The committee will identify continuing gaps in disability science and propose steps to strengthen the evidence base for public and private actions to reduce the impact of disability and related conditions on individuals and society in the United States. The assessment of principles and scientific evidence for disability policies and services will take international perspectives and models into account. Topics to be examined include

• Methodological and policy issues related to the definition, measurement, and monitoring (surveillance) of disability and health over time
• Trends in the amount, types, and causes of disability;
• Aging with disability and secondary health conditions;
• Transitions from child/adolescent to adult services and community participation;
• Role of assistive technologies and physical environments in increasing participation in society (e.g., through employment, community-based living) of people with disabilities;
• Selected questions related to the financing of health care services, including payment for assistive technologies and risk adjustment of managed care and provider payments; and
• Directions for research.

The final report, which will include recommendations, should be released in early 2007. Funding for the study comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research.