National Paralysis Resource Center

Background
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) intends to award funds over the next five years to support one (1) National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) that will improve the health and quality of life of individuals living with paralysis of all ages, their families, and their support system by raising awareness of and facilitating access to a broad range of services relevant to individuals with paralysis. The NPRC will operate a national resource and information center; make subawards to nonprofit community-based organizations that provide long-term services and supports to people living with paralysis; conduct promotional activities and outreach; increase support and resources available to people living with paralysis, their families and caregivers; and evaluate the activities of the Center using a variety of data, including performance measures. All activities funded under this grant will promote greater independence, equality, choice, and control for individuals living with paralysis and help them more fully integrate into their communities.

Grant Details
The purpose of the National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) is to improve the health and quality of life of individuals with all forms of paralysis by raising awareness of and facilitating access to a broad range of services, tools, and opportunities available to such individuals. The NPRC will provide comprehensive information for people with spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and other mobility-related disabilities and their families. The NPRC will work with ACL and ACL-funded programs to remove environmental, social, and systems barriers to health and community living for individuals with paralysis. The NPRC will provide culturally competent national outreach to educate and enhance community living opportunities for individuals with paralysis as well as outreach to traditionally unserved and underserved populations. The NPRC will promote the philosophy of Independent Living, which stresses the importance of empowering individuals with disabilities to exercise full choice and control over their lives.

Eligibility Requirements
The grant opportunity is open for applications from organizations that have experience in carrying out multifaceted approaches related to paralysis. Applicants should have strong partnerships with agencies vested in working with people with paralysis. The grantee must issue a minimum of 35 percent of the total federal funds awarded through a competitive national subaward process. Subaward recipients must use subaward funds for programmatic capacity building activities that further subawardees’ ability to improve or increase culturally competent services and/or supports to individuals with paralysis, their families, and their support networks.

Period of Performance
The grant has a 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods.

Grant Value
$8,700,000 is the total value of the grant award.