PUBLIC VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION:
AN INVESTMENT IN AMERICA
AUTHORITY: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, authorizes and funds a comprehensive array of programs to assist individuals with physical and mental disabilities to maximize their employment and to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independence, inclusion and integration into society.
MISSION: The Public Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program funded under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act is the primary Federal program assisting individuals with disabilities, including individuals with significant disabilities, in securing competitive employment. Congress designated the Public VR program as a mandatory partner in the One-Stop service delivery system created under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA).
INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICES: The Public VR program provides a broad array of services and supports to assist eligible individuals with disabilities in overcoming barriers to employment. VR services are individualized and may include such things as evaluations and assessments; counseling; vocational and other training and employment services; orientation and mobility training; transportation services and vehicle modifications; personal assistance services, job coaching, supported employment services; transition services for youth leaving the school setting; job placement services; and post employment services.
A SPECIALIZED PROGRAM: The Public VR program has many valuable features that distinguish it from other employment programs operating today. VR employs qualified rehabilitation professionals to identify the unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choices of eligible individuals so that individualized services plans can be developed to ensure effective job matching and ongoing job success, features that can positively influence the bottom line for businesses.
RESULTS: During its 84-year history, the VR program has assisted more than 14 million individuals with disabilities acquire and maintain competitive employment. Approximately 1.5 million individuals are served annually, many receiving services for multiple years. Of those served in FY 2003, 217,800 were placed in competitive employment. Individuals who are successfully served by VR may be able to get off public assistance (e.g., SSI, SSDI, welfare, food stamps, public housing, etc.) and become tax-paying citizens.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT: The individuals who completed their VR service plans last year and went to work will earn approximately $3.5 billion in wages during their first year of work. During that year, these new wage earners will pay approximately $320 million in Federal taxes; $95 million in State income taxes; and $520 million in Social Security and Medicare taxes (self and employer). These individuals will be able to pay back the cost of their rehabilitation services, through taxes, in just 2 to 4 years. In addition, many of these individuals will generate projected savings to the Federal Treasury and the Social Security Trust Fund of $6 for every dollar reimbursed to VR for successfully serving Social Security disability beneficiaries, i.e., totaling a projected $470.3 million in savings for FY 2004.
A SUPPORT TO BUSINESS: Qualified VR professionals are also available to provide technical assistance to businesses on reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities; on how to retain employees who become disabled; and on how to accommodate the needs of customers with disabilities. The success of the Public VR program comes from the strength of individuals with disabilities, VR professionals, and employers working together.
A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE PUBLIC VR PROGRAM: Congress mandated a Longitudinal Study of VR. The study was initiated in 1992 to assess the performance of the Public VR program. The results demonstrated that:
- 69% of VR consumers achieved employment as a result of VR services and 75% of those were working at jobs in the competitive labor market.
- 20.7% of VR consumers utilized assistive technology (specialized computerized devices, portable speech synthesizers, special software, etc.) in helping to enter the workforce.
- Three years after job placement, 76% continued to be employed and received increases in salary and benefits.
- Consumers earned an average of $7.33/hour; rate increased to $9.62/hour after three years (minimum wage is $5.15/hour)
- Among individuals who completed VR services, 44% no longer needed public assistance.
The Longitudinal Study shows that VR provides good jobs at good wages with opportunities for advancements, and is more successful than other manpower programs. The Longitudinal Study data supports the fact that the Public VR program works!
REAUTHORIZATION OF WIA AND THE REHABILITATION ACT
As Congress works to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the Rehabilitation Act contained in Title IV of WIA, it is absolutely critical that the following principles be adhered to in order to ensure the continuation of the Public VR program as a viable entity that is able to meet the array of needs that individuals with disabilities face as they attempt to overcome barriers to employment.
ENSURE THE ADEQUACY OF DEDICATED FUNDING: Unemployment and underemployment remain unacceptably high for people with disabilities. According to the recently released 2004 National Organization on Disability (NOD) Harris Survey, only 35% of 18-64 year old individuals with disabilities are employed, compared with 78% of 18-64 year old individuals without disabilities. A significant percentage of those individuals with disabilities who are not working want to work. This represents a significant pool of untapped resources for employers who are seeking qualified job applicants.
- The funding under the Rehabilitation Act that is currently dedicated solely to meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities must not be diverted to be used for other purposes. Historically, individuals with disabilities have found it difficult to access services available through generic services systems.
- Sufficient funds must be appropriated for identifying and meeting the unique needs of individuals with disabilities who experience barriers to independence, employment and self-sufficiency.
- Congress must provide for adequate increases in VR funding to ensure that every State can keep up with the cost of inflation and to meet the needs of the 10 million or more working-age individuals with disabilities who want to work. Currently, VR funding is only adequate to serve a little over one tenth of this population.
- As a result of the inadequacy of VR funding, 40 State VR agencies found it necessary to implement an order of selection (i.e., prioritize services for individuals with the most significant disabilities) and maintain waiting lists for services during FY 2004.
SECURE DEDICATED FUNDING FOR TRANSITION SERVICES: The federal appropriation for special education increased by approximately 333 percent between 1996 and 2004. During that same period, VR funding increased by only 22 percent.
- Every year increasing numbers of students with disabilities are leaving our schools and seeking adult services, including VR services.
- Youth with disabilities represent the single largest category of children and youth who do not complete school. Four out of every ten of high school dropouts are youth with disabilities. Many of these youth seek assistance from VR.
- More and more emphasis is being placed on VR providing transition services prior to students with disabilities leaving the school system.
- VR’s ability to address this need is severely limited by the inadequacy of VR’s resources.
- The investment in VR must increase beyond the mandated CPI increase if VR is to expand its capacity to address the needs of transition-age students with disabilities.
- National studies of transition services show that access to VR assistance for students with disabilities significantly increases the likelihood of those students completing school and going on to either post-secondary education and training and/or entering competitive employment.
ENSURE THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE VR PROGRAM: Funds appropriated for the VR program must continue to be administered by a designated State Unit (DSU) to ensure that individuals with disabilities continue to have access to the highest quality job training and employment services and supports tailored to their unique and individualized needs. The continuation of this organizational structure will also ensure the integrity of the program; accountability for the expenditure of funds; and consistent compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
