Vocational Rehabilitation Employment of People with Disabilities: Descriptive Analysis of U.S. Data from 2008 to 2012

People with disabilities (PWD) in the U.S. experience lower employment rates and wages than people without disabilities, and unfortunately this historical trend has had negative consequences for our society. A major federal initiative to address this problem was in creating State-Federal Vocational...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied rehabilitation counseling 2016-12, Vol.47 (4), p.3-9
Main Authors: Yamamoto, Scott H., Olson, Deborah L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral Sciences
Counseling
Employment
General Counseling
Medicine
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Recessions
Rehabilitation Counselling
Studies
Vocational rehabilitation
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Summary:People with disabilities (PWD) in the U.S. experience lower employment rates and wages than people without disabilities, and unfortunately this historical trend has had negative consequences for our society. A major federal initiative to address this problem was in creating State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services to assist PWD to obtain and retain employment. This study analyzed and described VR employment outcomes across several consecutive recent years and across states and client characteristics. From 2008 to 2012, which included the years of the ‘Great Recession’, the upper Northeast and the South had the highest VR employment closure rates; rates among white males were the highest. Results of this study have important implications for researchers, VR services, and policymakers in a larger context of an economy that continues to evolve and technological advancements that will create new opportunities but also challenges.
ISSN:0047-2220
2639-7641
DOI:10.1891/0047-2220.47.4.3