State Agency Reopens Employment Services for 918 Oklahomans with Severe Disabilities

OKLAHOMA CITY – Thanks to more administrative belt-tightening by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), an additional 918 Oklahomans with the most significant barriers to employment began receiving critical services on Sept. 16.

DRS’ Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services divisions must continue to defer services to another 2,148 applicants whose disabilities are less significant in terms of reaching employment goals. These individuals will remain on waiting lists, established on Jan. 19, 2007, until the agency, which is required by state law to maintain a balanced budget, has funds available to pay for their services.

“DRS has struggled with rapidly escalating costs in tuition and fees, medical treatment and other services required to reach employment goals,” DRS Director Linda Parker said. “In order to help more Oklahomans go to work we have reduced staff, left critical positions unfilled and cut back or cancelled lower priority programs that, frankly, are still needed by other clients.”

In spite of waiting lists that stopped the flow of new clients into the employment program, DRS helped 2,210 Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services clients go to work last year. These successful job seekers earned average wages of $18,012 and paid $11.1 million in income taxes. Their collective earnings of $39.8 million generated new sales tax revenue and contributed significantly to economic growth in their communities and the state. According to DRS Director Linda Parker, vocational rehabilitation is “a good deal for Oklahoma.”

“We provide specialized services that help Oklahomans with disabilities go to work and become taxpayers,” Parker said. “Their success saves other state and federal agencies money previously spent on disability benefits, medical services and social assistance.” Last year, Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services staff provided services for 18,221 clients who were already receiving assistance when the waiting lists for new applicants became necessary.

The federal Rehabilitation Act requires Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services programs to categorize clients in groups based on the impact of their disabilities on employment. If funds are not available to serve everyone, those applicants with the most significant disabilities continue to be served because they need help most to become employed. Others with less significant barriers to employment are the first to be placed on waiting lists due to funding limitations.

The legislation does not permit programs to cap or limit services needed by current clients in order to go to work. Instead, agencies must control costs, including inflationary increases in client goods and services, by delaying services to new applicants.

For more information about the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, visit DRS Online at www.okdrs.gov  or phone 1-800-845-8476. The number is accessible by telecommunications equipment for the deaf.

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