Section 12 Vocational Rehabilitation
(9 tables in this section)This section presents statistics on Vocational Rehabilitation programs, administered by the Rehabilitation Services Administration. These data concern the number of individuals with disabilities who apply for services, receive services, and find employment (are successfully rehabilitated). The tables also address the expenditures associated with vocational rehabilitation, as well as whether vocational rehabilitation agencies are on order of selection. The principal source of this data is the Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Management Information System.
Table 12.1 - Applicants: Federal Fiscal Year 2009
In the Federal Fiscal Year 2009, state vocational rehabilitation agencies processed 618,375 applicants.
Table 12.2 - Closures after Services Initiated or Completed: Federal Fiscal Year 2009
In the Federal Fiscal Year 2009, state vocational rehabilitation agencies closed 319,419 cases of individuals that either initiated or completed services.
Table 12.3 - Closures with Successful Employment Outcomes: Federal Fiscal Year 2009
In the Federal Fiscal Year 2009, state vocational rehabilitation agencies closed 177,984 cases of individuals that either initiated or completed services in which the individuals entered successful employment.
Table 12.4 - Rehabilitation Rate: Federal Fiscal Year 2009
In the Federal Fiscal Year 2009, of 319,419 closed cases of individuals that either initiated or completed services, 55.7 percent achieved successful employment, i.e., a rehabilitation rate of 55.7 percent. The agency with the largest rehabilitation was the Connecticut blind agency with 83.7 percent, while the agency with the smallest rehabilitation rate was the Hawaii combined agency with 41.6 percent.
Table 12.5 - Total Expenditures (in dollars): Federal Fiscal Year 2009
In the Federal Fiscal Year 2009, the U.S. spent a total of $3,594,490,197 on Vocational Rehabilitation expenditures for people with disabilities. The California combined agency spent the most ($323,811,447), while the Vermont blind agency spent the least ($1,628,971).
Table 12.6 - Postsecondary Institution of Higher Education Expenditures (in dollars): Federal Fiscal Year 2009
In the Federal Fiscal Year 2009, the U.S. spent a total of $269,173,272 on Vocational Rehabilitation expenditures for postsecondary institutions of higher education for people with disabilities. The New York general agency spent the most on postsecondary institutions of higher education ($27,949,266), while the Massachusetts blind agency spent the least on postsecondary institutions of higher education ($53,973).
Table 12.7 - State Agencies on Order of Selection: 2004 through 2009
In the Federal Fiscal Year 2009, 40 agencies were on Order of Selection, down from 61 agencies in 2001. Over the period from 2004 to 2009, 15 states (including the District of Columbia) have never had any agency on Order of Selection: Alabama, Alaska, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah. Over the period from 2004 to 2009, 22 states have always had all of their agencies on Order of Selection: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Table 12.8 - Change in the Number of Applicants: 2008 to 2009
From 2008 to 2009, the number of Vocational Rehabilitation applicants in the U.S. decreased by 0.8 percent. Vocational Rehabilitation applicants increased the most at the Oregon combined agency (by 37.9 percent) and decreased the most at the Hawaii combined agency (by 41.4 percent).
Table 12.9 - Change in the Rehabilitation Rate: 2008 to 2009
From 2008 to 2009, the rehabilitation rate decreased in the U.S. by 2.0 percentage points. The rehabilitation rate increased the most at the Oregon blind agency (by 34.2 percentage points) and decreased by the most at the Kentucky general agency (by 26.5 percentage points).
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Management Information System, Ad Hoc Query—The Ad Hoc Query of the RSA’s Management Information System is a collection of vocational rehabilitation tables that can be accessed via the RSA’s website. This data is compiled annually at the state and national level. The Ad Hoc Query provides information on state agencies that “develop and implement comprehensive and coordinated programs of vocational rehabilitation, supported employment and independent living for individuals with disabilities, through services, training and economic opportunities, in order to maximize their employability, independence and integration into the workplace and the community.”
Order of Selection—A state is forced by the Federal government to implement an order of selection when it does not have the funds and/or the personnel to provide services for all eligible individuals with disabilities. This process is detailed under The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 34 CFR 361.36. When this situation occurs, a state must classify eligible individuals according to the significance of their disability(ies), and must serve the most significantly disabled first.
Rehabilitation Rate—The number of successful employment outcomes divided by the number of closures after initiating or completing services.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)—Services offered to individuals with mental or physical disabilities. These services are designed to enable participants to attain skills, resources, attitudes, and expectations needed to compete in the interview process, get a job, and keep a job. These services may also help an individual retrain for employment after an injury or mental disorder has disrupted previous employment.