The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-01-08
D. S. JOINS STATES
TO HELP DISABLED
Thousands Injured in Indus
try Aided Each Year.

WashingtOn-While every one Is
familiar with the work that has been
done and is still being done toward
rehabilitation Of those disabled dur
ing the war, there are, no doubt, a
great many who do not know SO much
about the rehabilitation Of civilians.
It has been estimated that each year
10000 persons suffer permanent
physical disabilities as the result Of
public and industrial accidents. In
addition to these there are those who
are disabled from disease or congeni-
tai conditions, While not all Of these
suffer vocational handicaps, it. is be-
lieved that about 80 per cent are vo-
catiOnally handicapped.
In 1920 an act Of congress known as
the industrial rehabilitation act was
passed. This was later amended and
Is now known as the civilian vOca-
tiOnal rehabilitation act. Under this
law the federal board for vocational
education is charged with "the re-
s%pOnsibility Of promoting in the ma
ton the vocational rehabilitation Of
persons injured in industry or other
WISE"
U. S. Acts With the States.
Under the act, the federal govern
ment agrees to enter into a partner
ship with the states in the work Of re-
facilitating civilians with vocational
handicaps. For this purpose congress
annually apprOpriates a million dol
lars which is to be distributed among
the states upon a basis Of population.
The states in tarn match each dollar
Of federal money with a dollar of
theirs, and these matched funds are
expended dollar for dollar in the
work.
The money appropriated for this
work may be used for administrative
expenditures, for costs Of tuition for
disabled persons in training and fol-
Institutional supplies. Under certain
conditions it may also be used for the
purchase Of artificial appliances and
for the cost Of physical examination
At the present time there are 80 states
cooperating with the federal govern.
ment in this work.
1t is easily realized what An impOr
tant thing this work of rehabilitatinf
the vOcatiOnally handicapped is. I
means that such a person, instead o.
becoming a permanent charge on thu
state is within a comparatively shOr
time self-suppOrting.
Employers Are Prejudiced.
Before the passage of the civilian
vocational rehabilitation act man.
states had wOrkmen's compensation
acts and some had bureaus which un
dertoOk to place the vocational,
handicapped. There were also phil
a%nthrOpic individuals and societie
which undertook the vocational edu
cation of these, but there was no stat
responsibility for this work. Ais
there was in many cases considerabl
prejudice on the part Of employer
against the employment Of cripples. !
man who depended upon manual labo
for a living vas likely to be decided
out of luck if through an accident h
lost an arm or a hand.
In the vocational rehabilitation G
men and women who have been inca
pacitated through accident or diseas
a special study is made Of the ind
! vidual. What might be the prope
J training for one man who had lost a
! arm would be useless to another wit
: the same handicap. In order that
I person may be restored to maximum
= usefulness it is necessary that IL
restoration be accomplished on IL
basis of what he has left, not what h
has lost. Consequently, a study muI
, be made of his educational attail
ments and an analysis Of his wOrkir
= experiences. Also his mental qual
ties, traits, ambitions, resourcefu
ness, ingenuity and a~daptability
new conditions must be taken into a
count.