Self-Employment as a Vocational Rehabilitation Closure

Abstract

The operation and funding of federal and state offices of vocational rehabilitation (VR) are governed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under the Rehabilitation Act, an individual can work toward the goal of attaining one of a range of employment options, including self-employment. While federal law appears not to favor one type of employment situation over another, self employment as a VR closure is not used as often as might be expected. Although self-employment is not an often used VR option, it may be an important one for people living in rural locations where employers and jobs are scarce, wages are low, and the jobs that are available often require physical effort. This article describes an analysis of state policies governing the use of self-employment as a VR option. Results show a wide range of policies and suggest a framework for a comprehensive policy and procedures for governing the use of self-employment as a VR closure.

Agricultural workers' return to work following spinal cord injury: a comparison with other industry workers

“…63 In addition, the advantages associated with being self-employed include being able to control the work setting and schedule, and not having the pressure of an employer relying on performance. 62 Considering these advantages, the tendency for those with a disability to become self-employed is not only understandable, it would also seem advisable, as long as the individual has the potential to be successful in such a venture.…”

“…Indeed, the advantages of self-employment for those with a disability have been recognized by several researchers. 61,62 In particular, for people with a disability who live in rural areas, self-employment offers an option where employers and jobs are scarce, wages are low and the jobs that are available often require physical effort. 63 In addition, the advantages associated with being self-employed include being able to control the work setting and schedule, and not having the pressure of an employer relying on performance.…”

Self-Employment Policies

“…The Code of Federal Regulations (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Volume 2, Part 361, Section 361.50) states that state policies "may not establish any arbitrary limits on the nature and scope of vocational rehabilitation services to be provided to the individual to achieve an employment outcome" and that the "state unit may not place absolute dollar limits on specific service cate-gories or on the total services provided to an individual." A self-employment study by Arnold and Bell (2000) found that VR agencies are concerned about using limited resources to fund a potentially high-cost business (e.g., $50,000 or more). Many state agencies address this by limiting their contribution to a percentage of total funds or by establishing contribution levels.…”

“…This model policy incorporated VR practice from the reviewed state policies, which was supplemented with recommendations for starting a business from books on business development. The model policy was disseminated through journal articles (Arnold & Seekins, 1994, 2002, through a monograph (Arnold, 1996), at conferences, in consultation with state VR agencies, at self-employment training sessions, and in the XXIV Institute on Rehabilitation Issues, 1998: People with Disabilities Developing Self-Employment and Small Business Opportunities proceedings (Region VI Rehabilitation Continuing Education Center, 1998).…”

Entrepreneurship by Any Other Name: Self-Sufficiency Versus Innovation

“…Researchers at the RTC-Rural at the University of Montana began exploring VR state policies (Arnold & Seekins, 1994) and the attitudes of VR counselors (Arnold & Seekins, 1995) toward case closure in self-employment as an employment outcome. The Iowa EWD study also included a thorough analysis of the VR system .…”