Before applying to a VR agency for VR services, you will want to think about whether the program will be a good fit to meet your needs.
It is important to understand that VR counselors cannot provide anything and everything you want. To approve a requested service, it must be necessary for your specific employment goal. While VR staff try their best to ensure that everyone gets needed services to be able to work, they are limited by factors such as the availability of vendors and various financial and administrative processes that are not flexible. Additionally, they may not have the capacity to check in with you as often or monitor your progress as closely as you prefer. This is why it is important for you to stay in regular communication and be proactive with your services. Also, you should be aware there is no guarantee that you will get a job; VR counselors are not recruiters and cannot place you into positions or create new ones for you. They focus on removing disability-related barriers to work, but they must work within the existing job market and with each individual’s unique background and experience.
Any individual with a disability who wants help working toward their job-related goals can apply for VR, but some people with disabilities may benefit from VR more than others. If you need assistive technology (AT) to help you work (such as a screen reader, vertical mouse, speech-to-text software, hearing aids, etc.), then you are likely to benefit from VR. You are also likely to benefit from VR if you are not sure what AT you need and would like to get an AT evaluation. In addition, if you need job training or certification (such as a hoisting or massage therapy license), you are likely to benefit from VR.
If you already have the AT, job training, and degrees that you need and your resume and cover letter are ready to go, then you can still apply for VR, but you may not benefit significantly from VR services.
If all you are looking for is a connection to a job, VR is probably not a good fit for you. Occasionally VR happens to have a relationship with an employer that they can connect an applicant with, but this is rare.
Examples
Keisha
Keisha had a peer notetaker and extended time on tests and assignments in college due to her dyslexia and ADHD. She recently graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, but she has never worked in the field, and she is not sure what accommodations or assistive technology she will need in the workplace, how to organize her resume, or what to say in an interview. VR may be a good fit for her because they can provide an assistive technology evaluation, help Keisha strategize about disability disclosure and requesting a reasonable accommodation, set up mock interviews, provide feedback on her resume, search for on-the-job training opportunities in her field, and help her find jobs to apply for.
Dan
Dan has worked as a teacher for 5 years. When his daughter was born, he quit his job to be a stay-at-home dad. Now that his daughter has started kindergarten, he wants to go back to work. He’s working with a psychiatrist and therapist to manage his depression and anxiety, which are presenting challenges when it comes to the executive functioning aspects of his job search. He’s also struggling to reconnect with people in his field and isn’t sure which job sites to use. MassHire may be a better fit for Dan than VR because he already knows how to interview and write a resume and cover letter, and MassHire is likely to have expertise in the areas that Dan’s mental health team aren’t already providing support for.