This study reports on an investigation of barriers that prevent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from fully participating in the federal disability and rehabilitation research and development (R&D) agenda. The Delphi technique was used to examine panelists' perceptions on the importance of contextual R&D barriers ensuing from policy/systems issues across 13 different categories. The findings provide information about what Federal research entities (e.g., National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) and HBCU administrators can do to more effectively address the Section 21 Legislative Mandate of the 1992 Rehabilitation Act Amendments and stimulate competitive R&D participation across the HBCU community. Moore et al. Keywords: historically Black colleges and universities, research capacity building, research and development, federal research entities and disability policyThe Section 21 Mandate of the 1992 Rehabilitation Act Amendments is perhaps one of the most significant pieces of legislation that specifically addresses the unique needs of persons of color served by the state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) system. Congress enacted this legislation to respond to findings documenting patterns of inequitable treatment for persons of color (e.g., African Americans) in all junctures of the VR process. Section 21 provided a "legislative mandate" to address these VR system disparities by en-

The major purpose of the study was to conduct exploratory research on the motivational levels of rehabilitation educators whose programs have Comprehensive Service Personnel Development (CSPD; Department of Education grant) grants targeted toward distance education. Additionally, the study attempted to identify whether significant factors existed that would inhibit faculty participation in distance education. There were three research questions to examine: (a) Do distance educators and non-distance educators differ significantly in intrinsic motivational factors? (b) Do distance educators and non-distance educators differ significantly in extrinsic motivational factors? and (c) Do distance educators and non-distance educators differ significantly in inhibiting factors? The results showed that rehabilitation faculty with CSPD grants who are distance educators are more extrinsically motivated (such as increase in salary, monetary support for participation, job security, working conditions, technical support, and requirement by department) than non-distance educators. There were no significant differences in levels between distance educators and non-distance educators that are intrinsically motivated (scholarly pursuit, personal research tool, and job satisfaction). There was no significant difference between distance educators and non-distance educators in inhibiting factors.

Professional associations are the primary instrument for meeting the interests of a profession. However, the steady decline of membership that began in the 1970s in rehabilitation counseling associations has reduced their resources and limited their ability to advocate for the discipline (Phillips & Leahy, 2012). In 1981, in the early years of membership decline, the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling published a special issue focusing on the potential consolidation of rehabilitation counseling associations. The special issue concluded with a call to survey rehabilitation counselors for their perspectives on the topic (Emener, 1981). Despite the special issue becoming the “benchmark publication” intended (Field & Emener, 1981, p. 59), no decisive action was taken following its publication and no survey conducted. In the articles that follow, we present information about the current and future state of rehabilitation counseling professional associations, relying heavily on the quantitative and qualitative responses of 2,608 rehabilitation counseling professionals. More concisely, this special issue finally answers the call from over 40 years ago to seek the input of rehabilitation counselors on the question of consolidation. In addition to introducing the articles in this special issue, we provide a historical sketch of rehabilitation counseling associations and membership trends that is key to understanding the debate around consolidation.

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