Employment

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) provides guidance and support to state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies that are charged with providing job training and placement, as well as on-the-job supports to aid individuals with disabilities find and retain employment. State VR agencies can be most successful when they understand labor force trends and can look ahead at the projected soft and hard skills employers need to train and prepare candidates for the jobs of the future.

The vast majority of the approximately 10,000 individuals returning to the community from prison each week lack the education and skills required for even entry-level employment. Research from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicates a link between academic failure and delinquency, violence and crime. Those reentering the community after incarceration face a system of silos between corrections, education and the workforce system. This contract sought to support reentry education models based on the best available evidence and theory and build on Department work in this area.

New Editions developed functional requirements and built the Disability Equality Index (DEI) (www.disabilityequalityindex.org) survey tool system and website. The DEI is a national, transparent benchmarking survey tool that offers Fortune 1000 businesses an opportunity to measure their disability inclusion policies and practices.

New Editions manages the Rehabilitation Services Administration’s (RSA) National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM) - ncrtm.ed.gov - and technical assistance webinars. The NCRTM is RSA’s gateway to technical assistance and training, providing reliable, up-to-date training materials. It is a venue for information sharing, learning and professional growth for vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals, service providers, researchers, trainers, educators, individuals with disabilities and their support networks.

Enacted by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration is part of a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to assist states (in collaboration with stakeholders) to make widespread changes to their long-term care support systems. This initiative assists states in their efforts to reduce their reliance on institutional care, all while developing community-based long-term care opportunities, and thereby enabling the elderly and people with disabilities to fully participate within their communities.