Employment & vocational rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a federal-state partnership that provides free services to help people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep employment. Each state runs its own VR agency; eligibility and specific services vary, but the federal framework is consistent.

What VR may fund:

• Vocational assessments and career counseling
• College tuition and vocational training programs
• Assistive technology for work
• Job placement assistance
• Job coaching during and after placement
• Transportation to work during the VR program period

Once found eligible, you and your VR counselor develop an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) — a written document that lists your employment goal and the services VR will provide to get there. VR is demand-driven and sometimes has waitlists; contact your state VR agency before graduation, not after.

Find your state's VR agency on your state hub page, or through the RSA state agency directory at rsa.ed.gov.

Supported employment

Supported employment provides ongoing job coaching and support for people who need more than initial job placement. A job coach can be present at the workplace, fade support over time as skills develop, and return during job transitions or when challenges arise. This ongoing support model is what distinguishes supported employment from typical job placement.

Project SEARCH is a structured internship program for high school students with significant disabilities, operating inside businesses and hospitals. Interns rotate through departments, learning workplace skills with embedded job coaching support.

Employment First is a policy framework adopted by many states that establishes competitive integrated employment — working alongside non-disabled peers at market wages — as the first and preferred option for people with disabilities. States with Employment First policies prioritize funding for supported employment services.

ADA at work

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits disability discrimination by employers with 15 or more employees and requires them to provide reasonable accommodations. Accommodations might include modified schedules, remote work arrangements, written instructions, task restructuring, assistive technology, or a quieter workspace.

Disclosure: you are not legally required to disclose your diagnosis to an employer. However, you must disclose that you have a disability (without specifying which) to request an accommodation. The employer cannot ask about your specific diagnosis. Documentation from a healthcare provider may be requested to support the accommodation.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides free, confidential consulting on workplace accommodations for both employees and employers. If an employer fails to provide required accommodations, complaints can be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Work and SSI

SSI recipients can work — and SSA has built-in work incentives to make the transition to employment possible without immediately eliminating benefits:

• Earned income exclusion: SSA excludes the first $85 of earned income per month, then counts only half of the remainder. Some benefits continue even when earning above the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold.
• Student Earned Income Exclusion: students under 22 who regularly attend school can exclude more earned income (approximately $2,350/month; adjusted annually by SSA).
• Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS): allows SSI recipients to set aside income or resources to pay for expenses toward a work goal — reducing countable income.
• Ticket to Work: a voluntary SSA program connecting SSI and SSDI recipients with free employment services, including VR and supported employment providers.

Before starting work, connect with a WIPA (Work Incentives Planning and Assistance) benefits counselor. WIPA programs provide free, individualized counseling on how employment will affect SSI, Medicaid, and other benefits. Find yours at choosework.ssa.gov.