Comprehensive Vocational Rehabilitation

The provision of comprehensive vocational rehabilitation will require a more aggressive approach than we take now, along with more support than the federal government currently provides.   Consider the following:

• If possible, vocational rehabilitation should start with a preventive approach, well before disabilities begin.   For most people, it should begin in junior high school.   Those students who plan to pursue careers dependent primarily on intellect (e.g. lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc.) need to be taught that factors outside their control may force changes in careers well before retirement.   Those who plan to pursue careers dependent on hard physical effort (e.g. carpenters, warehouse workers, auto mechanics, etc.) need to be taught that they should not depend on being able to maintain hard physical effort until retirement.   All need to be taught about sources of help.
• Vocational retraining should be free for all, just as education through the 12th grade is free for all.   Since many of the disabled lack marketable skills, comprehensive vocational rehabilitation needs to include extensive educational help.
• The disabled are a diverse and complicated set of individuals.   They have any of thousands of combinations of physical and/or psychological problems.   If this diverse group of individuals is to be served well, they must have access to a wide variety of physical and psychological diagnostic services.
• Comprehensive vocational rehabilitation needs to include physical and psychological treatment, tailored to the individual.
• Most of the disabled will need placement services in order to find suitable jobs.   This should be available to all.
• Most of the disabled need special help in adapting to the workplace.   Employers and workplaces also need help in adapting to the disabled worker.
• Most of the disabled will need financial help during the transition back to work.   Limited financial help should be available to all, as needed to return to work.

Our country is blessed with many who would like to provide needed services to the disabled.   Without proper support, they are prevented from helping.   A major change in our national policy, in favor of providing more extensive and more broadly-based vocational rehabilitation, is needed.   Now is the time to begin.

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Last updated on 1/18/2020.