Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
CITY TO HAVE TEST
Of REHABILITATION
Wage Farmers Get Benefits
Here Preliminary to New
System for Country.

The Federal Board for Vocational
Education is making preparations to put
into effect, July /, the law recently en-
acted by Congress, under which disabled
residents of Washington will be entitled
to rehabilitation to restore them as
wage earners.
A separate division is to be set up
under the Federal board to administer
the work In the District, with super.
visor to be appointed b.tween now ana
the beginning of the new fiscal year.
An assistant also is to be named TO 90
the case work.
BY observing the operation of this
new activity here, the Federal board
hopes to develop information and ex-
perience that would be useful In the
carrying on of similar vocational re-
Mobilization throughout the country.
$4,000 Fund Provided.
There has been a national law since
1920. under which the Federal board
is cooperating now with AZ States IN
euuipping disabled persons to earn
livelihood, but in observing the appAca-
tion of the service in the District the
Federal agency expects to broaden It's
knowledge of the subject. Congress, in
the last deficiency appropriation act,
provided $4,000 for the carrying on
of this new work during the next fiScal
year, half Of that amount to De pald
by the District and half by the Federal
board
Briefly stated. the rendering OF this
service consists in aScertaining what sort
Of work a person could perform IN view
Of his or her particular disability, ana
then train for that employment.
The Federal board is making some re-
search in cooperation with the States
for the purpose of improving rehablll-
tation methods but John A. KratZ, chlet
of the vocational rehabilitation division,
expects still further progress to be mace
through close study of the operation
of the work here. He has in mind sew
eral questions which could receive spe-
cial attention, for the benefit not only
of vocational work here, but generally.
Study Of Infirmities.
The handling of cases involving the
loss Of an arm or leg is being worked
out fairly well, according to Mr.. Kratz,
but there is opportunity for greater re-
search into the best types OF rehabln-
tation for persons suffering from GER
tain infirmities, such as heart disease,
TUBERCULOSIS OF DIluuIleSS
The board also is DESTROYS OF gather
ing more data on how the instruc-
ton of disabled persons can be accom-
plished by employment training, that
is, by placing a person to be trained In
an actual workshop when there Is no
school of instruction available Tor
particular line of work.
Methods of placement after rehabili-
tation has been effected is another
topic on which the board plans re-
search. This goes into the subject OF
establishing the rehabilitated individual
as a wage Garner after he has been
fitted for some trade consistent with
his physical condition.
Vocational Guidance.
Proper vocational guidance is still
another phase of the work which Is to
be studied more closely, Mr.. Kfatz
said. Every effort is made to determine
what type of work would be best for
each disabled individual to be aided.
One of the first things those in
charge of this new service will seek to
ascertain is the approximate number
of disabled persons there are In wash
ington who might be eligible for re-
Mobilization. Surveys made in several
cities in other parts Of the country nave
indicated about six such persons per
! 900 of population in those places, &C
cording to officials of the Federal
board.
The new law for Washington defines
the term disabled resident" as mean
ing "any bona f1de resident in the Dis
trict of Columbia, who, by reason OF a
physical defect or infirmity, whether
congenital or acquired by accident, in
jury or disease, IS or may be expected
to become totally or partially inca.
pacitated for remunerative occupation.
The term vocational rehabilitation"
is described in the law as the render
ing of any such disabled resident fit to
engage in a remunerative occupation.
May Seek Cooperation.
The Federal board is authorized to
seek the cooperation OF the Pubic
Health Service or of any other govern
mental agency in carrying out the serv-
ice locally.
Another section of the law directs
the Federal and the United States En-
ployes' Compensation Commission to
formulate plan Of cooperation LOT
the vocational rehabilitation OF civil
employees of the Government, disabled
while in the performance of duty and
VINO reside IN the DlStTlCC Vi NoluH!oio'
The Federal board is empowered to
establish rules and regulations for the
carrying on Of the rehabilitation work
in the District. The board is authorized
to pay tuition to schools and compen-
sation to tutors in connection with the
training of disabled persons to enter
some new line of employment.
The experience of Buffalo, N. Y,
during the period from 1921 to 1925
was cited in Congress as showing the
effectiveness Of rehabilitation work. The
report showed that during the four
wear period there were $50 rehabilitants
in the Buffalo district, of whom 146, or
40 per cent, obtained work on an in
creased wage; 46, or IL per cent,
worked at the same wage as before the
accident and 80, or 9 per cent, OBJ
+nirnad ,rnrk ak a decreased wage.