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Federal vocational rehabilitation grants

Federal vocational rehabilitation grants are provided to states on a formula basis for the administration and operation of a vocational rehabilitation program to assist individuals with disabilities in preparing for and engaging in gainful employment. Vocational rehabilitation grants provide a wide range of services and job training to people with disabilities who want to work. At present, the state vocational rehabilitation grants system is serving more than one million eligible individuals, over 80 percent who have significant disabilities. Priority is given to people with the most significant disabilities. To be eligible for services from vocational rehabilitation grants from a state vocational rehabilitation agency, a person must have a physical or mental impairment that is a substantial impediment to employment; be able to benefit from services provided by vocational rehabilitation grants in terms of employment; and require vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, enter, engage in, or retain employment. State vocational rehabilitation agencies assist persons with disabilities to locate employment by developing and maintaining close relationships with local businesses. Furthermore, they assist persons served to become tax-paying citizens and to reduce their reliance on entitlement programs and vocational rehabilitation grants.

To help the population of unemployed persons with disabilities join the workforce, state vocational rehabilitation grants provide funding for comprehensive rehabilitation services that go beyond those found in routine job training programs. This frequently includes work evaluation services; assessment for and provision of assistive technology, such as customized computer interfaces for persons with physical or sensory disabilities; job counseling services; and medical and therapeutic services.

Grants.gov is THE site to find and apply for more than $360 billion in competitive federal grants across all 26 federal grant-making agencies. Currently there are more than 2,050 active grant opportunities posted on the site spanning 20+ diverse grant categories. Applications to apply for grants are often available on line. One of the best single sites for learning about all federal grants is www.fedgrants.gov. Anyone can sign up to receive daily e-mails announcing federal grant opportunities for free.

The Foundation Directory Online provides access to a vast database of private and corporate foundations for as little as $19.95 per month at http://fdncenter.org. Enter your state into the geographic focus search field to retrieve all U.S. foundations that make grants in your state or enter “vocational rehabilitation” in the text field to retrieve all U.S. foundations that give such vocational rehabilitation grants. According to a recent search on The Foundation Directory Online, there are over 1,300 foundations in the United States that award vocational rehabilitation grants. Additional research is required to narrow the possibilities to the most appropriate funding prospects.