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Supported employment for persons with severe disabilities: Positive trends in wages, models and funding
by Revell, W.G., Wehman, P., Kregel, J., West, M., & Rayfield, R.
Article about trends in supported employment programs and outcomes. Data come from a national survey of state/terriotorial supported employment systems. Respondents from 42 state/territorial programs reported that a total of 74,960 individuals participated in supported employment in 1991. Persons with the primary disability classification of mental retardation (MR) accounted for 62.8% of all suported employment participants; 30.4% of these individuals with MR were in the moderate MR classification with 8.7% in the severe or profound classification. The individual placement model (79.7%) was the dominant supported employment option. A weighted mean hourly wage of $4.45 and a mean weekly wage of $111.44 were reported. The total of vocational rehabilitation (VR) funds was $74,860,404 with non-VR funds reported at $160,164,388. The authors conclude that the major areas in which further effort is needed are:
- greater efforts at conversion from segregated to integrated programs;
- participation by people with more severe disabilities; and
- sustaining and expanding the rate of growth so more people can participate.
Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities, 29(4), p. 75-79. 1994.
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