Vocational Rehabilitation

The Federal Partners in Transition, an interagency workgroup, has published a strategy report to ensure that federal programs and resources effectively support American young adults with disabilities in reaching their goals of independence. This report identifies five outcome goals to operate across agency boundaries in an effort to enhance coordination and improve compatible policies among the multiple federal programs that support transitioning youth with disabilities and their families.

This report explores a range of issues relating to skills training and education for older workers, including the challenges older workers face when deciding whether to enroll in education and training programs, and, if so, how to choose a program and pay for it. In its key findings, the report states that while various factors influence older job seekers’ success in the labor market, many older unemployed workers lack the skills that are currently in demand.

The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.The book is a guide to Work Incentives and other disability-related policies and programs, like Ticket to Work.

This guide for employers compiles key federal and federally-funded resources related to the employment of people with disabilities. The guide outlines best practices for recruitment, retention, promotion, and provision of accommodations for employees with disabilities. The guide also includes an explanation of the legal framework of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Recent interest among policymakers in helping Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries return to work has increased the desire for knowledge about the employment activities of people with disabilities before they apply for benefits. This brief summarizes results from a working paper, conducted through the Social Security Administration's Disability Research Consortium, on the experiences of SSDI applicants before they apply for SSDI.

To answer questions on what services and barriers people with psychiatric disorders face, the authors conducted two targeted literature reviews: (1) employment programs and outcomes for people with psychiatric disorders; and (2) employment programs for people with other disabilities. The authors also examined literature and policy documents that outlined funding options for employment services for people with psychiatric disorders and other disabilities.

In this issue brief, the authors explore the provisions of the Affordable Care Act that may enable Americans with mental illness to obtain the mental health treatment and support services they need to continue working or get back to work.

The state-federal vocational rehabilitation program serves approximately one million individuals a year and spends about $3 billion annually. This article looks at evidence-based best practices from the program.

The employment rate for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) has remained stable during the recent decades, despite investment from the federal government. This study aimed to identify characteristics of adults with ID who are employed and to understand the paths towards employment for these individuals. Results show several characteristics are associated with greater likelihood of employment, including younger age, early work experience, and higher levels of adaptive behavior.

The supports and resources around the Section 503 new rules are mainly directed toward employers who are federal contractors. Yet, these new rules could also have significant impacts on employment service providers (ESPs) who work with individuals with disabilities, offering new opportunities for them to build partnerships, expand services, and create talent pipelines. The purpose of this article is to enable ESPs to prepare for the implementation of the new Section 503 rules.