Department of Health and Human Services

New Editions provided Section 508 technical support to Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of the Secretary and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff. Our support included Help Desk operations, Section 508 compliance assessments, technical assistance, and document remediation. New Editions staff responded to Section 508 queries related to applicable provisions, acquisition language, accessible application development and process, and VPATs.

Together with our partners, New Editions provided material development and communications support to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). This included developing outreach and education materials (e.g., infographics and web-based content, exhibit support and template design) to improve the cohesiveness and effectiveness of stakeholder outreach activities.

New Editions provided logistics and management support to assist the Office on Disability (OD) in implementing the Call to Action Strategic Plan. We planned and conducted important events, including a conference with major healthcare provider organizations to identify best practices in disability awareness training for physicians and nurses, as well as a forum with employers to identify best practices in providing access to healthcare services for employees with disabilities.

The Center of Excellence on Disability Research (CEDR) conducts research to identify and evaluate effective services, supports and models of coordinated care and/or integrated care for persons with disabilities. CEDR is also organizing a national conference in March 2013 to share the results of these studies-along with those of other researchers-and discuss strategies for providing effective services and care models to all people with disabilities.

New Editions operated AbleData, the premier resource for objective information on assistive technology (AT) products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources, for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Through coordination across multiple projects, New Editions worked collaboratively to provide expert technical assistance and guidance to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), their grantees and partners, and other Aging Services Network organizations at the state, sub-state and community levels. Under a subcontract with The Lewin Group, New Editions coordinated relevant ACL activities with the initiatives of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Technical Assistance Center.

New Editions supported the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS’s) New Freedom Initiative (NFI) Working Group, which was led by the HHS Office on Disability (OD). The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) worked through the NFI Working Group on a project to analyze and promote the Medical Home Model for children with special health care needs and all individuals with disabilities.

New Editions provided training and technical assistance on Section 508 and the Secretary’s Section 508 Implementation Policy to designated individuals in the HHS agency and the Office of the Secretary. Section 508 requires procured, developed, maintained or used electronic and information technology (EIT) to be accessible to its employees and customers with disabilities. New Editions staff members worked directly with Section 508 Officials and Coordinators at each agency to ensure their understanding of the legal, technical and policy framework of Section 508 at HHS.

With our subcontractor JBS International, New Editions conducted a formative qualitative study to ascertain how primary care clinicians and patients conceptualize and discuss preventive services. We used focus groups and simulated clinical scenarios to gain insight into the shared decision-making process. This knowledge will be used to guide the development and improvement of print and electronic tools that prompt joint decision-making by clinicians and patients regarding the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations.

Funded under Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, the New Editions contract, Housing Capacity Building Initiative for Community Living Project, was announced in June 2010 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius. The Secretary lauded the project’s vision to assist older adults and those with chronic conditions find appropriate housing to live more independent lives.