Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary Timeline - Disability & Employment

Vocational Rehabilitation Gains Momentum

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8/3/1954

Congress passes the Vocational Rehabilitation Amendments of 1954, increasing the scope of the VR system. Targeting people who could proceed or return to work with assistance, VR helps thousands of people obtain employment. Mary Switzer, Director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation at the time, uses this authority to fund more than 100 university-based rehabilitation programs. The Act also initiates funding for research, eventually leading to the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Mary Switzer — Smithsonian Institution