The director of an agency for the blind and visually impaired examines the service-delivery dilemma of funding versus placement decisions. Three program areas demonstrate this dilemma: (1) Social Security Disability Insurance disincentives to competitive placement; (2) the private agency's role when the educational system falls short; and (3)…

Monetary costs and benefits of supported employment to individuals with mental retardation (n=20), taxpayers, and society were assessed, as was the quality of life of supported employees. Supported employment was found to be cost-effective over a five-year period during which programs moved from sheltered to supported employment. (DB)

This paper notes developments in supported employment practices and the manner in which support organizations, employees with disabilities, and companies interact. The paper then reconceptualizes supported employment and the role of employers. The reconceptualized approach involves such techniques as extending support to employer personnel and…

A survey of 27 states receiving federal supported employment grants was conducted. Results indicated that the number of participating individuals increased 157 percent during the 3-year study period; over 1,400 programs of supported employment were authorized by state agencies during this time; and the individual placement model remained the most…

This Task Force report offers recommendations to state legislatures in the following policy areas: early intervention, family support, transition services, community living, supported employment, and funding for persons with developmental disabilities. Stressed is a consumer orientation which focuses on individual and family strengths and needs.…

This book was designed to share lessons learned from vocational rehabilitation research conducted at 11 Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers. Papers for the book were developed to provide practical guidance to the common efforts of professionals, advocates, consumers, and public figures interested in creating workable rehabilitation…

This policy research summary outlines the paradigms and processes used in recent research and evaluation studies conducted on supported employment and rehabilitation programs in Minnesota. First, the paper reviews evaluation strategies and models for assessing the individual and societal efficacy of supported employment. It identifies key…

Direct observation procedures were utilized in assessing the social interactions of 37 adults with severe disabilities in 18 employment programs, representing 3 different supported employment contexts (individual, enclave, and work crew). The data gathered focused on: (1) job engagement time; (2) extent of interaction with work supervisor, human…

This Policy Research Brief explores the strengths of qualitative research and the types of information it can make available to policymakers concerned with issues affecting persons with disabilities. The naturalistic methodology employed in qualitative research is described. Three specific studies using qualitative methodology are excerpted and…

This report examines the need for inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in community life and describes activities of service providers in Minnesota toward meeting that goal. Part 1 reviews issues of eligibility involved in the exclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities from services. The lives of people who are…

The monograph presents preliminary results from 27 states that received systems change model demonstration funds from the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration in 1986 and 1987. These funds were targeted to modify existing adult day programs for persons with severe disabilities and provide supported employment programs as alternative…

This report describes activities of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and other federal agencies during fiscal year 1992 in complying with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Following an executive summary, the report is organized according to the Act's titles and sections. Individual sections address the following topics:…

The purpose of this forum was to examine critical issues in the implementation of supported employment from a variety of perspectives and to provide recommendations for future improvement. Eight invited papers and discussions were organized into four topics: issues related to time-limited funding; disabilities other than mental retardation;…

Wisconsin Works (W-2) is a time-limited employment assistance program that, in September 1997, replaced cash entitlements provided to low-income families under Aid to Families with Dependent Children. W-2 provides subsidized or unsubsidized placements for participants, based upon their level of preparedness for employment. Participants in both…

The current status of state mental retardation/developmental disability agency information systems related to day and employment programs for persons with disabilities is described. Data regarding the number and characteristics of persons served in various day-employment programs and the funding sources are summarized. Suggestions regarding data…