Access to Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Persons With Severe Disabilities

Abstract

It is widely recognized that the number of persons eligible to receive the services of state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies far exceeds the capacity of these agencies. The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) notes that in 1989 "program funding for VR was sufficient to serve only ... 7 per cent of the estimated 13.4 million persons with disabilities who were potentially eligible" for services (1991, p. 2). Under such tight resource constraints, the problem of rationing services becomes a critical concern.

This paper presents the results of a population-based study of the receipt of VR services using a recent survey data base of youth and adults with developmental disabilities. The paper describes relationships between disability-related factors, demographic factors, and receipt of services. It also examines how state VR agency resources and reported client selection practices relate to the probability of receiving services.

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