Mo. vocational rehab officials gather input at meeting

Reach those with disabilities at a younger age. Educate parents about services. Work on improving transportation issues. And make transition into the work force smoother and more integrated.

Those were a few of the suggestions given Wednesday to representatives of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's division of vocational rehabilitation. The division's goal is to provide the tools it takes to get adults with disabilities into a sometimes unaccepting work force.

"Start earlier, push harder," said Bob Dale, executive director of the Cape County Board for Developmentally Disabled.

The division hosted a meeting Wednesday that was attended by parents, service providers and consumers. Some in attendance included Dale, and members of various agencies, such as the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence Inc., VIP Industries and the Department of Mental Health.

"We're going to take these suggestions back to the central office in Jefferson City," said Clarinda Unger, the meeting's facilitator and former vocational rehab district director. "We wanted to hear from the public to improve the job we do and help our consumers reach employment."

The meeting Wednesday was the first of five that will be held throughout the state, including others in Jefferson City, St. Louis, Springfield and Kansas City. Vocational rehab provides services to people with disabilities in order for them to become employed and stay employed, Unger said.

During 2010, vocational rehab counselors worked with more than 29,000 eligible people in 25 district offices. Last year, 4,363 people with disabilities got jobs for at least 90 days after getting help from vocational rehab, she said.

The division wants to increase its percentages of people with disabilities. Last year, the success rate was 62 percent. Vocational rehab also would like to improve the wages of its consumers -- which is what the division calls the disabled people they serve. Last year, the weekly earnings were about $298.

Dale said he would like to see the division work harder to include what he called "more marginal" people with disabilities.

"I don't like that term," he said. "But I'm talking about people who are high functioning enough to not need sheltered workshops, but low functioning enough that they can't be put on the floor at J.C. Penney's."

Dale also suggested raising the profile of people with disabilities so they can more smoothly be integrated into the workforce.

"I don't think we're past the stigma stage," he said. "We want to elevate people with disabilities so people don't just hire them because they're going to get a tax credit or they think it will get them into heaven."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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