UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202-2531

[INFORMATION MEMORANDUM]{.underline}

RSA-IM-99-02

DATE: October 15, 1998

TO : STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCIES (GENERAL)

> STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCIES (BLIND)
>
> CLIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (CAP)

REGIONAL REHABILITATION CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS (RRCEPS)

> RSA SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

SUBJECT : The Third Interim Report of the Longitudinal Study of the
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

CONTENT : The Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
Services Program was authorized under Section 14(e) of the 1998
Rehabilitation Act Amendments. Currently, baseline data collection has
been completed on all 8,500 consumers participating in the study at 37
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) district office sites; and the
contractor, Research Triangle Institute, is conducting quarterly and
annual follow-ups of these persons. These follow-ups will continue for
five years with each consumer. Data have been collected on consumers\'
demographic characteristics, services received, functional limitations,
employment histories, receipt of public assistance, vocational
interests, perspectives on the VR program and their outcomes. Data on
the characteristics and organizational cultures of VR local offices
participating in the study have also been collected. Three Interim
Reports have been completed. This memorandum transmits the Third Interim
Report.

> The Third Interim Report focused on the characteristics and outcomes
> of former Vocational Rehabilitation consumers who had an employment
> outcome. Below are some selected nationally generalizable findings
> from the Third Interim Report.

-   Individuals exiting the VR program who obtained competitive
    employment had a greater proportion of orthopedic impairments (28%
    versus 18%), hearing impairments (12% versus 5%), or learning
    disabilities (8% versus 2%), than individuals whose employment was
    noncompetitive (homemakers, unpaid family workers, etc.); persons
    with noncompetitive employment had a greater proportion of mental
    retardation (22% versus 8% or visual impairments (27% versus 4%).

-   The average age for individuals who achieved a competitive outcome
    was 39.6 years while the average age for individuals obtaining
    noncompetitive employment was 50.6 years; individuals with
    competitive outcomes had a median reading achievement level of 9.0
    grades and a mathematics achievement level of 7.0 grades, while
    individuals with noncompetitive outcomes had a median reading level
    of 5.3 grades and a mathematics achievement level of 5.0 grades.

-   For those individuals who completed VR services and who were
    competitively employed, 76.5% were classified either as severely
    disabled or most severely, disabled.

-   Of individuals who were competitively employed at exit from the VR
    program, 36.9% were working at application.

-   For those competitively employed at exit from VR services, 64.2%
    were still working one year later at a job obtained through VR and
    20.8% were still working but at another job - a total of 85% still
    working one year post-services; this compares favorably with the 62%
    of the (primarily nondisabled) consumers served under the Job
    Training and Partnership Act still employed thirteen weeks after
    being placed in jobs.

-   Competitively employed individuals worked an average of 34.9 hours
    per week and earned an average of \$7.35 per hour on exit from the
    VR program; one year later they worked an average of 35.7 hours per
    week and earned an average of \$7.94 per hour.

-   At exit from the VR program, 23.6% of competitively employed VR
    consumers were employed in professional, managerial, and technical
    occupations; one year later, 30.5% were employed in professional,
    managerial, and technical occupations.

-   Competitively employed VR consumers with reading achievement levels
    of fourth grade or less had average earnings of \$5.51 per hour,
    while those with reading levels twelfth grade or higher earned an
    average of \$7.52 per hour; individuals with mathematics achievement
    levels of fourth grade or less earned \$5.56 per hour while those
    with mathematics achievement levels twelfth grade or higher earned
    an average of \$8.54 per hour; there is a direct correlation between
    educational levels and earnings.

-   62.5% of competitively employed consumers at exit from the VR
    program earn less than \$7.00 per hour; the average reading
    achievement level of individuals competitively employed is 8.5
    grades and their average mathematics achievement level is 7.8.

-   The percentage of competitively employed VR consumers with health
    insurance through their jobs is directly related to earnings levels;
    only 13% of individuals earning \$5.00 per hour or less had medical
    benefits, 35% of those earning \$7.00 per hour or less had medical
    benefits while 65% of those earning \$11.00 per hour or more had
    medical benefits.

-   Of individuals competitively employed one year after exit from the
    VR program, 13.3% were very satisfied with their employment, 54.3%
    were satisfied and 32.4% were not satisfied.

> The Third Interim Report is attached to this Memorandum.
>
> If you have any questions concerning the Interim Report, please call
> Dr. Harold Kay, Director of Evaluation, Rehabilitation Services
> Administration at (202) 205-9883.

Attachment

cc: National Council on Independent Living

Council of State Administrator of Vocational Rehabilitation

National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems