7.སཔ/་

HEARING ON THE REHABILITATION SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON

EDUCATION AND LABOR
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, NOVEMBER 18, 1987

Serial No. 100-80

Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR

AUGUSTUS F. HAWKINS, California, Chairman

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION

MAJOR R. OWENS, New York, Chairman

CONTENTS

Hearing held in Washington, DC, on November 18, 1987..

Statement of:

Baxter, Russell, commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Division, Depart-

ment of Human Services of the State of Arkansas....

Bullock, Margaret A.,_administrator, Rehabilitative and Visual Services
Divisions, Montana Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services ....

Cook, Gary, director, Occupational Center of Central Kansas, Inc............

Dart, Justin, Jr., Commissioner for Rehabilitation Services Administra-

tion, U.S. Department of Education, accompanied by Mark Shoob

Davis, Kelli, Dynatech Data Systems enclave employee, accompanied by

Ms. Gwen Sither, coordinator of vocational services, City of Alexandria,

VA..

Douglas, Richard C., director, Vocational Rehabilitation Division, State of

Vermont

Gerry, Martin, Esq., Gerry & Associates.

Mank, David, director, the employment network technical assistance

project, University of Oregon....

101

Reeb, Kenneth, Jr., assistant director, Rehabilitation Engineering Center,
Electronic Industries Foundation....

162

Will, Madeleine, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education

and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education

11

Prepared statements, letters, supplemental materials, et cetera:

Bartlett, Hon. Steve, a Representative in Congress from the State of

Texas, prepared statement of...

Baxter, E. Russell, Department of Human Services, Little Rock, AR,

prepared statement of

Bullock, Margaret A., administrator, Rehabilitative and Visual Services

Divisions, Montana Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services,

prepared statement with attachment.....

Cook, Gary T., executive director, Occupational Center of Central Kansas,

prepared statement of

Dart, Justin, Jr., Commissioner for Rehabilitation Services Administra-

tion, U.S. Department of Education, prepared statement of.

Davis, Kelli, Dynatech Data Systems enclave employee, prepared state-

ment of

Douglas, Richard C., director, Vermont Vocational Rehabilitation Divi-

sion, prepared statement of.

Gerry, Martin H., Gerry & Associates, prepared statement of.

Mank, David, Ph.D., director, the Employment Network Technical Assist-
ance Project, University of Oregon, prepared statement of..
McDaniel, Dr. Robert H., director, Rehabilitation Training Programs,
University of San Francisco, prepared statement of....

204

Owens, Hon. Major R., a Representative in Congress from the State of
New York, prepared statement of.......

3

Reeb, Kenneth, Jr., prepared statement on behalf of the Electronic Indus-

tries Foundation Rehabilitation Engineering Center....

165

Will, Madeleine C., Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Reha-

bilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, prepared statement

of..

14

REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1987

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION,

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR,

Washington, DC.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m., in room

2261, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Major R. Owens [chair-

man of the subcommittee] presiding.

Members present: Representatives Owens, Williams, Biaggi,

Bartlett, and Jeffords.

Staff present: Maria Cuprill, staff director; Laurence Peters,

counsel; Robert Tate, legislative analyst; Pat Laird, legislative as-

sistant; Jillian Evans, committee clerk; and Gary Granofsky, re-

search assistant.

Mr. OWENS. The Subcommittee on Select Education will come to

order. I have a brief opening statement.

U.S. Government programs for disabled people represent splen-

did high points in our national legislation for citizens in need. The

Rehabilitation Services Administration is a well-established compo-

nent of the safety net for disabled people. The genesis and the his-

tory of RSA and its related agencies reflect the wisdom, vision, and

compassion of the Congress. These elements have merged repeated-

ly to produce very practical, worthwhile results for disabled people

of America.

Ongoing and widespread bipartisan support has guaranteed con-

tinual, reasonable authorization and appropriations for Federal

programs for disabled people. A great amount of dedication and

commitment, as well as political skill, has been utilized by the pol-

icymakers and legislators who have made the necessary resources

available. Given such overwhelming support, the question is why

are we not currently achieving results which are commensurate

with such support? This hearing is seeking whatever clues there

are which may contribute toward the unraveling of this mystery.

More specifically, the Subcommittee on Select Education is baf-

fled by the large number of vacant positions in RSA and by the du-

ration of those vacancies. We are baffled by the length of time the

staff has taken to implement a priority program such as the new

supported employment program. We are puzzled and disappointed

by the failure of all rehabilitation programs to take great leaps for-

ward. We don't see why we don't have in America a national, state-

of-the-art program for the disabled.

Since there is no political party bickering to slow its advance, we

cannot comprehend the stagnation of the past few years. Are the

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