Created in 1978, The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) is a national leader in sponsoring research. NIDRR is located in Washington, D.C., and is one of three components of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education. NIDRR operates in concert with the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
It is the mission of NIDRR to generate, disseminate and promote new knowledge to improve the options available to disabled persons. The ultimate goal is to allow these individuals to perform their regular activities in the community and to bolster society’s ability to provide full opportunities and appropriate supports for its disabled citizens. Toward this end, NIDRR conducts comprehensive and coordinated programs of research and related activities to maximize the full inclusion, social integration, employment and independent living of individuals of all ages with disabilities. NIDRR’s focus includes research in areas such as employment; health and function; technology for access and function; independent living and community integration; and other associated disability research areas.
Balanced between the scientific and consumer communities, NIDRR plays a unique role in federally funded research activities. As part of the scientific community, NIDRR makes an important contribution to the overall knowledge in rehabilitation medicine, engineering, psychosocial rehabilitation, integration, vocational outcomes and the virtual and built environments. In addition, NIDRR’s work helps to integrate disability research into our nation’s policies regarding science and technology, health care, and economics.
NIDRR has unique institutional relationships with the other federal agencies that conduct disability research through theInteragency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR), which the director of NIDRR chairs. In addition, NIDRR co-sponsors research programs with other federal government agencies and with foreign governments and international agencies.
