HHS--2021--ACL--AOD--DNRC--0073.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Disabilities

Projects of National Significance: Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center

HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DNRC-0073

07/26/2021

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Statement of Need and Project Relevance

Special Target Populations

Approach

Dissemination Plan

Organizational Capacity

Evaluation

Sustainability

BUDGET NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION

WORK PLAN

LETTERS OF COMMITMENT FROM KEY PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS AND

AGENCIES

3. Submission Dates and Times

4. Intergovernmental Review

5. Funding Restrictions

6. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

Administration on Disabilities Funding Opportunity Title:

Projects of National Significance: Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DNRC-0073

Primary CFDA Number:

93.631 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

06/14/2021 Due Date for Applications:

07/26/2021 Date for Informational Conference Call:

Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

The Administration on Disabilities (AoD) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL) will fund one (1) project to continue and expand a self-advocacy resource and technical assistance center (the center). This center advances ACL’s support of the national self-advocacy movement by serving as a resource that strengthens statewide and local self-advocacy organizations, creates and disseminates self-advocacy resources, provides leadership development opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), https://www.grants.gov/ and strengthens the network of civil rights organizations working on behalf of people with ID/DD. As a result of this grant, AoD envisions that:

People with ID/DD will have the information they need and will be seen as valuable members of society;

People with ID/DD will be seen as valued contributors to other organizations;

People with ID/DD will have more opportunities for economic mobility and security;

People with ID/DD will have more independence and self-sufficiency; and More people with ID/DD will live safely in the community

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Purpose

The Administration on Disabilities (AoD) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL) seeks to fund one (1) five-year grant to maintain and expand a center that is a national, person-centered, culturally competent resource that empowers and supports the national self-advocacy movement. This center will serve as a national resource that:

Further strengthens statewide and local self-advocacy organizations, Creates and disseminates self-advocacy resources, Provides leadership development opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), and Strengthens the network of civil rights organizations working on behalf of people with

ID/DD.

The center will be guided by principles of independent living, self-determination, and intersectionality. (These definitions are included at the end of Section I.) Partnerships with entities supporting traditionally unserved and underserved communities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) – including individuals from racially and ethnically diverse populations and individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication are critical to the success of this project.

B. Program History / Background

ACL’s mission is to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities across the lifespan, their families, and their support networks. ACL was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. By funding services and supports provided by networks of community-based organizations and with investments in research, education, and innovation, ACL helps make this principle a reality for millions of Americans.

The self-advocacy movement is a human and civil rights movement led by individuals with ID/DD. Self-advocacy is a term of personal identity, focusing on one's political power and right to self-determination. The self-advocacy movement works to ensure that individuals with ID/DD can make their own decisions, speak for themselves and for others with disabilities, and take control over their lives. The goal is to ensure that people with ID/DD have the same rights, responsibilities, and opportunities as people without disabilities. In the words of two leaders from the self-advocacy community:

"Self-advocacy is about independent groups of people with disabilities working together for justice by helping each other take charge of our lives and fight discrimination. It teaches us how to make decisions and choices that affect our lives so we can be more independent. It also teaches us about our rights, but along with learning about our rights we learn responsibilities. The way we learn about advocating for ourselves is by supporting each other and helping each other gain confidence in ourselves so we can speak out for what we believe in.”[1]

The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) supports self-advocacy in multiple places. For example, when defining self-determination activities, the DD Act references the importance of self-advocacy and ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities have “support, including financial support, to advocate for themselves and others, to develop leadership skills, through training in self-advocacy, to participate in coalitions, to educate policymakers, and to play a role in the development of public policies that affect individuals with developmental disabilities.”[2] When describing the State Councils of Developmental Disabilities, the DD Act clearly mandates the Councils “establish or strengthen a program for the direct funding of a State self-advocacy organization led by individuals with developmental disabilities.”[3] For two other DD Act programs (The University Centers of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) and the Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&A)), the DD Act emphasizes the importance of having representation on their governing bodies from ‘self-advocacy’ organizations.[4]

In 2016, ACL first funded the Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SAR- TAC), which produces and disseminates accessible, easily read information that enables individuals with ID/DD to make choices and gives them greater control over their lives.

Receiving information in an accessible manner and knowing how to use it is vital to living in the community. SAR-TAC maintains a website with hundreds of resources including toolkits, recorded webinars, and videos. The Center provides technical assistance to state and local self-advocacy organizations and has implemented a fellowship program with four cohorts with six fellows each. These fellowships provide people with ID/DD employment opportunities, leadership skills, training on the use of technology, and experience in planning, organizing, networking, asking for support when needed, problem solving, and speaking in public.

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for individuals with ID/DD to receive information in a way that they can use it, given that the majority of people with ID/DD are dependent on other people for some of their most basic and personal needs. In response, the current center used a variety of methods for individuals with ID/DD to receive information in ways that they could use it. Along with creating and disseminating resources for people with ID/DD during the pandemic, the resource center collaborated with federal and state agencies, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), to translate their guidelines into easy-to-understand information that is accessible by people with ID/DD. The grantee also created a Plain Language Toolkit on COVID-19. This toolkit includes easy-to-understand information on how to keep safe in the community and at work during the pandemic. Finally, the Center has hosted zoom calls serving as community forums to share resources and information in an accessible manner.

This project supports the AoD priorities of:

Promoting health equity, Achieving economic security and mobility, Protecting rights and preventing abuse, and Empowering individuals, communities, families.

It will also support the Administration’s priorities to address the COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequities, and the American economy. ACL recognizes that strengthening self-advocacy and leadership of individuals with ID/DD is a critical component to addressing the multiple inequities and living well in the community.

This project is funded under the Projects of National Significance (PNS) within the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, which defines the purpose of PNS as a program to "create opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to directly and fully contribute to, and participate in, all facets of community life; and support the development of national and State policies that reinforce and promote, with the support of families, guardians, advocates, and communities, of individuals with developmental disabilities, the self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life of such individuals."[5]

C. Program Goals

ACL seeks to continue supporting the strengthening of the self-advocacy movement by funding one (1) five-year grant to continue and expand a center. ACL’s long-term goals for this project are that people with ID/DD will:

Be seen as equal partners;

Have more opportunities for employment and other means of obtaining income;

Have increased independence and be more self-sufficient; and Live safely in the community.

In large part, the success of the project will be seen when:

The general public is more aware of the rights and abilities of people with ID/DD;

People with ID/DD have more information about major current events and disasters/ emergencies;

Self-advocacy organizations are seen as a resource by federal, state, and local agencies as well as others, including people with ID/DD;

The center is recognized as a unique and valuable resource, particularly for its expertise in translating documents and other helpful tools into easy to read language;

The center is able to leverage funds from other sources;

More people with ID/DD are employed; and People with ID/DD have less anxiety because they have access to information they understand and can use to make informed decisions.

D. Required Activities

As an applicant, you should respond to this funding announcement by submitting a proposal that describes the approach you will take, if funded, to maintain and expand a self-advocacy resource and technical assistance center as a person-centered, culturally competent resource center to empower and support the national self-advocacy movement. You should explain how you plan to implement the required activities listed here along with other activities you believe necessary to achieve the outcomes listed above.

1. Advisory Committee Your application should describe how your project will form and receive guidance from an advisory committee. The application should described how advisory committee members will be recruited and selected, ensuring that at least 75% are people with ID/DD. The application should also describe how the diversity will be ensured and that the advisory committee is diverse with regard to race, religion, age, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, location, and other factors not listed. The advisory committee will direct the project in all its activities including, but not limited to, developing criteria for materials to be posted on the website; selecting fellows; and choosing the topics for webinars, YouTube videos, fact sheets, and toolkits. The advisory committee will assist the project in determining to which agencies it will offer technical assistance in translating the agencies’ guidance and resources into easy-to-understand information. Finally, the advisory committee will help create and will ultimately approve the plan to evaluate the project.

2. Partnerships Your application should describe partnerships and collaborative activities with at least three (3) distinct groups, including:

Other federal agencies, state and local government agencies, and nonprofit organizations: The center will reach out to a variety of other agencies and organizations to make them aware of their services and offer them expert technical assistance in translating essential documents into easy-to-read, plain, and clear language. This will assist agencies in translating their important information (e.g., updates on COVID-19 vaccines and returning to work during and after the pandemic) into fact sheets that are easy to use for people with ID/DD. Your application should describe how you will reach out to agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services; the Rehabilitation Services Administration; and others and encourage them to make use of the center’s translation services.

AoD Technical Assistance Providers: In order to facilitate coordination of ACL-funded outreach efforts (e.g., development and dissemination of accessible resources) to people with ID/DD, the grantee will regularly convene a meeting of related AoD technical assistance providers. These TA providers include, but are not limited to, the UCEDD Resource Center, the Training and Advocacy Support Center, and the Information and Technical Assistance for Councils on Developmental Disabilities. Applicants should describe how they will convene this group to maximize the coordination of information and outreach to people with ID/DD. Your application should also describe how they will offer and encourage the other TA centers to take advantage of their translation services to create more accessible resources.

Civil Right Organizations: The center will actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with other civil rights organizations that have similar goals but for whom disability is not a primary focus. These activities include sharing mutually beneficial information; inviting representatives to speak on webinars and accepting invitations to speak on their webinars; and translating information into easy to read, clear information for people with ID/DD. These collaborations will provide the center an opportunity to educate other civil right organizations about disability issues.

3. Website Your application should describe a plan to support a website for the center. Your plan should include how you will create or build off an existing website and identify additional resources, best practices, training curriculum, and success stories to post on the website. Your application should describe how you will reach out to partners (e.g., other federal agencies, other technical assistance providers, civil rights organizations) to seek out additional resources and, if necessary, modify existing resources so they can be easily understood.

4. Resource Development, Translation, and Dissemination Your application should include a plan for how you will identify and translate key documents and other important information that is critical for the public to know, including the ID/DD community, into an easy-to-read format. (For example, information from the website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration related to maintaining safety at work during COVID.) This plan should consist of several parts:

The center will collect, develop, and refine a wide variety resources for its website. These resources will include, but not be limited to, tools to assist state and local self-advocacy organizations; resources on employment, information on current events; and information about supported-decision making.

The center will develop, identify, and modify resources for several purposes and audiences including, but not limited to, its own website, ACL, the Centers for Disease Control, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, and the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

https://www.aucd.org/urc/ https://www.tascnow.com/home/ https://www.tascnow.com/home/ https://itacchelp.org/ https://itacchelp.org/

The center will support regional self-advocacy organizations building relationships and securing contracts with state and local agencies to develop easy to read documents.

The center will also collaborate with other AoD/ACL grantees to ensure essential documents are available in easily read language. This collaboration will require that the center reach out and communicate to other entities:

o The need for easily understandable information, o The center expertise and ability to modify information from other partners and agencies, and o The center’s willingness to assist the entities to modify selected guidance into easily understood resources.

5. Leadership Development Your application should describe a plan to support a leadership fellows program that collaborates with other technical assistance providers, other DD network grantees, non-profit organizations, and civil rights organizations to create innovative leadership experiences for people with ID/DD.

Your application should describe how such organizations will play an active role in recruiting fellows for this program and assist in placements in meaningful employment opportunities. Your application should also describe how the center will award leadership fellow mini-grants annually for at least six community organizations for a length of one-year, no later than the 8th month of the first year of this project. Your application should describe how the center will prepare guidance for the recipients of the mini-grants on:

Recruiting methods for the Leadership Fellows;

Qualifications for the Leadership Fellows;

Topics to be researched; and How to measure the success of the Fellowships.

The budget should include funds for providing stipends for leadership experiences for people with ID/DD. You should demonstrate in your application how you will pay particular attention and seek guidance to recruit fellows from unserved and underserved populations.

6. Technical Assistance Your application should include a plan to provide one-on-one technical assistance to local self-advocacy organizations that request it. Your application should describe how the center will provide technical assistance by teleconferences and quarterly webinars. Your application should also describe how the center will develop training materials and provide technical assistance on issues related to self-advocacy organizations including, but not limited to:

Working with advisors;

Building consensus;

Recruiting young people;

Grant writing, securing 501(c)(3) nonprofit status;

Growing leaders; and Working with other non-disability organizations.

Upon request, the center will provide technical assistance to self-advocacy organizations, businesses, and other organizations on ways to include people with ID/DD in their communication, employment, and other related matters. Your application should include a description of how you will respond to such requests for technical assistance and also to requests from individuals with ID/DD.

Hosting a national conference is permissible but not required under this activity; however, if you propose a national conference in your application, please describe how you will work with AoD to finalize and receive approval of the agenda for the conference.

7. Webinars and Video Meetings Your application should include a plan to gather research for and conduct webinars. The plan should include collaboration with the advisory committee and other civil rights organizations to select relevant topics, ensure webinars are culturally competent, and make certain notifications are disseminated to a wide a variety of audiences.

Your application should also include a plan to hold virtual meetings. These meetings should be based on current events and should be a forum for people with ID/DD to share their thoughts and feelings. Your application should include an approach to collaborate with other civil rights organizations to ensure that meetings are culturally competent and welcoming and that notifications are disseminated to a wide a variety of audiences.

8. Evaluation Your application for funding should describe the process you will use for collecting data that shows the impact of grant activities and the success of the project, including in the areas below.

Your application should include a logic model that shows the clear relationships between the project’s activities, outputs, and desired outcomes (i.e., ACL’s long-term goals). ACL’s envisioned goals are:

People with ID/DD have the information they need and are seen as valuable members of society;

People with ID/DD are seen as valued contributors to other organizations;

People with ID/DD have more opportunities for economic mobility and security;

People with ID/DD have more independence and self-sufficiency; and More people with ID/DD live safely in the community.

9. Sustainability An expected outcome of this project is the sustainability of a self-advocacy resource and technical assistance center to provide resources and technical assistance to people with ID/DD, their families, professionals, agencies, and other organizations. Your application should include a plan to identify what activities of the center will be sustained after federal funding has ended.

The plan should include ways to generate the sufficient resources and strategies for organizational, financial, and/or community sustainability to continue and refine the work beyond the end of the funding period.

F. Definitions

Administration on Disabilities Technical Assistance Providers (AoD TA providers): The Association of University on Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), and the National Disability Rights Network

(NDRN).

Easy-to-Read: Key information for living well and safely must be accessible for people with ID/DD. For purposes of this funding opportunity, a document that is easy to read will be easy to understand by people with ID/DD and others who have difficulty reading English at an advanced level. An easy-to-read formatted document will:

Follow the rules of Plain Language as described at https://plainlanguage.gov/ Be clear and easy to understand Contain approximately one picture for every idea Avoid using acronyms Include significant white space (e.g., large spaces between paragraphs) Limit the number of ideas on a single page

Self-Advocacy: There are two predominant conceptualizations of self-advocacy and people with ID/DD. One views self-advocacy as a skill that people with ID/DD need to develop and/or acquire to make their needs known in requesting necessary supports and accommodations, while the other frames self-advocacy as a civil rights movement that has empowered people with ID/DD to shift power from professionals and parents to people with disabilities and has laid the groundwork for important innovations in service delivery, such as the use of person-centered planning and services and self-directed supports (Abery, Olson, Poetz, & Smith 2019).[6]

Unserved and Underserved: The term includes populations such as individuals from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, disadvantaged individuals, individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals from underserved geographic areas (rural or urban), and specific groups of individuals within the population of individuals with developmental disabilities, including individuals who require assistive technology in order to participate in and contribute to community life.[7]

References:

[1[ Caldwell, J. (2011). Disability Identity Development of Leaders in the Self-Advocacy Movement. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

[2] United States, Congress, The Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. Sec.

102. P. 1687 (27).

[3] Ibid. Sec. 124 P. 1698 (4) [4] Ibid. Sec. 154. P. 1722 (3) and Sec. 144 P. 1717 (1) [5] An Act to Improve Service Systems for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, and for Other Purposes. (PL 106-442) U.S. G.P.O., 2000.[6] “About Independent Living.” National

Council on Independent Living, 30 May 2019, ncil.org/about/aboutil/.

[6] Abery, B. H., Olson, M. R., Poetz, C. L., & Smith, J. G. (2019). Self-determination and self-advocacy: It’s my life. In A. S. Hewitt & K. M. Nye-Langerman (Eds.), Community living and participation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (pp. 117–140).

Washington, D.C.: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

[7] United States, Congress, The Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. Sec.

102. P. 1688 (32).

Statutory Authority The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$ 400,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$ 400,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$ 350,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' The amount of federal funds available for this new funding opportunity is anticipated to be up to $400,000. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) plans to fund one cooperative agreement at a federal share of up to 400,000 each year for a total project period of up to 60 months. Funding for years two, three, four and five of the project period are contingent upon the availability of funds. This is a new cooperative agreement, and ACL will be substantially involved in its activities (as listed in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description) by reviewing and approving technical assistance products and participating in national planning and training activities, in cooperation with state and local self-advocacy centers and the Administration for Community Living.

The terms and conditions for this cooperative agreement are as follows and will be incorporated by reference in the Notice of Award (NOA).

The ACL project officer agrees to execute the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement outlined below:

1. Perform the day-to-day federal responsibilities of managing a grant initiative and work with the grantee to ensure that the minimum requirements for the grant are met. Conduct regular conference calls to ensure goals and objectives are being met.

2. Work cooperatively with the grantee to clarify the programmatic and budgetary issues to be addressed by the grantee’s project, and, as necessary, collaborate with grantee to achieve a mutually agreed upon solution to any needs identified by the grantee or ACL.

3. Share information with the grantee about other federally sponsored projects and other activities relevant to the interests of the grantee and their activities.

4. Work with the grantee on the development and implementation of quality assurance systems to ensure that performance is measured and continuous improvement occurs.

5. Provide technical advice on grantee work products to ensure they are accurate, objective, unbiased, and of high professional quality, and that they do not violate federal, departmental, or agency grant rules.

6. Attend and participate in major project events as appropriate.

The grantee will agree to execute the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement outlined below:

1. Fulfill all of the requirements of the grant initiative as detailed in this funding announcement.

2. Collaborate with ACL on any in-scope modifications and execution of the work plan initially within 45 days of the award.

3. Document the impact of overall project activities and ensure quality assurance systems are in place.

4. Share information with ACL, national, state and local partner organizations, and other entities as appropriate.

5. Work with the ACL program project officer to evaluate performance results reported semi-annually and jointly develop strategies to address those areas requiring improvement.

6. Submit resumes of potential key staff hires as detailed under HHS grants prior approval requirements.

7. Report semi-annually on project accomplishments, challenges, and progress towards measurable objectives.

8. Acknowledge that the Government retains all rights to all data, reports, and websites/webpages created and/or compiled as a result of this grant and agree that no information furnished to or generated by the grantee in the performance of this grant shall be released to the public by the grantee without the prior approval of the project officer.

9. Ensure all virtual materials and platforms are in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, level AA criteria.

Once a cooperative agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend it or the work plan may be made by ACL or the awardee at any time as long as it stays within the original confines of the proposed project description. Major changes may affect the integrity of the competitive review process. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the execution of an award notice. When an award is issued the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference unless ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith- based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No For awards that require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources (at or above the statutory requirement) in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to provide the statutorily required matching or cost sharing amount (and any voluntary committed amount in excess) may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria N/A

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the three screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following screening requirements:

1. Applications must be submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Calibri or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 25 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 25 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 25 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, Organizational Charts, Logic Models, and Resumes/Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 25-page limit.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from https://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission.

For example, you will be required to provide an https://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the application deadline.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

All applicants must have a DUNS number (https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/) and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://www.sam.gov/ registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its DUNS number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a DUNS number at the time the subaward is made.

Since October 1, 2003, The Office of Management and Budget has required applicants to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities. The DUNS number is free and easy to obtain.

Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 866-705-5711.

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from https://www.grants.gov that containshttps://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form fromhttps://www.grants.gov.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

Katherine Cargill-Willis Administration on Disabilities Phone Number: (202) 795-7322 E-mail: katherine.cargill-willis@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent Number Of Days from Publication 20

06/14/2021 Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Katherine Cargill-Willis Administration on Disabilities Phone Number: (202) 795-7322 E-mail: katherine.cargill-willis@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Calibri or Arial. You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. The suggested length for the Project Narrative is 20 to 25 pages; 25 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 25 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 25 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the X-page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

The sample components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the 25-page limit include:

Statement of Need and Project Relevance Special Target Populations https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:katherine.cargill-willis@acl.hhs.gov mailto:katherine.cargill-willis@acl.hhs.gov

Approach Dissemination Plan Organizational Capacity Evaluation Sustainability

Statement of Need and Project Relevance This section should describe the need for a self-advocacy resource center. In your description, discuss the importance of providing information to people with ID/DD in a variety of ways.

Finally, describe the need for the center to collaborate to with state and local agencies, non-profit organizations and civil rights organizations to make their resources more accessible.

Special Target Populations In this section, describe how your project will target disadvantaged populations, including racially marginalized communities, limited-English speaking populations, and/or those of greatest economic and social need. The section will also describe how you will collaborate with civil rights organizations to make their information more accessible to people with disabilities.

Approach Use this section to provide a clear and concise description of the project you propose to use to address the problem you described in the “Statement of Need.” The description should include a plan to identify and develop knowledge based resources; how you will use a variety of strategies to dissemination/share information by developing and maintaining a nationally known website, and conduct webinars; how you will work with AoD TA providers, other agencies and other civil rights organizations to develop fact sheets that are easy to use for people with ID/DD that are readily translated into other languages; how you will develop leadership and employment opportunities for people with ID/DD; how you will conduct webinars and other virtual public meetings; and how you will providing individuals and state and local organizations with technical assistance.

Dissemination Plan Use the section to describe a process to translate public documents into easy-to-read documents.

This plan should consists of several parts as described in Section I. Your explanation should include a plan to collaborate with other agencies to disseminate resources in an accessible manner. Include details in how you will do this in a timely manner and in easily understandable formats. Finally, your application should include a plan to conduct webinars and virtual meetings.

Organizational Capacity Use this section of your application to describe the capability and capacity of your organization and any partner organizations that will have a significant role in implementing the project and/or achieving the project goals. Include resumes/vitae for key project personnel. Describe the nature and scope of its work, and its capacity. Also in this section to describe the differences between the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants, and partner organizations. Clearly specify who will have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as: leadership of project;

monitoring the project’s on-going progress (i.e., measure of performance towards the goals);

preparation of reports; and communications with partners and ACL.

NOTE: Resumes/vitae for project staff along with any organizational charts do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit.

Evaluation In this section, please include a logic model that clearly identifies the measurable outcome(s) that will result from your project. On a separate page, describe the specific outcomes (e.g., changes in the lives of people with ID/DD you expect as a result of your proposed project. Describe the method(s), techniques, and tools you will use to: 1) determine whether the project achieved its anticipated outcome(s), and 2) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative – from the project that will be useful to people interested in replicating your project, if it proves successful. Describe the approach you will use to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Sustainability In this section describe the organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after federal financial assistance has ended. If applicable describe which activities will be sustained after federal financial assistance has ended.

BUDGET NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION

For the Budget Narrative/Justification, you may use the “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format” found in the Appendix section at the end of this funding announcement. Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to this format, which provides an example of the level of detail ACL is looking for. ACL requires that you submit a combined multi-year Budget Narrative/Justification covering the life of the grant as well as a detailed Budget Narrative/Justification for each year of potential grant funding.

WORK PLAN

Your Project Work Plan should reflect and be consistent with the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative/Justification. In your Project Work Plan, include a statement of the project’s overall goal, the anticipated outcome(s), the key objectives, and the major tasks / action steps that you will undertake to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task / action step in the Project Work Plan, identify timeframes involved (including start- and end-dates) and the lead person responsible. You may use the “Project Work Plan - Sample Template” format found in the Appendix section at the end of this funding announcement as a reference and resource.

LETTERS OF COMMITMENT FROM KEY PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

AND AGENCIES

In this part of your application, include confirmation of the commitments to the project (should it be funded) made by key collaborating organizations and agencies. Any organization you name in your application as having a significant role in carrying out the project should be considered an essential collaborator. For applications submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov, scan and include signed letters of commitment as attachments. If you are unable to scan the signed letters of commitment, you may fax them to the ACL Office of Grants Management at 202-357- 3467 by the application submission deadline. In your fax, be sure to include the funding opportunity number and your agency/organization name.

3. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications 07/26/2021

07/26/2021 Date for Informational Conference Call:

Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with http://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only)

If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, please…