Rehabilitation Services Administration

Rehabilitation Services Administration
Agency overview
Formed1973 (1973)
JurisdictionUnited States Government
Headquarters400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, D.C.
Agency executives
  • Danté Allen[1], Commissioner
  • Carol Doback, Deputy Commissioner
Parent departmentEducation
Parent agencyOffice of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Websitersa.ed.gov
Footnotes
[2][3][4][5]

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is a federal agency under the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,[5] and is headquartered within the Department of Education in Washington, D.C.[3][6] It was established to administer portions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.[2] Its mission is to provide leadership and resources to assist state and other agencies in providing vocational rehabilitation (VR) and other services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment, independence and integration into the community and the competitive labor market.[7]

RSA is charged with: administering formula and discretionary grant programs authorized by Congress; evaluating, monitoring, and reporting on the implementation of Federal policy and programs and the effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, and other related programs for individuals with disabilities; coordinating with other Federal agencies, State agencies, and the private sector including professional organizations, service providers, and organizations of persons with disabilities for the review of program planning, implementation, and monitoring issues.[8]

RSA provides national leadership for, and administration of: basic state and formula grant programs—including grants to state vocational rehabilitation agencies --, rehabilitation training discretionary grant programs, Randolph–Sheppard Act vending facilities,[9] and Helen Keller National Center (CITE) programs.[10]

The grant programs under the RSA's purview are in various areas such as technical assistance centers, demonstration projects, training, client advocacy, and underserved populations.[11] The largest program the RSA manages is the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program, which mainly assists in engage in gainful employment. If a state is unable to serve all disabled individuals, priority is given to individuals with the most significant disabilities.

  1. ^ "RSA Commissioner | Rehabilitation Services Administration".
  2. ^ a b "About RSA". U.S. Department of Education. August 7, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "RSA, Contact and Feedback". U.S. Department of Education. September 9, 2014.
  4. ^ "RSA, People and Offices". U.S. Department of Education. July 14, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "About OSERS". U.S. Department of Education. April 26, 2016.
  6. ^ "Contact Us & General Inquiries". U.S. Department of Education. September 9, 2014.
  7. ^ "About RSA". U.S. Department of Education. May 7, 2017.
  8. ^ "Our Charge". U.S. Department of Education. May 7, 2017.
  9. ^ "20 U.S.C." U.S. Government Printing Office. May 7, 2017.
  10. ^ "29 U.S.C." U.S. Government Printing Office. May 7, 2017.
  11. ^ "U.S. Department of Education". U.S. Government Printing Office. May 7, 2017.