OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation has resumed job preparation and employment services this summer for job seekers with severe disabilities, known as Priority Group 2.
Rehabilitation counselors and technicians from DRS’s two employment divisions, Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, will immediately begin serving job seekers who have been moved off the wait list.
On February 15, 2023, DRS resumed services to priority group 1 applicants with the most severe disabilities.
Officials must continue to defer services to applicants with disabilities in priority group 3, which includes people who are not determined to have a severe disability.
“When there are not enough funds to provide services to everyone, applicants with the most severe disabilities are served first because they are the ones who need the most help finding employment,” DRS Executive Director Melinda Fluent said. “Other applicants who have less significant barriers to employment remain on a waiting list until funds are available to pay for their services.”
The waitlist only affects new applicants; existing clients will continue to receive the same level of services.
These wait lists began in 2017 due to budget constraints, then extended due to the unprecedented changes brought about by the COVID-19 closures.
Since July 12, 2017, DRS has moved 24,301 applicants from the waiting list to the active caseload.
Samantha Reeves of Hominy, Oklahoma, says DRS services for the blind and visually impaired help Oklahomans live independent lives and pursue fulfilling careers. Facebook photo
“Resources are being brought back to ensure DRS can adequately serve jobseekers with severe disabilities amid the ongoing economic disruption caused by COVID-19,” Frundt explained. “We have ample funding for this fiscal year, and although we have staff vacancies, our analysis shows that we can absorb the influx of new clients into our existing caseload.”
DRS contracts with vendors across the state to provide clients with products and services, managed by staff, to help job seekers with disabilities achieve their employment goals.
Will Lambly, of Owasso, has received guidance and counseling, a laptop, software, college tuition assistance, orientation and mobility, assistive technology and independent living training from DRS Blind Services. He and a friend have produced a podcast called “Rise Above” that can be found on podcast services. Lambly is set to graduate from college on May 25.
DRS receives approximately $4 in federal matching dollars for every state dollar allocated to VR and SBVI employment programs.
In 2023, DRS’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Vision Services Division provided services, including counseling, medical and psychological services, training, and job placement assistance, to 13,363 job seekers with disabilities.
The DRS 2023 Annual Report indicates that 1,055 VR and SBVI clients became employed taxpayers and no longer required DRS services. These workers earned an average annual wage of $28,414 and paid an average annual tax of $4,262.
To contact your nearest DRS Blind and Visually Impaired Services or Vocational Rehabilitation office, visit https://oklahoma.gov/okdrs/information/office-locator.html or call 800-487-4042.
For more information, visit okdrs.gov.
