[NYAPRS Enews] National Council on Disability to Study Vocational Rehabilitation, Health Care

[Harvey Rosenthal]

NCD Bulletin (Excerpts)    January 2007

A Monthly Publication of the National Council on Disability (NCD)


 

NCD to Study Vocational Rehabilitation

NCD is slated to begin an assessment of the implementation of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, authorizes the Department of
Education's Vocational Rehabilitation program, which provides federal
funds to help persons with disabilities become employed, more
independent, and integrated into the community. 

Most of the federal funds are passed to state vocational rehabilitation
agencies that directly provide services such as guidance, counseling,
and job placement, as well as purchase services such as therapy and
training from other providers. Now, perhaps more than ever, effective
vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs are necessary. 

Those responsible for decisions about the state-federal VR programs need
information about how people with disabilities are being served and what
works. Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed or
living in poverty than are those without disabilities. 

But many individuals, especially those with severe disabilities, are
also in need of education, skill training, and other assistive services
to prepare them to take advantage of work opportunities.

 

NCD to Study Health Care

The U.S. health care delivery system is touted by many as having
outstanding providers, facilities, and technology. Many Americans enjoy
easy access to care. However, not all Americans have full access to
high-quality health care. And too many Americans, including Americans
with disabilities, have inadequate or no access to health care. In 1999,
Congress directed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to
produce an annual report, starting in 2003, to track "prevailing
disparities in health care delivery as it relates to racial factors and
socioeconomic factors in priority populations." Although the emphasis is
on disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status,
this directive includes a charge to examine disparities in "priority
populations"-groups with unique health care needs or issues that require
special focus. 

In 2003, the first National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR), a
comprehensive national overview of disparities in health care among
racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups in the general U.S. population
and among priority populations, was released. In 2004, the second NHDR,
building upon the 2003 report, was released. In the 2004 report, a
second critical goal of the report was developed: tracking the nation's
progress toward eliminating health care disparities. The 2004 report
highlights three key themes for policymakers, clinicians, health system
administrators, and community leaders who seek to use this information
to improve health care services for all Americans: (a) disparities are
pervasive; (b) improvement is possible; and (c) gaps in information
exist, especially for specific conditions and populations. Other than
its focus on children with special health care needs, however, the
report provides little information about health care disparities and
Americans with disabilities.  

To ensure that millions of Americans with disabilities are not left out
of this critical research effort and related federal policy-making
efforts, NCD is interested in conducting research to analyze the history
of federal efforts in health care as it relates to Americans with
disabilities and to review efforts to enhance access to coverage and
care through the private sector.

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://kilakwa.net/pipermail/nyaprs_kilakwa.net/attachments/20070213/264497d7/attachment.html>