Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for State Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by sections 101(a) and 606 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA.
- b. Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA).
Section 101(a)(15), (17), and (23) of the Rehabilitation Act require VR agencies to provide an assessment of:
- b. Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA).
b. 1. B. Individuals with disabilities who are minorities and individuals with disabilities who have been unserved or underserved by the VR program;
Current Narrative:
Data highlights from the full CSNA include a breakdown of individuals served in VR by race/ethnicity.
*Total Individuals Served: Race/Ethnicity
| FFY2019 | FFY2020 | FFY2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 139 (1.4%) | 142 (1.4%) | 123 (1.2%) |
| Asian | 113 (1.2%) | 131 (1.3%) | 125 (1.2%) |
| Black or African American | 1,406 (14.4%) | 1,493 (14.7%) | 1,468 (14.6%) |
| Does Not Wish to Identify | 4 (.0%) | 19 (0.2%) | 39 (0.4%) |
| Hispanic or Latino | 341 (3.5%) | 349 (3.4%) | 361 (3.6%) |
| Middle Eastern | 31 (0.3%) | 39 (0.4%) | 42 (0.4%) |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 27 (0.3%) | 35 (0.3%) | 33 (0.3%) |
| White | 7,711 (79.1%) | 7,969 (78.3%) | 7,870 (78.2%) |
*Numbers are duplicated as individuals may be counted in more than one category, therefore the total for all percentages may equal more than 100%.
In FFY21, the majority of individuals served in VR (78.2%) were white, with the second largest population at 14.6% who were individuals who are black or African American. The percent of individuals who are white has decreased slightly over the last few years (79.8% in FFY18), while the percent of individuals who are Black or African American has increased slightly (14.1% in FFY18). For comparison, the below data compares total individuals served by race/ethnicity in VR compared to the Indiana population of individuals with disabilities by race/ethnicity.
Indiana disability population by race and VR participants served by race
| Indiana | Number of people with a disability(all ages) | *Percentage of disability population by race/ethnicity | Served by VRPY 2020(ages over 14) | Percentage of VR participants served by race |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total for Indiana | 894,735 (13.5% of the total population) | - | 12,284 | - |
| Race | - | - | - | - |
| White | 764,451 | 85.4% | 10,323 | 84.0% |
| African American | 84,964 | 9.5% | 1,946 | 15.8% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | N | N | 168 | 1.4% |
| Asian | 8,576 | <1% | 154 | 1.3% |
| Other race(s) | 31,203 | 3.5% | 351 | 2.9% |
| Ethnicity | - | - | - | - |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 34,758 | 3.9% | 463 | 3.8% |
*Calculated by dividing number of people in each race/ethnicity category by total count of people with a disability in Indiana.
Census - Table Resultsand ETA-9169 PY 2020 (Indiana Rehabilitation Federal Report)
Proportionally, VR serves a higher percentage of individuals who are African American and individuals who are Asian compared to the total Indiana disability population; conversely, a slightly lower percentage of individuals who are white, and individuals of other races.
The following is a summary of survey questions and responses in regard to services for minorities:
What racial/ethnic groups are unserved or underserved?
Highest reported unserved/underserved racial/ethnic groups by combined respondents:
- African American or Black 24.14%
- Hispanic or Latino 21.10%
- Multi-racial 10.29%
Highest reported unserved/underserved racial/ethnic groups by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:
- African American or Black 23.27%
- Hispanic or Latino 18.81%
- Caucasian 10.23%
Both groups ranked African American or Black and Hispanic or Latino as the two most unserved or unserved racial or ethnic groups, however combined respondents ranked multi-racial as the third most underserved or underserved racial or ethnic group, while respondents with disabilities ranked Caucasian as their third underserved or unserved racial or ethnic group.
What would improve services for racial/ethnic minority groups?
Highest reported needed improvements by combined respondents:
- Increased outreach about available programs and services 20.31%
- Diversity, equity and inclusion training for staff 16.47%
- Ways to address language barriers 16.47%
- Improved transportation options 15.08%
- Access to peer mentors 11.95%
Highest reported needed improvements by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:
- Increased outreach about available programs and services 19.74%
- Diversity, equity and inclusion training for staff 17.29%
- Ways to address language barriers 15.07%
- Improved transportation options 13.79%
- Access to peer mentors 12.03%
Responses were very similar across both groups.
The following is a summary of survey questions and responses in regard to unserved or underserved populations:
Who is not being served well enough?
Highest reported responses by combined respondents:
- Individuals with mental health conditions 13.40%
- Individuals with the most significant disabilities (need more support to get and
keep a job) 13.09%
- Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities 7.95%
- Individuals with autism 7.75%
- Individuals residing in rural areas 7.40%
Highest reported responses by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:
- Individuals with mental health conditions 13.18%
- Individuals with the most significant disabilities (need more support to get and
keep a job) 12.27%
- Individuals with disabilities pursuing career paths and advanced degrees 7.58%
- Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities 5.78%
- Individuals with traumatic brain injuries 5.60%
- Individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing 5.60%
While both groups reported individuals with mental health diagnosis and individuals with the most significant disabilities as the top two populations not being well enough, respondents with disabilities included individuals pursuing career paths and advanced degrees, individuals with traumatic brain injury, and individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing as top populations not being served well enough. Combined respondents included individuals with autism and individuals residing in rural areas as top populations not being served well enough.
What would improve services for the underserved populations you selected in the previous question?
Highest reported improvements by combined respondents:
- Increased outreach about available programs and services 21.60%
- Improved transportation options 20.46%
- Increased training for employment specialists or job coaches 14.38%
- Diversity, equity and inclusion training for staff 13.06%
- Ways to address language barriers 9.27%
Highest reposted improvements by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:
- Increased outreach about available programs and services 20.21%
- Improved transportation options 17.75%
- Diversity, equity and inclusion training for staff 15.54%
- Increased training for employment specialists or job coaches 11.40%
- Review of policies and practices to ensure equitable access to services 11.14%
Respondents with disabilities ranked diversity, equity and inclusion training for staff above increased training for employment specialists or job coaches, in contrast to combined respondents. Respondents with disabilities included review of policies and practices to ensure equitable access in their top 5, while combined respondents did not. Combined respondents included ways to address language barriers in their top 5, while respondents with disabilities did not.