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The
Rehabilitation Act
Kathy
West-Evans & Annette Reichman
4/10/03
Rehabilitation
Services Administration (RSA): Who Are We?
- RSA Commissioner:
JoAnne Wilson
- U.S. Department
of Education
- Office
of Special Education & Rehabilitation (OSERS)
- RSA Central
Office + 10 Regional Offices:
- Rehabilitation
Act: Titles I, III, VI, VII
- Annual
Budget: $2.5 Billion; 85% of budget in Title I programs
Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 Includes the Rehab Act
- Title
I: Workforce Investment Systems
- Title
II: Adult Education & Literacy
- Title
III:Workforce Investment Related Activities
- Title
IV: Rehabilitation Act, Amendments of 1998
- Title
V: General Provisions
The
Rehabilitation Act Overview
- 82 years
of success
- 14 million
people with disabilities employed: 250,000 per year
through the nation's public VR Program
- Bi-partisan
congressional support
- A history
of being driven by public input and the involvement
of people with disabilities
History
of the U.S. Public Rehabilitation Program
- 1908 Worker's
Compensation
- 1918 Soldier's
Rehabilitation Act
- 1920,
1935 Smith-Fess Act
- 1935 Social
Security Act
- 1943 Barden-LaFolette
Act
- 1954 VR
Act Amendments
- 1965 VR
Act Amendments
- The Rehabilitation
Act of 1973
- Rehabilitation
Act Amendments of 1978, 1984, and 1986
- Rehabilitation
Act - 1992 Amendments
- Rehabilitation
Act - 1998 Amendments
- Rehabilitation
Act and Regulations
- 2003 Reauthorization
The
Rehabilitation Act: Purpose and Funding
- To support
individual informed choice, the empowerment and economic
self-sufficiency of people with disabilities through
employment in careers, independence and inclusion
in American life.
- Holistic,
comprehensive services that are individually tailored.
- Funding:
formula and discretionary; $2.5 billion per year.
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title I
- Vocational
Rehabilitation Services
- State
VR Programs
- State
Rehabilitation Councils
- Client
Assistance Program
- American
Indian VR Programs
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title II
- Research
and Training
- Federally
funded research and training programs
- National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR)
- Research
Advisory Committee
- Competitive,
discretionary grants (e.g. DBTAC, Research and
Training Centers)
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title III
- Professional
Development, Special Projects and Demonstrations
- Training
- VR staff, Community Providers, Interpreter
- Migrant
Seasonal Farm Worker
- Recreation
- Demonstration
and System Change
- Competitive,
Discretionary Grants
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title IV
- National
Council on Disability
- Independent
Council of Presidential appointees
- Promotes
policies, programs and practicies that support
equal opportunity and empower people with disabilities
to achieve economic self-sufficiency and community
integration
- Provides
advice to the President, Congress, RSA Commissioner,
Director of NIDRR and the Interagency Coordinating
Council.
- Website:
www.ncd.gov
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title V
- Rights
and Advocacy for Access
- Prohibits
disability discrimination in all federally funded
programs and activities
- Ensures
compliance with accessibility standards that are
designed to remove barriers to access for people
with disabilities
- Non-discrimination
& affirmative action in federal hiring
- Access
to public buildings
- Architectural
& Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
- Inclusion
of people with disabilities in programs receiving
federal assistance
- Federal
agencies purchase of accessible equipment, electronic
and information technology
- Protection
& Advocacy System
- Interagency
Disability Coordination Council
- Foundation
for the Americans with Disabilities Act
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title VI
- Employment
Programs
- Projects
With Industry (PWI)
- Business
Advisory Council
- Discretionary
grant programs
- Supported
Employment Programs
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title VII
- Independent
Living
- State
Independent Living Council (SILC)
- Governor
appointed
- Develops
State Plan for Independent Living
- Implemented
via network of IL Centers
- Centers
for Independent Living
- IL Services
for Older Blind
In
Summary, the Rehabilitation Act Includes...
- Requirements
for access to all federally funded programs
- Training
for rehabilitation professionals through MA degree
programs, CSPD, and other training options
- Research
on best practices, development technologies and other
focus areas to benefit individuals with disabilities
- And most
importantly, provision of direct services
to individual needs through the general VR program
Independent Living, Client Assistance Program, Projects
with Industry, American Indian Rehabilitation, etc.
Impact
on the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deafened, & Deaf-Blind
Communities
- Title
V has 504 Requirements for Access & Accommodations
to all federally funded programs
- Requirements
for interpreting services to access all programs funded
by Title One (VR services, Independent Living Centers,
Client Assistance Project, etc.)
- Title
III provides funding for training of interpreters
- Title
III provides funding for training of Rehabilitation
Counselors for the Deaf
- Title
III also provides funding for Orientation to Deafness
training
Reauthorizing
the Act - Advocates Speak Out
- RSA Public
Meetings:
- Seattle,
New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Oakland, Dallas, &
DC
- Region
X grassroots efforts
- Organizational
representatives met with RSA Commissioner
- NAD,
SHHH, AADB & others
Input
From Seattle: A Coalition of Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard
of Hearing
- Demographics:
demonstrated need across the community;
- Access
through effective communication: staff education,
hiring of qualified staff, State Coordinators for
the Deaf;
- Access
to services: effective communication with resources,
access to the range of services, order of selection
definitions and application, memorandums of understanding,
Ticket to Work.
Seattle:
Coalition of Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing
- Empowerment
through education, informed choice and self-determination;
- Representation
on State Rehabilitation Councils and State Independent
Living Councils;
- Training
and resources for individuals to manage their own
communication needs.
National
Advocacy Organization Providing Input -
The National Association of the Deaf Position Paper:
Recommendations for the 2003 Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation
Act (www.nad.org)
Title
1: Basic Client Services
- More funding
for Title One
- End "Order
of Selection" policies
- Clarify
"most significantly disabled" Status for
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clients to receive services
- Revise
"Interagency Agreements" to assure all policies
are encouraged to participate
- Direct
services for "Low Functioning Deaf" Clients
- Neglected
group
- Establish
and fund four regional centers to be directed
by one national research and technical assistance
center
- Override
any state requirement for "within state"
training
- Develop
a better culturally sensitive descriptor.
Title
3: Training for Rehabilitation Counselors &Personnel
- Competency-based
Training
- Specialists
for LFD
- Job
Coaches
- Distance
education for RCD and related personnel
- Override
state requirement for "within state"
training
- Reform
the two national and 10 regional interpreter training
programs to better meet the need
Title
6: Supported Employment & Title 7: Independent Living
- Support
Employment for "LFD" Clients
- Role for
Deaf Service Agencies and Organizations
- Place
support employment in Title 1 as an approved service
- Program
similar to the current "Older Blind Independent
Living Programs" is urgently needed.
Current
Legislative Activities
- The current
WIA is authorized through FY2003, including the 1998
Amendments of the Rehabilitation Act
- On March
13, 2003, Congressman McKeon, chairman of the 21st
Century Competitiveness subcommittee, introduced the
House WIA Reauthorization bill - HR 1261, the "Workforce
Reinvestment and Adult Education Act."
HR
1261 - Workforce Reinvestment & Adult Education Act
- Changes
position of "Commissioner" to "Director"
of RSA, appointed by the Secretary
- Removes
One-Stop partners from local boards
- Requires
One-Stop partners to contribute a portion of their
Federal funds, as decided by the Governor, to One-Stop
"infrastructure costs"
- Full vote
by House of Representatives expected soon
National
Council on Disability
- Check
www.ncd.gov,
click on correspondence, click on "Letter to
the Honorable John A. Boehner, Chair, Education and
the Workforce Committee, March 18, 2003
- The letter
encourages Congress to take the time to address critical
issues identified by various constituencies before
reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act.
National
Rehabilitation Association
- Check
nationalrehab.org,
and check under Governmental Affairs, for legislative
updates.
- Alert
#44: House Postpones Floor Action of WIA Reauthorization
Bill.
- Businesses
from Washington State quoted.
Justice
for All and AAPD
- "A
Cause for Alarm" by Frank Bowe
- JUSTICE
FOR ALL -- A Service of the American Association of
People with Disabilities
- www.aapd-dc.org
- www.jfanow.org
Input
into the Reauthorization
- Input
through:
- Public
Hearings
- Written
Feedback
- All public
feedback is considered during reauthorization
- Reauthorization
is a public process
What
Can You Do?
- As an
individual
- Write
letters
- Attend
SRC public meetings
- As an
organization
- Write
letters
- Network
in state for a Deaf/Hard of Hearing representative
at SRC
- Attend
RSA public meetings
Key
Connections
- Your Congressional
Representatives in the House and Senate
- Congressman
McKeon, Chairman of the 21st Century Competiveness
Subcommittee
The Rehabilitation Act
Kathy West-Evans & Annette Reichman
4/10/03
- RSA Commissioner: JoAnne Wilson
- U.S. Department of Education
- Office of Special Education & Rehabilitation (OSERS)
- RSA Central Office + 10 Regional Offices:
- Rehabilitation Act: Titles I, III, VI, VII
- Annual Budget: $2.5 Billion; 85% of budget in Title I programs
Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 Includes the Rehab Act
- Title I: Workforce Investment Systems
- Title II: Adult Education & Literacy
- Title III:Workforce Investment Related Activities
- Title IV: Rehabilitation Act, Amendments of 1998
- Title V: General Provisions
The
Rehabilitation Act Overview
- 82 years of success
- 14 million people with disabilities employed: 250,000 per year through the nation's public VR Program
- Bi-partisan congressional support
- A history of being driven by public input and the involvement of people with disabilities
History of the U.S. Public Rehabilitation Program
- 1908 Worker's Compensation
- 1918 Soldier's Rehabilitation Act
- 1920, 1935 Smith-Fess Act
- 1935 Social Security Act
- 1943 Barden-LaFolette Act
- 1954 VR Act Amendments
- 1965 VR Act Amendments
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1978, 1984, and 1986
- Rehabilitation Act - 1992 Amendments
- Rehabilitation Act - 1998 Amendments
- Rehabilitation Act and Regulations
- 2003 Reauthorization
The
Rehabilitation Act: Purpose and Funding
- To support individual informed choice, the empowerment and economic self-sufficiency of people with disabilities through employment in careers, independence and inclusion in American life.
- Holistic, comprehensive services that are individually tailored.
- Funding: formula and discretionary; $2.5 billion per year.
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title I
- Vocational
Rehabilitation Services
- State VR Programs
- State Rehabilitation Councils
- Client Assistance Program
- American Indian VR Programs
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title II
- Research
and Training
- Federally funded research and training programs
- National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
- Research Advisory Committee
- Competitive, discretionary grants (e.g. DBTAC, Research and Training Centers)
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title III
- Professional
Development, Special Projects and Demonstrations
- Training - VR staff, Community Providers, Interpreter
- Migrant Seasonal Farm Worker
- Recreation
- Demonstration and System Change
- Competitive, Discretionary Grants
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title IV
- National
Council on Disability
- Independent Council of Presidential appointees
- Promotes policies, programs and practicies that support equal opportunity and empower people with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency and community integration
- Provides advice to the President, Congress, RSA Commissioner, Director of NIDRR and the Interagency Coordinating Council.
- Website: www.ncd.gov
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title V
- Rights
and Advocacy for Access
- Prohibits disability discrimination in all federally funded programs and activities
- Ensures compliance with accessibility standards that are designed to remove barriers to access for people with disabilities
- Non-discrimination & affirmative action in federal hiring
- Access to public buildings
- Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
- Inclusion of people with disabilities in programs receiving federal assistance
- Federal
agencies purchase of accessible equipment, electronic
and information technology
- Protection & Advocacy System
- Interagency Disability Coordination Council
- Foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title VI
- Employment
Programs
- Projects
With Industry (PWI)
- Business Advisory Council
- Discretionary grant programs
- Projects
With Industry (PWI)
- Supported Employment Programs
The
Rehabilitation Act: Title VII
- Independent Living
- State
Independent Living Council (SILC)
- Governor appointed
- Develops State Plan for Independent Living
- Implemented via network of IL Centers
- Centers for Independent Living
- IL Services for Older Blind
In
Summary, the Rehabilitation Act Includes...
- Requirements for access to all federally funded programs
- Training for rehabilitation professionals through MA degree programs, CSPD, and other training options
- Research on best practices, development technologies and other focus areas to benefit individuals with disabilities
- And most importantly, provision of direct services to individual needs through the general VR program Independent Living, Client Assistance Program, Projects with Industry, American Indian Rehabilitation, etc.
Impact
on the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deafened, & Deaf-Blind
Communities
- Title V has 504 Requirements for Access & Accommodations to all federally funded programs
- Requirements for interpreting services to access all programs funded by Title One (VR services, Independent Living Centers, Client Assistance Project, etc.)
- Title III provides funding for training of interpreters
- Title III provides funding for training of Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf
- Title III also provides funding for Orientation to Deafness training
Reauthorizing
the Act - Advocates Speak Out
- RSA Public
Meetings:
- Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Oakland, Dallas, & DC
- Region X grassroots efforts
- Organizational
representatives met with RSA Commissioner
- NAD, SHHH, AADB & others
Input From Seattle: A Coalition of Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing
- Demographics: demonstrated need across the community;
- Access through effective communication: staff education, hiring of qualified staff, State Coordinators for the Deaf;
- Access to services: effective communication with resources, access to the range of services, order of selection definitions and application, memorandums of understanding, Ticket to Work.
Seattle:
Coalition of Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing
- Empowerment through education, informed choice and self-determination;
- Representation on State Rehabilitation Councils and State Independent Living Councils;
- Training and resources for individuals to manage their own communication needs.
National
Advocacy Organization Providing Input -
The National Association of the Deaf Position Paper:
Recommendations for the 2003 Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation
Act (www.nad.org)
Title
1: Basic Client Services
- More funding for Title One
- End "Order of Selection" policies
- Clarify "most significantly disabled" Status for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clients to receive services
- Revise "Interagency Agreements" to assure all policies are encouraged to participate
- Direct
services for "Low Functioning Deaf" Clients
- Neglected group
- Establish and fund four regional centers to be directed by one national research and technical assistance center
- Override any state requirement for "within state" training
- Develop a better culturally sensitive descriptor.
Title
3: Training for Rehabilitation Counselors &Personnel
- Competency-based
Training
- Specialists for LFD
- Job
Coaches
- Distance education for RCD and related personnel
- Override state requirement for "within state" training
- Reform the two national and 10 regional interpreter training programs to better meet the need
Title
6: Supported Employment & Title 7: Independent Living
- Support Employment for "LFD" Clients
- Role for Deaf Service Agencies and Organizations
- Place support employment in Title 1 as an approved service
- Program similar to the current "Older Blind Independent Living Programs" is urgently needed.
Current
Legislative Activities
- The current WIA is authorized through FY2003, including the 1998 Amendments of the Rehabilitation Act
- On March 13, 2003, Congressman McKeon, chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness subcommittee, introduced the House WIA Reauthorization bill - HR 1261, the "Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act."
HR
1261 - Workforce Reinvestment & Adult Education Act
- Changes position of "Commissioner" to "Director" of RSA, appointed by the Secretary
- Removes One-Stop partners from local boards
- Requires One-Stop partners to contribute a portion of their Federal funds, as decided by the Governor, to One-Stop "infrastructure costs"
- Full vote
by House of Representatives expected soon
National
Council on Disability
- Check www.ncd.gov, click on correspondence, click on "Letter to the Honorable John A. Boehner, Chair, Education and the Workforce Committee, March 18, 2003
- The letter encourages Congress to take the time to address critical issues identified by various constituencies before reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act.
National
Rehabilitation Association
- Check nationalrehab.org, and check under Governmental Affairs, for legislative updates.
- Alert #44: House Postpones Floor Action of WIA Reauthorization Bill.
- Businesses from Washington State quoted.
Justice
for All and AAPD
- "A Cause for Alarm" by Frank Bowe
- JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the American Association of People with Disabilities
- www.aapd-dc.org
- www.jfanow.org
Input
into the Reauthorization
- Input
through:
- Public Hearings
- Written Feedback
- All public feedback is considered during reauthorization
- Reauthorization is a public process
What
Can You Do?
- As an
individual
- Write letters
- Attend SRC public meetings
- As an
organization
- Write letters
- Network in state for a Deaf/Hard of Hearing representative at SRC
- Attend RSA public meetings
Key Connections
- Your Congressional Representatives in the House and Senate
- Congressman
McKeon, Chairman of the 21st Century Competiveness
Subcommittee
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