Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 87.djvu/420

 388

PUBLIC LAW 93-112-SEPT. 26, 1973

[87 STAT.

iSEORE'i'ARIAL RESrcmSlBILITIKS

Services, longrange projection, submittal to Congress.

Information clearinghouse.

Personnel selection.

SEC. 405. (a) I t shall be the function of the Secretary, "with the assistance of agencies within the Department, other departments and agencies within the Federal Government, handicapped individuals, and public and private agencies and organizations, through the Office of the Secretary, to— (1) prepare for submission to the Congress within eighteen months after the date of enactment of this Act, a long-range pi-ojection for the provision of comprehensive services to handicapped individuals and for programs of research, evaluation, and training related to such services and individuals; (2) analyze on a continuing basis and include in his report submitted under section 404, a report on the results of such analysis, program operation to determine consistency with applicable provisions of law, progress toward meeting the goals and priorities set forth in the projection required under clause (1), and the effectiveness of all programs providing services to handicapped individuals, and the elimination of unnecessary duplication and overlap in such programs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary; (3) encourage coordinated and cooperative planning designed to produce maximum effectiveness, sensitivity, and continuity in the provision of services for handicapped individuals by all programs; (4) develop means of promoting the prompt utilization of engineering and other scientific research to assist in solving problems in education (including promotion of the development of curriculums stressing barrier free design and the adoption of such curriculums by schools of architecture, design, and engineering), health, employment, rehabilitation, architectural, housing, and transportation barriers, and other areas so as to bring about full integration of handicapped individuals into all aspects of society; (5) provide a central clearinghouse for information and resource availability for handicapped individuals through (A) the evaluation of systems within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, public and private agencies and organizations, and other sources, which provide (i) information and data regarding the location, provision, and availability of services and programs for handicapped individuals, regarding research and recent medical and scientific developments bearing on handicapping conditions (and their prevention, amelioration, causes, and cures). and regarding the current numbers of handicapped individuals and their needs, and (ii) any other such relevant information and data which the Secretary deems necessary; and (B) utilizing the results of such evaluation and existing information systems, the development within such Department of a coordinated system of information and data retrieval, which will have the capacity and responsibility to provide general and specific information regarding the information and data referred to in subclause (A) of this clause to the Congress, public and private agencies and organizations, handicapped individuals and their families, professionals in fields serving such individuals, and the general public. (b) In selecting personnel to assist in the performance of the functions assigned in supsection (a) of this section, the Secretary shall give special emphasis to qualified handicapped individuals.

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