The purpose of vocational rehabilitation: enhancing employment outcomes for those with the greatest need

In this issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation a wide range of articles is presented. However, they all focus on one overriding area of importance: how do we promote quality employment outcomes for persons with significant disabilities? Quality employment outcomes include competitive wages, good fringe benefits, including health insurance, long-term retention, flexibility in work schedule and the opportunity to get on a career path. For most persons with truly significant disabilities this level of employment outcome has not consistently occurred in rehabilitation programs around the world. Yet this is the avowed purpose of programs which embrace supported employment, transition from school to work, assistive technology and other rehabilitation approaches. While supported employment programs have been able to generate employment outcomes for participants which are superior to those produced by segregated employment programs, in absolute terms (Rehabilitation Services Administration, 1995), many supported employment programs still yield employment outcomes that have fallen short of initial expectations. Lack of earnings and fringe benefits, integration in the workplace, employer attitudes, job retention and job satisfaction remain issues of concern in supported employment program evaluation. Furthermore, the limited number of hours worked (with an average of 25 h/week) is a stumbling block to greater prosperity. In the US, the Rehabilitation Services Administration's data in 1995 indicated that 28% of persons in supported employment did not work at the minimum wage level of at least $4.50 US/h. This is based on a number of 18000 vocational rehabilitation closures which is far below the overall national totals in supported employment of 140000 persons. Supported employment earnings have been reported to be $107/week, on an average basis per client. While this is a several hundred percent increase over wages earned prior to entering the program, annual wages in the range of $5000-$6000 are certainly not consistent with the program's intent to enable individuals to pursue meaningful careers. In addition, such heavy reliance on part-time jobs usually results in individuals with disabilities receiving few fringe benefits such as healthcare or paid vacation. The opportunity for individuals to participate in the social network of the workplace is one of the major values underlying supported employment. Unfortunately, we know that many supported employment participants have been unable to take full advantage of available inclusion opportunities. Complex issues related to the definition of inclusion and appropriate measurement strategies have inhibited the development of ef-