Vocational Rehabilitation Program Overview

As an individual who is blind or is experiencing significant vision loss, you may have experienced difficulties finding or keeping a job. Vocational rehabilitation is a partnership between you, your counselor, your vocational rehabilitation teachers, and your rehabilitation technology specialists designed to help you to overcome these difficulties.

How it Works

When you apply for vocational rehabilitation services, your counselor will determine if you are eligible for the program. If you are eligible, your counselor will work with you to determine which career path you would like to follow and what you will need to do to be successful in that career.

The Vocational Rehabilitation process includes:

1. Applying for services.
2. Being determined eligible for services.
3. Planning and preparing for the job you want.
4. Completing any training you need.
5. Starting on your career path.

Planning for Employment

Once you have been determined eligible for services, you will need to develop a comprehensive plan of action that will lead to the job of your choice. This plan is known as an Individual Plan for Employment, or IPE.

The IPE includes your employment goal, the date by which you expect to achieve your goal, the services you need to achieve your goal, and how these services will be provided. Your IPE will also include “Criteria for Review." The Criteria for Review specifies the ways you will make progress toward achieving your employment goal. 

Specifically listing the ways you will achieve your goal is important so that you and your counselor can measure and discuss how you are moving forward toward your goal. Both you and your counselor will need to agree to and sign your plan.

Developing the IPE

Your counselor can help you design and write your IPE. Your counselor is a good source of information and is available to work with you. If you prefer, you can write it yourself or have someone else help you prepare it. 

Your counselor will provide you with the forms you need for this purpose. Your counselor must review the plan to make sure that your goal will lead to a job, that the services you request are necessary to reach your goal, and that your IPE is complete.

Changing the IPE

You will talk with your counselor about your plan as often as necessary, but at least once a year. You can change your plan if the services and/or the goal you selected are not right for you. Your plan may also need to be changed if funding or programs become limited. You and your counselor will sign an amended (changed) plan to show that you are in agreement.

Your Choices

Along the way, you will have many choices to make. Your counselor can help you obtain the information you need to make informed choices about:

• your interests, skills, and abilities
• your career goal
• the services you need to reach your goal and who can provide those services
• arrangements that are needed to receive the services

Your counselor will have helpful information about employment opportunities. If you are already employed, your counselor can assist with job accommodations so you can keep your job.

Fees & Payment

You will never have to pay for any of the following services:

• evaluation to determine eligibility and your priority for services
• evaluation to help decide the services you need
• rehabilitation counseling, advice, and referral services
• rehabilitation teaching services
• services to help you find a job.

Together, you and your counselor can determine how the cost of other services will be covered. You are expected to apply for and use money from other programs, agencies, and organizations which can help with these costs. This is known as “comparable benefits” and we are required by federal regulations to ensure that clients utilize comparable benefits when feasible. 

Your counselor can give you information on a variety of resources and help you with this process. The Department will cover the cost of planned services when other resources are not available.