Vocational rehabilitation is a program or service designed to help disabled people become fit for jobs. Vocational rehabilitation programs generally are designed for people age 16 and older who have physical or mental disabilities. Services are also available for alcoholics and people who have been released from jail or prison. There are three primary activities in vocational rehabilitation: (1) rehabilitation counseling, (2) vocational evaluation, and (3) job placement.
Specialists in each of the three main areas of vocational rehabilitation usually work as a team. A rehabilitation counselor advises disabled people about the type of work or training they may need to support themselves financially. A vocational evaluator determines the most suitable specific job or field of training for each person seeking help. This decision is made after the disabled person takes written examinations and is tested on samples. The written examinations measure the person’s scholastic achievement and vocational aptitude. The work samples imitate specific job skills and compare the person’s performance to standards in that career. A job-placement specialist helps disabled people schedule job interviews and obtain work suited to their vocational interests and skills.
Vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States developed during the late 1800’s, when various government agencies tried to help disabled veterans find jobs. But little else was done until Congress passed the Civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1920. Since then, numerous federal laws have helped establish vocational rehabilitation as a profession.
In Canada, the Vocational Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act of 1961 sets guidelines in the field of vocational rehabilitation. This law encourages Canada’s provinces to develop complete vocational rehabilitation programs. Federal and provincial governments split the cost of the programs.
Today, the demand for qualified vocational rehabilitation specialists exceeds the supply. Careers in vocational rehabilitation generally require at least a bachelor’s degree, and most require a master’s degree. College students who wish to enter the profession major in rehabilitation, and their courses include counseling, human relations, industrial psychology, statistics, and testing. An internship also is part of the course work.
Vocational rehabilitation specialists may work for public or private agencies. The public agencies consist chiefly of state-operated vocational rehabilitation programs and those serving disabled veterans. Private agencies include nonprofit hospitals and rehabilitation centers and for-profit companies that work with insurance firms representing clients who were injured in industrial accidents.
