lunch and Learn Webinar Series on topics related to the disability and rehabilitation to highlight the work of ICDR member agencies and organizations. The first session featured a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley, Getting Older is Not for the Weak; An Evidence-Based Approach to Improving Mobility. The second session featured a presentation by Dr. Susanne Bruyere and Dr. Sarah von Schrader on the research being conducted by the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University on workplace disability inclusion. The third session featured a presentation from Dr. Debra Brucker of the Institute on Disability and Veronica Helms Garrison of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development on Using National Health Surveys to Better Understand HUD-Assisted Adults Living with Disabilities. 
• Supported the activities of the Government Wide Inventory (GWI) through the ICDR. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires the ICDR to develop and maintain a searchable GWI of disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research for trend and data analysis across federal agencies. Throughout the year, New Editions provided support to the GWI working group as they finalized the inventory and prepared for its launch.  
• Developed a series of toolkits on key disability research topics identified in the ICDR Government Wide Strategic Plan. The ICDR Toolkits provide resources to facilitate further federally-funded research in each area and foster interagency collaboration. The toolkits provide resources, examples of best practices across, an inventory of current federally-funded research, measurement tools, web resources, and trainings. Additionally, these toolkits identify potential resources for people with disabilities, explore emerging needs, and highlight areas that could benefit from further research and interagency collaboration. Topics for 2021 included: Health IT, Aging, Employment, Assistive Technology and Universal Design, Emergency Preparedness, and Health Care Quality and Access.