OCR Text |
Show Rehabilitation Office Serves Nine County Area (Editor's Note: This Is the fifth in a scries of articles designed de-signed to acquaint residents with various agencies of the state and federal government located in Cedar City.) According to a national estimate seven out of every one thousand persons in the United States are physically handicapped to the extent that vocational rehabilitation could be used to make these individuals in-dividuals useful citizens in every sense of the word. Vocational rehabilitation office In Cedar City, one of four In the State of Utah, is helping to accomplish ac-complish this task of returning the handicapped citizen back Into In-to productivity. In Utah, following the national average, there would be a need for this particular service for 5,810 persons based on 1957 census cen-sus figures of a total population of $830,000. For the nine county area served serv-ed by the Cedar City office, cen- fimiriM tnr 1957 tilaced the total population at 5G,000 this means that slightly more than 400 persons in this area are probably prob-ably in need of vocational rehabilitation re-habilitation service. Gail Duncan, Manager ' Currently the Cedar City office, of-fice, manned by -Gail Duncan, rehabilitation counselor, and Ada Jones, secretary, has a case load of 131 persons. Each office of the organization also receives assistance assist-ance from a medical consultant. Serving in this capacity in Cedar City is Dr. L. V. Broadbent. To handle this load and cover the vast extent of the nine county coun-ty area Including Iron, Washington, Washing-ton, Beaver, Millard, Sevier. Pl-tite, Pl-tite, Wayne, Garfield and Kane becomes a gigantic task for Ttr. Duncan. The purpose of the Vocation, el Rehabilitation office, as explained ex-plained by Mr. Duncan, "Is to restore re-store the ability of our handicapped handi-capped men and woman to engage en-gage In productive woik." Outgrowth of War Established by Congress In ,1920, as a result of needs and I lessons of the first World War the program was one of the first grants-in-aid programs of service serv-ice to people. Currently Utah Is working on a cost share basis with the federal government with j approximately 75 per cent by federal monies and 25 per cent by the state. Money from the federal fed-eral government becomes availa-jble availa-jble on a matching basis as money mon-ey is appropriated for the pro-Igram pro-Igram on a state level. Program j operates throughout the U.S. and I Alaska. Hawaii, Fuerto Rico and the District of Columbia. "For the disabled persons themselves, the rehabilitation program means jobs," Mr. Ducan explained, and he indicated that eligibility for the program necessitates neces-sitates that the disabled person must be of, or near working age, have a disability which substantially substan-tially interferes with satisfactory employment, and have a reasonable reas-onable prospect of becoming suitably employed after rehabill-tion rehabill-tion services. Complete Services The disabled person receives a complete examination andi evaluation medical, vocational and other to determine eligibility eligi-bility and provide Information, after which a rehabilitation plan i is drawn up. I He or she may receive part or j all of the comprehensive range of services including medical, j surgical, hospitalization, counseling, coun-seling, artificial appliance, training train-ing and necessary equipment for a job, placement, and a number of supporting services depending on the individual case. These services including the examinations, examina-tions, consulting, job placement and follow-up, are furnished through the rehabilitation office without cost. Nevertheless the Investment by the people, through taxation Is more than repaid, Duncan said. Studies carried out with the Bureau Bu-reau of Internal Revenue show that these rehabilitated persons pay back to the federal government govern-ment In Income taxes alone more than $10 for each $1 of federal funds spent to rehabilitate them. It costs only $560 on the average to rehabilitate a disabled person Into suitable employment, including in-cluding the cost of operating the program. It costs $600 a year on the average to maintain a person nn nnhlie assistance. Over the years the investment continues to mount on a local, state and national level to make It a program pro-gram of great importance to the economy of our nation. Cooperative Program To carry out the function of uh.Mjitatjnri offlc Mr. Duncan cooperates with other agencies. Referrals are forwarded to him from such agencies as the public welfare, public schools and public pub-lic health authorities. In addition addi-tion he works closely with physicians physi-cians and with the employment security offices, taking referrals from them and utilizing the latter lat-ter agency extensively In placing rehabilitated individuals after they have received the necessary treatment and training to put them back into a productive capacity. ca-pacity. Vocational Rehabilitation pro-gram pro-gram operates as a division of the state department of public instruction with Dr. L. B. Harman j of Salt Lake City ns director. I Other divisional offices, other than Cedar City, are maintained at Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo. i Duncan explained that "Rehabilitation "Re-habilitation of the handicapped is not only a great humanitarian venture, but also Is a means of Increasing the productivity of the nation and Is an Investment In savings to the nation of millions of dollars annually." |