Evening star., 1945-02-18
THE SUNDAY STAR, Washington, D. C.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10. I945.
Vocational Rehabilitation
ToCover ALI Needing Aid
Defense Plant Casualties, Running High,
to Be Included With Casualties and 4.Fs
to Be Included in Job Training
By Earle M. Sa,Oyer

is the stigma of charity. This deep
rooted feeling has no foundation 50
far as vocational rehabilitation Is
concerned. The only services rem
dered absolutely without charge to
all civilian applicants are, first, the
original medical examination and.
second, vocational guidance.
Congress has made large sums OF
money available to provide the serv-
ices needed by those unable 10 de-
fray the expenses, but those able to
do so are requested to assume their
share of the costs. In no case is 1t
charity. The recipient must work
diligently and produce satisfactorily.
If he does not, the privilege is with
drawn.
Until the passage of Public Law
lib by the Seventy eighth Congress
in 1943. all the emphasis was upon
those who were physically handi-
capped How inequitable this was is
seen when we consider that many OF
our returning sons will be suffering
from mental and nervous disorders
which will vocationally handicap
them as tly, or possibly to a
greater degi~.. than would physical
impairments. We face this prob
lem-the rehabilitation Of those
with mental or nervous disorders
without much information or ex-
perience to guide us.
We now have two laws concerning
vocational rehabilitation. They were
enacted to enable us to meet a dual
problem. The first part of the prob
lem relates to the injuries sustained
by members of our armed forces.
The second part relates to the in
juries sustained by our war workers,
our merchant seamen and the rest
of our handicapped population; it
also relates to injuries or chronic
diseases which handicap civilians
before they reach employment age.
Old Law Revived.
Public Law 16 of the Seventy.
eighth Congress is, in reality, res
direction of the law which pro-
vided vocational rehabilitation for
the veterans of World War I. There
are some changes, but basically it
is the old law
Those entitled to vocational re-
Mobilization under this law are all
veterans of World War II. who are
suffering from service-connected
disabilities which are vocationally
handicapping. The cost of adminis-
tration is borne entirely by the
Federal Government. The entire
force handling the mechanics Of its
operation consists of Federal en-
ployes.
Public Law 113 of the same Con-
gress is an amendment to the orig
inal vocational-rehabilit act of
1920. The scope of the earlier act
has been greatly enlarged. The new
act is so written that mental dis
abilities, as well as physical, are
deemed to be included.
A result of the passage of this act
was the establishment, in Washing
ton, of the Office of Vocational Re-
Mobilization within the Federal Sc
curity Agency.
| Persons who wish vocational re-
Mobilization under Public Law 113
must be residing in the State in
which the assistance is received.
Because of this fact, and the fact
that their vocational handicaps re-
suited from causes other than mill
tary, this law is administered by the
States, with the aid of the Federal
Government 1t is financed jointly
by the Federal Government and by
the State governments.
Though Public Law 113 was not
specifically intended for veterans,
there is no provision in it which ex-
cludes veterans. The law applies to
civilians, and usually veteran Is q
civilian. If civilian veteran de-
cides that he can secure rehabilita-
tion under Public Law 113 more adj
vantageously than under Public Law
Is there is no provision in either
law preventing him from so doing.