Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) to Assist Protection and Advocacy Systems (P & As) to Establish or Improve Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities

The Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) in the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 funds authorized under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, Pub. Law 107-252, Title II, Subtitle D, Part 5, section 291 (42 U.S.C § 15461). Provisions under this section provide for the award of grants for Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) to assist Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) in:Promoting full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities, including registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places; andProviding T/TA for non-visual access. (At least one recipient must provide T/TA assistance in this area.)In addition, the funds may be used to assist P&As in:Developing proficiency in the use of voting systems and technologies as they affect individuals with disabilities; andDemonstrating and evaluating the use of such systems and technologies by individuals with disabilities (including blindness) in order to assess the availability and use of such systems and technologies for such individuals.The successful applicants will provide T/TA to the 55 P&As via the following approaches:1) Develop and utilize innovative strategies to exchange and transfer knowledge among the 55 P&As;2) Explore with the P&As ways to fully include individuals with disabilities in the voting process, thus ensuring the meaningful involvement of, and input from, the P&As and individuals with disabilities;3) Develop a method to provide on-going T/TA to the P&As that will be essential in supporting them to meet the requirements of the HAVA statute; and4) Disseminate information to the P&As that will strengthen the work completed relating to voting efforts with individuals with disabilities.Applicants must describe their organizational capability, including how they will manage the T/TA efforts, and document their experience in voting issues for individuals with disabilities. Each applicant should ensure that key project personnel have the professional background appropriate to fill the position, including knowledge of the disability community to offer T/TA to the P&As. Each applicant is asked to conduct a discussion on barriers and opportunities relating to voting and the disability community.