Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- o. State's Strategies
Describe the required strategies and how the agency will use these strategies to achieve its goals and priorities, support innovation and expansion activities, and overcome any barriers to accessing the VR and the Supported Employment programs (See sections 101(a)(15)(D) and (18)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act and section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)):
- o. State's Strategies
o. 3. The outreach procedures that will be used to identify and serve individuals with disabilities who are minorities, including those with the most significant disabilities, as well as those who have been unserved or underserved by the VR program
Current Narrative:
Within available staff resources, outreach activities are undertaken by regional KRS offices to assure that persons from minority backgrounds and from potentially underserved populations have information about VR services. Following up on the needs assessment which identified the need for greater distribution of information about VR, KRS will prioritize development of outreach strategies and support materials.
KRS maintains an active presence on numerous councils and committees, including:
- The Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas.
- The Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns.
- The Vocational Sub-Committee of the Governor's Behavioral Health Planning Council.
- The Assistive Technology Advisory Committee.
- The Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities
- Employment First Oversight Commission
This involvement facilitates the provision of information about VR services to other disability service organizations, and often results in additional outreach activities or specific referrals.
VR counselors and Pre-ETS transition specialists participate, within available resources, in Individual Education Plan meetings for transition-aged youth with disabilities to assure that they have information about VR services and how to apply.