Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Comprehensive Needs Assessment

As mandated in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies must conduct a Statewide Comprehensive Needs Assessment tri-annually. This assessment must include data from several sources, and address the following four research objectives: Objective One: Assess the vocational rehabilitation needs of individuals with the most significant disabilities, including their need for supported employment services. Objective Two: Assess the vocational rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities who are minorities and individuals with disabilities who have been unserved or underserved by the vocational rehabilitation program. Objective Three: Assess the vocational rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities served through other components of the statewide workforce investment system as identified by those individuals and personnel assisting those individuals through the components of the system. Objective Four: Assess the need to establish, develop or improve community rehabilitation programs within the state. The project outlined in this proposal aims to utilizing a combination of extant, survey, and interview data to address these set objectives. The Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation will use the findings in the state plan, and future planning for rehabilitation services to meet the needs of Kentuckians with disabilities.