A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Biennial Evaluation Report - FY 93-94

Chapter 324

Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to Individuals with Disabilities

(CFDA No. 84.235)

I. Program Profile

Legislation: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, P.L. 93-112, Title III, Part B, Section 311 (a)(1) 311(b), as amended by P.L. 102-569 and P.L. 103-73 (29 U.S.C. 777(a)(1) and 777a(b)); Title VIII, Section 802 (29 U.S.C. 797a) (expires September 30, 1997).

Purpose: To provide financial assistance to projects for expanding or otherwise improving vocational rehabilitation services and other rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities (especially those with severe disabilities); to provide job training services to youth with disabilities; to provide transportation services to individuals with disabilities; and to demonstrate ways to increase client choice in the rehabilitation process.

Funding History

Fiscal Year Appropriation Fiscal Year Appropriation
1974 $1,000,000 1987 15,860,000 3/
1975 1,295,000 1988 16,590,000 4/
1980 9,568,000 1989 17,200,000 4/
1981 9,765,000 1990 32,269,000 5/
1982 8,846,000 1991 18,368,000 6/
1983 9,259,000 1992 31,103,000 7/
1984 11,235,000 1/ 1993 19,942,176 8/
1985 14,635,000 1/ 1994 19,942,000
1986 $19,332,000 2

1/ Includes funding for the Spinal Cord Injury Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

2/ Includes $5,000,000 for the Spinal Cord Injury Program, $718,000 for the South Carolina Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center, and $4,785,000 for the Oregon Hearing Institute.

3/ Includes $5,000,000 for the Spinal Cord Injury Program, and $450,000 for Model Statewide Transitional Planning Services for Severely Handicapped Youth Projects.

4/ Includes $5,000,000 for the Spinal Cord Injury Program, and $475,000 for Model Transition projects.

5/ Includes $5,000,000 for the Spinal Cord Injury Program, and $14,814,000 earmarked to establish Comprehensive Head Injury Centers.

6/ Includes $5,000,000 for the Spinal Cord Injury Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

7/ Includes $6,000,000 earmarked for a Hearing Research Center, and $5,000,000 for the Spinal Cord Injury Program.

8/ In FY 1993, the Spinal Cord Injury Program was transferred to the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

II. Program Information Analysis

Population Targeting

Priority was given to the support of projects that would provide services to special disability populations for whom there was an identified need to improve and expand rehabilitation service delivery, individuals who are members of populations that are unserved or underserved, individuals who are blind, and individuals who are deaf.

Services

In FY 1993, 36 continuation projects and 38 new projects were funded, including 2 projects serving "Deaf and Hard of Hearing People Who Are Low-Functioning." Continuation projects currently funded by the program address the following priority categories: (1) Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities [eight projects]; (2) Individuals with Long Term Mental Illness [four projects]; (3) Traumatic Brain Injury [six projects]; (4) Chronic, Progressive Diseases [four projects]; and (5) Non-Priority - Field Initiated [14 projects]. New projects address the following areas: (1) Individuals Who Abuse Drugs other than Alcohol [eight projects]; (2) Functional Assessment of Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities [five projects]; (3) Linkages with State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies and Consumer-Run Programs for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness [four projects]; (4) Transition Services for Youths with Special Needs [six projects]; and (5) Non-Priority - Field Initiated [13 projects].

In addition to the 38 new projects funded under Section 311 (a), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) funded new projects under Title VIII, authorized by the FY 1992 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act. Seven Demonstration Projects To Increase Client Choice in the rehabilitation process were funded at a total cost of $3,626,564, as well as 14 projects under the Transportation Services Program, totaling $4,371,764.

Program Administration

The Rehabilitation Act requires the Commissioner of RSA to use one percent of the aggregate funds appropriated for programs authorized in Titles II, III, VI, VII, and VIII for minority outreach activities as specified in section 21 of the Act. In FY 1993, one percent of the funds appropriated for this program were reserved for this purpose.

Section 21 also requires grant applicants to demonstrate how they will address the needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds. Similarly, all existing grantees are required to document how they addressed the needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds. Under Section 20 of the Act, all grantees must advise individuals with disabilities who are applicants for or recipients of services or, as appropriate, the parents, family members, guardians, advocates, or authorized representatives of those individuals, of the availability and purpose of the State Client Assistance Program (CAP), including information on the means of seeking assistance under such program.

Outcomes

An evaluation of the Special Projects and Demonstrations program was completed in 1987 (III.2). The Rehabilitation Services Administration, through an outside contractor, evaluated the Title III, Part B Special Projects to identify overall trends and results. Evaluation results indicated that almost 50 percent of the clients did improve their employment status through participation in a special project.

Management Improvement Strategies

Recommendations to RSA (III.2) included the establishment of: a systematic uniform reporting procedure; a directory with project information that can be nationally disseminated; ongoing relationships between special projects and the State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies; project evaluation standards; and a monitoring process to ensure that project evaluation standards are being followed. In addition, it was recommended that State vocational rehabilitation agencies become involved in the planning of the project, along with the dissemination of project techniques and innovation.

In FY 1991, RSA conducted an Internal Control Review of this program (III.3). Recommendations from this team supported the need to establish a standardized reporting format and dissemination of project results to appropriate agencies and institutions. Work continues on all recommendations. For example, a project catalogue is being developed for distribution to State VR agencies, and RSA Regional Offices. A standardized reporting format has been developed and distributed to all agencies and the Department now routinely reminds grantees to send in final reports within 90 days after their funding expires. In addition, it requests that grantees send in abstracts of their projects on diskette so that eventually the abstracts can be made available to all computer bulletin board users.

III. Sources of Information

  1. Program files.

  2. Evaluation of Special Rehabilitation Projects and Demonstrations for Severely Disabled Individuals: Final Report (Winchester, MA: Harold Russell Associates, Inc., February 1987).

  3. Internal Control Review: Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to Individuals with Severe Handicaps: Final Report (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, March 1991).

IV. Planned Studies

Evaluation of Choice Demonstration Projects

The 1992 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act require the RSA Commissioner to conduct an evaluation of the Choice Projects to determine which of the strategies employed are most effective, and to assess potential for replication of the projects or components thereof, within the State VR system. The evaluation of the Choice Demonstrations will begin in FY 1995.

V. Contacts for Further Information

Program Operations:
Thomas E. Finch, (202) 205-9796

Program Studies:
Lenore Garcia, (202) 401-3630

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