Did you know NARIC publishes articles and resource collections in Spanish as well as English? We publish every Research In Focus summary article in Spanish as well as English, translating throughout the editorial process. We produce blog articles in both Spanish and English. All of our original website content is available in Spanish and we also translate each issue of News and Notes for the searchable archive. Our podcast, NARIC’s Spotlight has episodes that alternate between Spanish and English and whose transcripts are available in both languages for each episode. Our Bilingual Information Specialist leads this effort, both translating English content into Spanish and developing original content in Spanish which is translated into English. We’re not the only ones supporting the information needs of Spanish speakers in the disability community.

NIDILRR funds and supports research, development, and knowledge translation activities that support the Spanish-speaking disability community. These activities look at a range of topics, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), parents with disabilities, children with developmental disabilities and their families, and transition to adulthood, among other topics. Below are just a few examples of projects that support Spanish-speakers with disabilities and their families:

The ADA:

The ADA National Network provides evidence-based publications in Spanish that discuss ADA-related topics that include service animals, healthcare, education, employment, and basic information about the ADA, among others. For example, Datos de empleo para veteranos con discapacidades discusses data on employment for veterans with disabilities that can be used to advocate for increased employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities. Another example, La ADA y los cuidadores: Preguntas frecuentes, answers frequently asked questions about how the ADA covers caregivers.

Within the ADA National network, several of the individual Regional Centers not only provide information in Spanish, but they also maintain websites in Spanish as well. These Centers include the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center, the Northeast ADA Regional Center, the Southeast ADA Regional Center, and the Southwest ADA Regional Center. Keep an eye out on the Regional Centers as they work towards creating blogs and webinars in Spanish!

Families with Disabilities:

The Spanish website of the National Center on Research for Parents with Disabilities provides information about their project on research they conduct and training and technical assistance they provide to improve the lives of parents with disabilities and their families, particularly racial and ethnic minority parents. This includes resources in Spanish for parents with disabilities, social workers, researchers, and legal professionals. The Center also shares a blog in Spanish written by Spanish-speaking parents with disabilities who share their experiences.

The project Promoting Obesity Prevention Among Latinx Children with Developmental Disabilities and Families Through Engaged Research provides information in Spanish about the PODER Study and how families can participate in the study. The project also provides resources, and webinars in Spanish.

Transition to Adulthood:

The Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (Transitions ACR) develops and shares new knowledge about core concepts, interventions, and policies to improve the transition to employment for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. Transitions ACR provides publications in Spanish for youth and young adults who are transitioning to employment that cover a variety of topics, including education, employment, and various types of supports. This Center also provides publications in Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Yoruba.

The completed RRTC on Pathways to Positive Futures continues to maintain its website. This includes their featured products in Spanish. These information products discuss topics such as what is peer support, recommendations for meeting your support team, tips for transition service providers, and factsheets on the civil rights of youth with mental health conditions, among others.

Burn Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury:

The Model System Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) works with the Model System Centers to create evidence-based factsheets for people with burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and spinal cord injuries (SCI), and their families. The MSKTC translates these factsheets into Spanish: burn injury, TBI, and SCI. The factsheets cover topics specific to each type of injury,  such as returning to work after an injury, relationships, exercise, driving after an injury, and pain management, among others.

We look forward to what these and other NIDILRR-funded projects produce in Spanish, so that we can share those resources with the Spanish-speaking disability community! To learn more about these projects and their resources in Spanish, contact NARIC’s bilingual information specialist by chat, email, or by calling 800/346-2742.