In 1999, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR) released a new LongRange
Plan [9]. This plan presents a new paradigm
of disability which will undergird NIDRR’s future research
strategy. The paradigm maintains that disability
is a product of an interaction between characteristics of
the individual, e.g., conditions or impairments, functional
status, or personal and social qualities and characteristics
of the natural, built, cultural, and social environments.
The new paradigm of disability is integrative
and holistic, and focuses on the whole person functioning
in an environmental context. This new paradigm of
disability is reflected in the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) [2] and sets a goals framework for research,
policy, and the delivery of services and supports.