Employers with Labor Shortages Should Look to Vocational Rehabilitation
By
Elmer C. Bartels
Commissioner Massachusetts
Rehabilitation Commission
(Reprinted
from the
It is a fact that today more individuals with disabilities are in the
workplace earning real wages than ever before. Certainly the booming economy has
a lot to do with it, but there is much more to the story than just that.
The
unsung hero in the struggle to enhance employment opportunities for people with
disabilities is the Federal/State Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program,
authorized and funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
For nearly 80 years, and against
great odds and prejudices, the State Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program
has helped people with disabilities prepare to enter the workplace. Every state
has a vocational rehabilitation agency whose sole purpose is to assist people
with disabilities obtain the skills, training and confidence necessary to enable
them to take their rightful place in the economy.
However,
until the passage of Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in 1975 and later the
passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, opportunities in the workplace
were limited and often resulted in placement in sheltered workshops.
Mainstream
Opportunities
However, with advances in technology
and the shortage of qualified workers, new mainstream work opportunities are
becoming more available for persons with disabilities.
When the Work Incentives Improvement
Act (WIA) was signed into law on Dec. 17, another impediment was removed in
addressing the nation’s efforts to encourage people with severe disabilities
to go to work.
Nationally, there are, according to
the General Accounting Office, about 2.5 million people with disabilities
receiving Social Security benefits under both Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) who could possibly benefit from
WIA. (This population represents about 27 percent of the total number of
individuals who are eligible to access the Public Vocational Rehabilitation
Program).
WIA’s assurance of the continued
availability of health insurance, under both Medicaid and Medicare, for SSI and
SSDI recipients, will remove a formidable barrier to their employment. Public
vocational rehabilitation counselors assess the skills and interests of people
with disabilities, help them develop individualized plans for employment, and
purchase or arrange for services or training they need to become qualified for
jobs.
225,000
People Wanted
This program can provide any reasonable and necessary services to help individuals with disabilities get ready for real work. Last year, the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program helped 225,000 people with disabilities across
In
Federal funding for vocational
rehabilitation was $2.4 billion in 1999.
The states matched those federal
funds with $600 million of their own, resulting in a $3 billion national Public
Vocational Rehabilitation Program. The distribution formula of federal funds to
the states is based upon the population and per capita income of each state.
The $3 billion spent nationally on
vocational rehabilitation services produces $2.6 billion in employee earnings
and $850 million in state and federal revenues during a single year of
employment alone. This is an incredible return on investment in light of the
fact that those earnings continue for years without the expenditure of
additional vocational rehabilitation dollars.
A 5-to-1
Return on the Dollar
The Social Security
reports that each dollar spent for the vocational rehabilitation of SSA
recipients results in $5 in savings to the Trust Fund and treasury. The 225,000
individuals with disabilities employed last year will continue to earn real
wages and pay state and federal taxes far in excess of the investment made in
their employment future by the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
Despite the extraordinary success of
the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program, half of the states restrict the
number of people with disabilities served due to a lack of funds. It is
estimated that an additional $600 million in federal monies, plus the state
match of $120 million, would eliminate waiting lists in every state and help
another 54,000 people with disabilities go to work.
Additional public vocational
rehabilitation services and the guarantee of medical coverage under the WIA
would significantly reduce the unacceptably high rate of unemployment.
According to statistics compiled by
the GAO, it is estimated that between 15 million and 20 million Americans have
health-related work limitations. Each year the Public Vocational Rehabilitation
Program serves 1.2 million people with disabilities who want to work.
High
Unemployment Rates
A
recent Harris survey indicates that 71 percent of working-age Americans with
disabilities are unemployed and of that number, 72 percent want to work.
However, 42 percent of working-age
Americans with disabilities believe that they are too disabled to work. The
highly qualified, professional vocational rehabilitation counselors and the
Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program work with individuals with significant
disabilities to help them recognize that it is possible for even the most
significantly disabled individuals to increase their economic and personal
independence through work.
The passage of WIA and the
guarantee of continued health insurance coverage for Social Security recipients
makes work a realistic goal for many more people with significant disabilities.
A recently completed seven-year study
by the Research Triangle Institute, confirmed once against the success of the
Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program by showing that it is highly effective
in placing people with disabilities into productive jobs. No other federal or
state program has received this type of scrutiny and measured up to such a high
level of successful outcomes.
Independent
Lives
It
proved once again that the federal/state effort to improve the lives of persons
with disabilities by allowing them to live independent and productive lives is
on the right track.
In
particular, the study shows that:
Graduates
of Public VR worked an average of 35 hours per week and earned an average of
$7.35 per hour;
37.5
percent of the graduates earned more than $7 per hour.
78.4
percent of graduates work in professional, managerial, technical, clerical,
sales or service jobs;
85
percent of graduates were working in the same or other job one
year after graduation.
67.6
percent of graduates were satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs.
67.1
percent of graduates were satisfied or very satisfied with the opportunity
for advancement with their jobs;
61.5
percent of graduates were satisfied with fringe benefits with their jobs.
The number of hours worked by consumers, the wages they earned, and their
satisfaction with jobs and working conditions are all strong endorsements of the
effiency of the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
Clearly, the Rehabilitation act, and
the
The administration and Congress will
demonstrate fiscal responsibility and a wise investment in the human resources of
our nation by adequately funding Public Vocational Rehabilitation in the federal
year 200.
The American economy needs workers, people with disabilities need work opportunities, and the federal treasury needs more taxpayers. The Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program pays for itself many times over in taxes and human potential realized.
Ticket
to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act Offers Opportunities
By: Amy Porter
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) of 1999 has been held up as the most important piece of disability legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act. Regardless, TWWIIA does indeed hold a special place in history, as the last piece of legislation signed into law in the millennium! Signed
This
complex legislation is designed to accomplish three major goals: to address some
of the work disincentives keeping individuals with disabilities from working, to
expand health care options, and to provide choice for beneficiaries in
rehabilitation and vocational services.
TWWIIA is not the sole answer, but the following provisions in the
legislation begin to move us in the right direction.
Expedited
Reinstatement of Benefits:
If SSI or SSDI benefits have stopped due to earnings, and the medical
condition prevents continued work, a reinstatement of cash benefits can be
requested. Up to six months of
provisional benefits may be received while SSA decides on coverage.
Regardless of the decision, provisional benefits do not need to be
paid back. (Effective
1.
CDR’s will not be initiated for any SSI or SSDI beneficiary using a Ticket
under the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program.
(Effective
2.
Work activity will not generate a CDR for SSDI beneficiaries who have been
receiving benefits for at least 24 months. (Effective
Work
Incentives Outreach: SSA
will establish community-based work incentives planning and assistance
programs to disseminate accurate information on benefits and work
incentives.
Medicare
Extension for SSDI Beneficiaries:
TWWIIA extends Part A premium-free Medicare coverage for 4 ½ years
beyond current law for individuals with disabilities who return to work.
(Effective
State
Options for Medicaid Eligibility Categories:
States have new Medicaid options which will allow coverage for more
individuals with disabilities who are working.
(Effective
Demonstration Project Opportunities: States can apply for a demonstration project to provide medical assistance services for individuals who are workers with a potentially severe disability.
Providing
Choice in Rehabilitation and Vocational Services
Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program: This program will issue “Tickets” to SSI recipients and SSDI beneficiaries. These tickets can be used to obtain vocational rehabilitation, employment or other support services from approved Employment Networks.
This
piece of legislation lays the groundwork for action.
First, we all need to learn more about the TWWIIA provisions, and take
steps to assist individuals with disabilities in exploring their options.
It is time to involve the
entire community in assuring that individuals with disabilities have
opportunities to use their skills and abilities, to strengthen our economy.
For
more information on TWWIIA, check out the following websites: www.ssa.gov/work
and/or www.ccer.org/twwiia/TWWIIAconf.htm