Vocational Rehabilitation for Individuals With Disabilities

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs are state-run, federally funded programs that provide training and job services to people with disabilities. The goal of "voc rehab" is to help those with disabilities return to work and become economically independent.

How Do I Qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation?

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 established federal funding for state-run vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities. To qualify for federally funded voc rehab, you must:

• have a physical or mental condition that causes a "substantial impediment" to your ability to work, and
• be able to benefit from VR services so you can get a job.

What Disabilities Qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation?

You can qualify for vocational rehab if you have a "significant" disability, whether your impairment is physical, mental, or cognitive. Under federal law, your disability is considered significant if all of the following are true:

• Your impairment seriously limits one or more functional capacities, such as mobility, communication (including vision and hearing), self-care, and interpersonal skills.
• You're expected to need multiple VR services over an extended period, and
• Your disability is the result of any of the following:
• amputation
• arthritis
• autism
• blindness
• burn injury
• cancer
• cerebral palsy
• cystic fibrosis
• deafness
• head injury
• heart disease
• hemiplegia
• hemophilia
• respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction
• mental illness
• multiple sclerosis (MS)
• muscular dystrophy
• musculoskeletal disorders
• neurological disorders (including stroke and epilepsy)
• spinal cord conditions (including paraplegia and quadriplegia)
• sickle cell anemia
• intellectual disability, including specific learning disability
• end-stage renal disease, or
• another disability or combination of disabilities that cause comparable substantial functional limitation, even if determined during a VR eligibility assessment. (34 C.F.R. § 361.5(c)(30).)

If you qualify for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA)—whether Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)—you're automatically eligible for VR services. The only exception is if your disability is so severe that you won't benefit from participating in a voc rehab program.

How to Get Voc Rehab When You Have a Disability

To apply for voc rehab services, contact the agency in your state that administers the program. In some states, vocational rehabilitation falls under the health and human services agency. In others, VR is handled by the education department.

You can find a complete state-by-state list of VR agencies and their contact information on the U.S. Department of Education website. Your local Social Security field office can also help you find the closest voc rehab office.

What Does Vocational Rehabilitation Pay For?

The purpose of vocational rehabilitation is to prepare you to enter or return to gainful employment. (20 U.S.C. § 720(a)(2).) So, all of the services voc rehab programs pay for are geared toward that goal. Some of those services include:

• a personal assessment of your disabilities to see if you're eligible and to determine how VR can help you
• job counseling, guidance, and referral services
• physical and mental rehabilitation
• vocational (job) and other training
• on-the-job training
• financial assistance while you're getting some voc rehab services
• transportation needed to get to some voc rehab services
• personal assistance services
• rehabilitation technology services and devices
• help finding a job
• help transitioning from school to work (for students)
• an interpreter (if you're deaf), and
• reader services (if you're blind).

Federal law requires state agencies to offer at least those services described above, but your state might offer additional services.

Will Voc Rehab Help Me Become Self-Employed?

VR programs and counselors can help you if you want to start your own small business or start freelancing. For example, they can help you conduct a market analysis and develop a business plan. You can even get help with some start-up costs, like:

• occupational licensing
• tools and equipment, and
• initial stock and supplies.

What If I Want to Go Back to School?

State voc rehab programs must offer vocational and training services, including vocational and personal adjustment training and advanced training.

So, if you want to go back to school, your state's vocational rehabilitation services program can help you get there and help you succeed once you do.

Your VR counselor can help you find the grants and scholarships you need to attend vocational school, college, or other post-secondary education institutions. VR can help you by paying for books, tools, other training materials, and, in some very limited situations, tuition. (34 CFR 361.48(b)(6).)

Do I Have to Enroll in a Voc Rehab Program If I'm on Disability?

No. You aren't required to enroll in a vocational rehabilitation program just because you're receiving Social Security disability benefits—whether SSDI or SSI. You're also not required to take part in the Ticket to Work program.

How Does VR Affect My Eligibility for Social Security or SSI Disability Benefits?

Enrolling in a vocational rehabilitation program won't cause Social Security to review your medical eligibility for disability. In fact, if you're making steady progress toward your VR employment goal, the SSA won't schedule you for a continuing disability review (CDR). But, like with all work activities, any wages you earn through a voc rehab job or internship could affect your eligibility or benefit amount.

However, Social Security has work incentives that can help minimize any potential impact your return to work has on your benefits, including:

• the trial work period, and
• the Ticket to Work program.

Learn more about how you can work without losing SSI benefits.