According to the National Health Interview Survey, only 37% of people with disabilities are employed, compared to 79% of able-bodied individuals. Two federally funded studies found numerous contributing factors associated with the high unemployment rate among people with disabilities, including: lack of transportation, inadequate training, and unavailability of appropriate jobs. Several government entities exist to try and remove employment barriers for the disabled, but perhaps the most comprehensive program for disabled persons seeking employment is Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). VR is a federal and state funded program, whose sole purpose is to help people with disabilities gain and maintain employment. The first step in becoming a VR client is to fill out an application. Once a VR counselor has received the application they can then move on to assessing a client to determine whether or not the client is eligible to receive VR services. In order to receive vocational rehabilitation services, a client must have a disability significant enough to impede employment and those with the most significant disabilities are served first. This portion of the rehabilitation process usually moves fairly quickly, but some states have waiting lists to receive VR services. Once eligibility has been determined, the counselor then conducts a comprehensive assessment to determine what types of services will be necessary to get the client back to work. Assessment could include medical examination, educational tests, or technical evaluation. After a client has been fully assessed, the counselor and the client agree to an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The IPE provides a step-by-step outline of what services will be provided and exactly what the client's goals are. After the IPE has been developed, VR services can be rendered. While VR provides innumerable services, those services can vary greatly from state to state.
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