State Rehab Council

Prior to passage of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Plan (aka the Stimulus Bill), Acting Maryland State Rehabilitation Council Chair Larry Abramson contacted Maryland’s Congressional Delegation to urge them to assure that the two-year funding for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) remain in the Plan at the level included in both the U.S. House and Senate versions.

In the letter, Mr. Abramson highlighted these issues:

• Individuals with disabilities who participate in vocational rehabilitation programs reduce or eliminate their dependence on federal and state benefits and become federal, state and local taxpayers.
  
  
• In order to prepare people for work, the public vocational rehabilitation program purchases goods and services from non-profit agencies, small businesses as well as public and private education organizations.
  
  
• Maryland would use a substantial portion of the stimulus funding to purchase services from community rehabilitation programs. These are typically small non-profit organizations that are struggling in the current economy. An infusion of additional funds would directly and immediately affect their ability to hire and retain staff in their organizations.
  
  
• Accountability is a key feature of the VR program, which demonstrates a strong return on investment… significantly more dollars are returned to the state and federal government by individuals with disabilities returning to work than were used to assist them through the VR program.

MSRC advocacy on the State level ->