I. THE REHABILITATION CONCEPT_ II. EVOLUTION OF FEDERAL COOPERATION_ Amendment of the Original Act.... Relief Funds for Vocational Rehabilitation__. Persons___ Characteristics of Rehabilitants. Occupations of Persons Rehabilitated_ V. ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND FISCAL ASPECTS- Expenditures for Vocational Rehabilitation. Need for an Adequate Program.. VI. STATE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.... Requirements Made of States___ 54 VII. FEDERAL ORGANIZATION AND SERVICE. Federal Organization and Administration__ VIII. SPECIAL SERVICE FOR THE BLIND__. Federal Interest in the Blind.. Evolution of Federal Legislation.... Provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act.. Policies of the Office of Education__. Accomplishments under the Randolph-Sheppard Act IX. SUMMARY.......... Extent of the Service... The Need for Rehabilitation Service.. Administration of the Service ___ Special Service for the Blind.. Need for an Expanded Program....... APPENDIX A. Federal Legislative Provisions for Vocational Rehabilitation__ APPENDIX B. Randolph-Sheppard Act___ APPENDIX C. Administrative Arrangements and Cooperative 86 APPENDIX D. Bulletins on Vocational Rehabilitation Issued by the Federal Board for Vocational Education and the United States Office of Education.___. 94 97 99 101 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE_ RESEARCH STAFF AND CONSULTANTS OF THE COMMITTEE LIST OF TABLES 1. Dates of Vocational Rehabilitation Acts by States Prior to the Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Act, Dates of Acceptance of the Federal Act, and Dates of Inauguration of Federal Relations__ 2. Number of Persons Rehabilitated During the Year Ended June 30, 1937, and Number of Persons in Process of Rehabilitation on that Date, by States..... 3. Number of Persons in Process of Vocational Rehabilitation, by Status, June 30, 1937.... 4. Number of Disabled Persons Vocationally Rehabilitated during Each Year and Number in Process of Rehabilitation at the End of Each Year, 1921-37..... 12 27 27 28 5. Distribution of the 11,091 Persons Rehabilitated during the Year Ending June 30, 1937, by Type of Services Ren- 6. Distribution of the 11,091 Persons Rehabilitated during the Year Ended June 30, 1937, by Sex, Age, Marital Status, Number of Dependents, and Schooling......... 7. Distribution of the 11,091 Persons Rehabilitated during the Year Ended June 30, 1937, by Origin and by Nature 8. Percentage Distribution of 6,391 Persons Rehabilitated, 1920-24, by Wages Received Prior to Disability and at Various Subsequent Stages Not Later Than 1927... 9. Federal Appropriations for the Vocational Rehabilitation of the Physically Disabled, not Including the Appropria- tions to the Federal Administrative Agency, by Fiscal 10. Distribution of Federal Funds to the States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico for Vocational Rehabilitation of the Physi- cally Disabled, Year Ending June 30, 1938_.. 11. Federal Appropriations to the States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia and Amounts Expended from Federal and from State and Local Funds for the Vocational Rehabilitation of the Physically Disabled, 12. Amounts Expended for Vocational Rehabilitation by the States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the District of Colum- bia, by Source, for the Year Ending June 30, 1937---- 13. Number of Vocational Rehabilitation Offices and Number of Various Types of Professional and Administrative Employees, by States, March 1938. 14. Federal Appropriations for Administration of the Voca- tional Rehabilitation Act and for Research and Report- CHAPTER I THE REHABILITATION CONCEPT Each year thousands of persons in the United States become permanently disabled through accident and disease, and many others are born with serious physical defects. Consequently large numbers of physically disabled and handicapped individuals, young and old, are always to be found in society. What to do with and for them has long been a problem, which has been dealt with in various ways. The record of the centuries relative to the disabled and handicapped is one of neglect and even active maltreatment. In more recent years steps have been taken by the public to prevent disabling diseases and accidents and to cope with their disastrous effects. Efforts have been made to maintain safe working conditions, to educate workers and the public in safety practices, and to control communicable diseases. State and Federal legislation has been enacted providing compensation benefits to persons injured in industry. In 1920 the Federal Government in cooperation with the States, established a program of providing the assistance needed to restore to remunerative employment those persons who could benefit from a service of vocational rehabilitation. The Federal aspects of the service are administered by the United States Office of Education. The vocational rehabilitation of persons unable to earn a living because of physical disabilities is an important phase of the national program of conservation. For years the Nation has been engaged in developing and applying policies for the conservation and intelligent use of its minerals, forests, water resources, soils, livestock, and crops. The State and Federal Governments now spend sizable sums annually for the support of these policies. Eventually special attention was directed to various phases of the conservation of human resources, and vocational rehabilitation of the physically disabled was adopted as a public policy. The service is one whereby the abilities, experience, and |