Preparing
for a Career in Vocational Rehabilitation
Graduate and undergraduate
degree programs are available at universities across the country. Some
offer distance education programs. Generous federal financial assistance
is often available for those preparing for vocational rehabilitation careers.
Recipients are usually required to repay this stipend by two years of
paid employment in the public rehabilitation program for every year of
receiving the stipend.
The primary focus of preparing for a career in vocational rehabilitation
is on learning about theories, techniques, counseling, and their application;
becoming an expert on disability and employment; and gaining awareness
and sensitivity regarding people with disabilities. An important component
of career preparation for any well-rounded professional in vocational
rehabilitation is gaining knowledge about employment law. This includes
the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Social Security
Work Incentives Improvement Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, among others.
Find
out more about Vocational Rehabilitation
(excerpts from the
Careers in Vocational Rehabilitation Booklet)
Who
makes a good rehabilitation professional?
Preparing for a Career in Vocational Rehabilitation
Questions about a Career in Vocational Rehabilitation
Vocational
Rehabilitation Professions:
Rehabilitation
Counseling
Rehabilitation Counselors
Rehabilitation of Individuals Who Are Blind
or Have Vision Impairments
Orientation and Mobility Specialists
Rehabilitation Teachers
Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment
Vocational Evaluators
Work Adjustment Specialists
Job Development and Placement Specialists
Rehabilitation of Individuals who are Deaf or Hard
of Hearing
Deafness Rehabilitation Professionals
Interpreters for Deaf Individuals
Undergraduate Education in the Rehabilitation
Services
Rehabilitation Practitioners
Rehabilitation Administration
Other Vocational Rehabilitation Professions
Rehabilitation Medicine, Physiatrists, Rehabilitation Nurses
Prosthetics & Orthotics
Rehabilitation Technologists
Rehabilitation Psychologist
Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists