Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program. Final Report 1: How Consumer Characteristics Affect Access to, Receipt of, and Outcomes of VR Services.

This report is the first in a series of four final reports that present the findings of the Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Program. Initiated in fall 1992, the study has tracked VR participation and post-VR experiences of applicants to and consumers of VR services (n=8,500) for up to 3 years following exit from the program. Findings indicate: (1) individuals were more likely to be accepted for VR services if their disability was significant, congenital, classified as either mental retardation or hearing impairment and they had higher self-esteem; (2) participants were more likely to achieve an employment outcome if their disability was a vision impairment, hearing impairment, mental retardation, or orthopedic impairment, they had higher gross motor function, had greater self-esteem, were working at application for VR services, their desire to obtain assistive technology was a motive for applying for VR services, and they had more dependents; and (3) participants were more likely to achieve a competitive employment outcome if they had higher gross motor function, higher cognitive function, were working at application for VR services, had higher job earnings, and had greater knowledge of different jobs. Appended are groups of supplemental tables on the following: (1) Access to VR Services; (2) Receipt of VR Services; (3) Achievement of Employment Outcomes; (4) Achievement of Competitive Employment Outcomes; (5) Characteristics of Consumers with Significant and Nonsignificant Disability; (6) Correlations between Consumer Characteristics and Eligibility, Receipt of Services, Employment Outcomes, and Competitive Employment Outcomes; and (7) Odds Ratios. (Contains 20 tables, 18 exhibits, and 11 references.) (CR)