FY 1999 Budget Summary

Section C - Special Education and Rehabilitative Services


C. SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

[TOP] Overview

The Administration is committed to promoting the empowerment and independence of Americans with disabilities. The 1999 budget request continues to support programs that expand opportunities for persons with disabilities and improve education and employment outcomes. These include programs providing direct services and those supporting systems change, research, demonstration, technical assistance, and training activities.

The budget request of $4.8 billion for Special Education programs includes an increase of $35 million over the 1998 level. The request would maintain funding at the 1998 level for the Grants to States program, which received significant increases in both 1997 and 1998. A $20 million increase is proposed for Grants for Infants and Families to assist States in carrying out their responsibility to provide early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The request also would provide a $10 million increase for the State Improvement program, which helps States to reform their systems for providing educational, early intervention, and transitional services to improve results for children with disabilities, and a $2 million increase for Parent Information Centers.

For Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research, the budget includes $2.6 billion, an increase of $54 million or 2.1 percent over the 1998 level. The budget provides $2.3 billion for Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants, an increase of $57.5 million or 2.6 percent over 1998, to help over 1 million individuals with disabilities receive the services they need to become employed. To complement this request, an increase of $3 million is proposed for Special Demonstration programs, which includes funding for a 1998 Program Improvement initiative to reduce the unemployment of individuals with disabilities. This proposal represents a significant interagency effort to address barriers to the employment of individuals with disabilities.

The 1999 request also includes a $4.2 million increase for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to expand its program of applied research that enables persons with disabilities to function better at work, in the family, and in the community. NIDRR will expand certain existing research centers and will also implement recommendations from its long-range planning process, such as increasing the number of Field-Initiated Research projects. Other account increases support direct services to assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining employment and pursuing independent living goals. All of the programs in this account, except for Assistive Technology, are currently funded under the GEPA extension which expires September 30, 1998. New authorizing legislation is pending. For the Assistive Technology program, authorized under the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act, the GEPA extension applies through September 30, 1999. New authorizing legislation will be proposed.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

[TOP] Grants to States

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $3,109.4 $3,807.7 $3,810.7
Children ages 3 through 21
Number served (thousands)
5,806 5,951 6,070

The Grants to States program makes formula grants that help States pay the excess costs of providing special education and related services to children with disabilities aged 3 through 21 years. On June 4, 1997, the President signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997, which strengthen the access of children with disabilities to the general curriculum, promote accountability for educational results, and better focus resources on teaching and learning. During the past two years, Congress has increased funding for the IDEA Grants to States program by almost $1.5 billion or 64 percent. These funds provide significant new resources to help States implement the IDEA Amendments. The 1999 request would maintain funding for States at the 1998 level, which represents a Federal contribution of about 9 percent of the excess costs of educating children with disabilities.

The request also includes an increase of $3 million for studies to carry out the National Assessment of the Act required by the IDEA Amendments.

Special Education Grants to States graphic (5,200 bytes)

[TOP] Preschool Grants

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $360.4 $374.0 $374.0
Children ages 3 through 5

Number served (thousands)

562 576 590

The Preschool Grants program provides formula grants to States as an incentive to make a free, appropriate public education available to all children with disabilities ages 3 through 5 and to provide a minimum level of funding to serve these children. The program helps to ensure that young children with disabilities are ready to learn when they enter school. All States currently are serving children with disabilities in this age group.

[TOP] Grants for Infants and Families

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $315.8 $350.0 $370.0

The Grants for Infants and Families program makes formula grants to States to help them implement statewide systems to make available early intervention services to all eligible children with disabilities--including, at State discretion, children at risk of developmental delay--from birth through age 2, and their families. The request would provide an increase of $20 million or 5.7 percent to assist States to expand the numbers of children served, improve the scope and quality of services, and meet the rising costs of administering their statewide systems of early intervention services. This increase reflects the Administration's priority on early intervention, which plays a major role in improving the school readiness of young children with disabilities. This is the only Federal program focused exclusively on children with disabilities from birth through age 2. States served 187,348 children in 1997, an increase of 5.4 percent over the number served in 1996.

[TOP] National Activities
(BA in millions)

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
State Improvement $27.0 $35.2 $45.2
Research and Innovation 62.8 64.5 64.5
Technical Assistance and Dissemination 34.3 44.6 44.6
Personnel Preparation 80.7 82.1 82.1
Parent Information Centers 15.5 18.5 20.5
Technology and Media Services 30.0 34.0 34.0
Total 250.4 279.0 291.0

These programs provide a streamlined and coherent structure of essential support to the States in their efforts to provide early intervention services and equal educational opportunity to children with disabilities. The total request for National Activities is $291 million, an increase of $12.0 million over the 1998 level. Priorities for National Activities will be established through a comprehensive planning process involving a wide range of participants, including individuals with disabilities; parents of children with disabilities; appropriate professionals; and representatives of State and local educational agencies, private schools, institutions of higher education, and other agencies and organizations.

The State Improvement program provides competitive grants to assist State educational agencies, in partnership with others, to reform and improve their systems for providing educational, early intervention, and transitional services to improve results for children with disabilities. This includes their systems for professional development, technical assistance, and dissemination.

At least 75 percent of the funds provided to each State would be reserved for professional development. The remaining funds are used to carry out the State's strategies for improving educational results, including strategies for holding school districts and schools accountable for the educational progress of children with disabilities, providing high-quality technical assistance to school districts and schools, and changing State policies and procedures to address systemic barriers to improving results for students with disabilities.

In 1998, the Department will make the first awards under this new authority to approximately 25 States. In 1999, the $45.2 million request includes about $13.5 million for awards to an additional 15 States, $22.4 million to continue the 1998 awards, and about $9.3 million to continue projects funded under expired authorities.

The budget includes $64.5 million for Research and Innovation activities that develop new knowledge through research, apply knowledge to create useful practices through demonstrations, and make knowledge available through outreach and other activities. This is the same level as appropriated for 1998. About $47.6 million would be used to cover continuation costs and about $16.9 million would be available for new activities.

Activities in 1999 will focus on improving literacy, identifying model practices to help children with disabilities meet high standards in the general education curriculum, and developing methods for assessing the educational progress of children with disabilities.

The budget includes level funding of $44.6 million for the Technical Assistance and Dissemination program, which provides technical assistance and disseminates materials based on knowledge gained through research and practice. The $44.6 million requested for this program includes about $36.7 million for continuation projects and about $7.9 million for new activities.

This level includes $10.0 million for the second year of support for a five-year initiative to inform educators, administrators, parents, and others of the impact of the IDEA Amendments of 1997. This initiative will be carried out through awards to a wide range of advocate and interest groups as well as through clearinghouses, regional resource centers, and other technical assistance providers.

The Personnel Preparation program makes awards to prepare personnel to serve children with low- and high-incidence disabilities and leadership personnel, as well as for projects of national significance such as developing models for teacher preparation. The overall goal of the program is to help ensure that there are adequate numbers of personnel with the skills and knowledge of the best practices to help children with disabilities achieve high quality results. For this reason the program focuses on both meeting the demand for personnel to serve children with disabilities and improving the quality of these personnel. A particular emphasis will be placed on incorporating research and practice knowledge into training programs. Level funding of $82.1 million in 1999 includes $27.2 million for new awards and $54.9 million for continuation awards.

The $20.5 million request for Parent Information Centers is an increase of $2.0 million over the 1998 level. At least one center is supported in each State to provide about 200,000 parents each year with the training and information they need to participate effectively with professionals in meeting the early intervention and special education needs of their children with disabilities.

The $34 million requested for Technology and Media Services will be used for a variety of media-related purposes, such as captioning films and television for individuals with hearing impairments and video description and recording activities for individuals with visual impairments. Funds also will be used for research, development, and other activities to advance the application of new and emerging technologies in providing special education and early intervention services. The request includes about $24.8 million for continuation projects and $9.2 million for new activities.

REHABILITATION SERVICES AND DISABILITY RESEARCH

[TOP] Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $2,176.0 $2,246.9 $2,304.4
Inservice Training Set-Aside (non-add) -- -- 5.9

The $2.3 billion request, an increase of $57.5 million or 2.6 percent, would assist State VR agencies in reducing the unemployment rate of people with disabilities. The requested increase is $10.3 million more than necessary to satisfy the statutory requirement to increase funding by at least the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index. The request also includes $5.9 million, reflecting a proposed legislative amendment to support the training of State agency personnel previously funded under the Training program.

Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants provide funds to State vocational rehabilitation agencies to help individuals with disabilities become gainfully employed. Funds are distributed on the basis of a formula that takes into account population and per capita income. The request includes $17.3 million for grants to Indian tribes, an increase of $1.9 million over the 1998 level and $5.8 million more than the minimum statutory set-aside under current law.

A wide range of services is provided each year to over 1 million individuals with disabilities, including vocational evaluation, counseling and guidance, work adjustment, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental impairments, education and vocational training, job placement, and post-employment services. In the event that services cannot be provided to all eligible individuals with disabilities who apply, States must give priority to applicants with the most severe disabilities. Services are provided according to an individualized written rehabilitation program, which must be developed jointly by the counselor and the individual. Each year, the VR program successfully rehabilitates over 200,000 individuals with disabilities, of which about 87 percent enter the competitive labor market or become self-employed. Approximately 78 percent of the individuals served have severe disabilities.

[TOP] Client Assistance State Grants

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $10.4 $10.7 $10.9

This program makes formula grants to States for activities to inform and advise clients of benefits available to them under the Rehabilitation Act and to assist them in their relationships with service providers, including remedies to ensure the protection of their rights under the Act. The 1999 request includes a 2 percent increase to help States maintain their current level of services.

[TOP] Training

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $39.6 $39.6 $33.7

This program makes grants to State and public or other nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education, to help ensure that adequate skilled personnel are available to provide rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities.

The proposed reduction of 15 percent for this program reflects a proposal to amend the Act to convert the in-service training program from a separate discretionary grant program conducted under the Title III Training program to a set-aside under the Title I State Grants program. This change would eliminate the need to develop and review separate grant applications for in-service training by State VR agencies. The funds used in 1998 under the Training program for this purpose are requested in 1999 under the VR State Grants program.

[TOP] Special Demonstration Programs

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $18.9 $15.9 $18.9

Special Demonstration programs develop innovative methods and comprehensive service programs to help individuals with disabilities achieve vocational outcomes. The program awards competitive grants to public and nonprofit community rehabilitation programs, designated State units, and public or private organizations.

The request includes a $3 million increase to continue funding for an initiative that will begin in 1998 under the Program Improvement authority to raise the employment rate of individuals with disabilities who receive public support. Awards will be made for model systems change projects that will identify and reduce systemic barriers to the employment of individuals with disabilities. Pending legislation would replace the current Section 311 demonstration authority with an expanded special projects and demonstration authority that would allow for the support of such an activity.

[TOP] Migratory Workers

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $1.8 $2.4 $2.4

This program awards competitive grants to State vocational rehabilitation agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide rehabilitation services to migratory workers with disabilities. States that receive funding under this program are consistently more aggressive in serving this population than those that do not. Level funding would provide continued support for 14 ongoing projects.

[TOP] Recreational Programs

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $2.6 $2.6 $2.6

This program supports projects that provide recreation and related activities for individuals with disabilities to aid in their employment, mobility, independence, socialization, and community integration. The $2.6 million request would support 10 new projects and 16 continuations. Because the Federal contribution to each program declines over the project period, the Department is able to initiate new recreational programs each year with no increase in Federal funds.

[TOP] Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $7.7 $9.9 $9.9

The $9.9 million request would support systems in each State to protect and advocate for the legal and human rights of individuals with disabilities. These protection and advocacy systems pursue legal and administrative remedies to ensure the protection of the rights of individuals with disabilities under Federal law and provide information on and referrals to programs and services for individuals with disabilities.

[TOP] Projects with Industry

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $22.1 $22.1 $22.1

These projects provide training and experience for individuals with disabilities in realistic work settings to prepare them for employment and advancement in the competitive labor market. PWI promotes the involvement of business through Business Advisory Councils that participate in project policymaking and provide advice on available jobs and training requirements. PWI places over 12,000 individuals with disabilities in competitive employment each year. Most of the individuals served through this program are considered difficult to place due to severe disability or extended unemployment (at least 6 months at time of project entry). The 1999 request would support approximately 103 continuation awards.

[TOP] Supported Employment State Grants

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $38.2 $38.2 $38.2

This program makes formula grants to assist States in developing collaborative programs with appropriate public and private nonprofit organizations to offer supported employment services for individuals with the most severe disabilities who have a goal of supported employment under the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants program. Supported employment placements are achieved by augmenting short-term vocational rehabilitation services with ongoing support provided by other public or non-profit organizations.

[TOP] Independent Living
BA in millions

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
State Grants $21.9 $21.9 $22.3
Centers for Independent Living 42.9 45.2 46.1
Services for Older Blind Individuals 10.0 1.0 111.2
Total 74.8 78.1 79.6

The three independent living programs provide services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their independence and productivity. The State Grants program awards formula grants to States to provide and improve independent living services and to support the operation of centers for independent living. The Centers for Independent Living program makes competitive grants to support a network of consumer-controlled, nonresidential, community-based centers that provide a broad range of independent living services. The Services for Older Blind Individuals program assists individuals aged 55 or older whose severe visual impairment makes competitive employment difficult to obtain, but for whom independent living goals are feasible.

The 1999 request would provide an increase of 2 percent for each of the three programs. Under pending legislation, this would trigger an increase in the minimum State allotment for both the State grants and Centers programs, allowing a cost of living increase for centers in many States and supporting the funding of one new center.

[TOP] Program Improvement

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $2.4 $2.9 $1.9

The 1999 request would provide sufficient funds to continue support for technical assistance efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the VR program and for other program improvement and accountability efforts, including support for a national conference on the findings of the longitudinal study of the VR program. The model systems change projects to increase the employment rate of persons with disabilities who receive public support would be continued in 1999 under the Special Demonstrations program.

[TOP] Evaluation

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $1.6 $1.6 $1.6

These funds are used to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of programs authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The request would support three new program evaluation studies and dissemination and utilization of the longitudinal study of the VR State Grants program findings and database.

[TOP] Helen Keller National Center

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $7.3 $7.5 $8.2

This program serves individuals who are deaf-blind, their families, and service providers through a national headquarters Center with a residential training and rehabilitation facility; a network of 10 regional field offices which provide referral, counseling, and technical assistance; and an incentive grant program for public and private agencies that serve individuals with deaf-blindness. Federal funds are used to help enhance the ability of individuals with deaf-blindness to live independently in their home communities and increase the ability of professionals and allied personnel to work with these individuals.

The request includes an additional $151,000 to enable the Center to keep pace with the increased cost of providing services for individuals with deaf-blindness, and $476,000 for one-time construction projects to establish a state-of-the-art technology center, remove and replace two underground oil tanks, and install an emergency power line to the vocational building.

[TOP] National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $70.0 $76.8 $81.0

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) provides a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the administration and conduct of research, demonstration projects, and related activities dealing with the rehabilitation of persons of all ages with disabilities, including training of persons who provide rehabilitation services or who conduct rehabilitation research.

NIDRR awards discretionary grants for support of rehabilitation research and training centers, rehabilitation engineering research centers, and research and demonstration projects that address diverse issues in rehabilitation, including the causes and consequences of disability and ways to improve educational, employment, and independent living opportunities for persons with disabilities. Grants or contracts are also awarded for utilization and dissemination of research results and for training.

The 1999 request would provide approximately $64 million for continuations, including 44 research centers. Approximately $1 million of the funds requested would be used to increase funding to existing Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers. These funds would be used to support collaborative research activities, interdisciplinary and longitudinal studies, the transfer of technology into manufacture and distribution, and more responsive research on emerging issues and new technological developments. Another $13 million would be used for new activities, including 7 new research centers and 30 new Field-Initiated Research projects.

[TOP] Assistive Technology

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
BA in millions $36.1 $36.1 $30.0

This program assists States in improving the access of individuals with disabilities to assistive technology (AT) devices and services. The $30 million request will enable the Department to support AT programs in 43 States and 4 outlying areas. Funding for 22 programs will be reduced in fiscal year 1999 in accordance with the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act. Funding for 14 AT programs in their 10th year would be reduced by 50 percent and 8 AT programs in their 9th year would be reduced by 25 percent. Nine States receive their last year of funding in fiscal year 1998. The GEPA extension for this program applies through September 30, 1999; however, new authorizing legislation will be proposed.

[TOP] Special Institutions for Individuals with Disabilities
(BA in millions)

 
1997

1998
1999
Request
American Printing House for the Blind $6.7 $8.2 $8.3
National Technical Institute for the Deaf 43.0 44.1 44.8
Gallaudet University 79.2 81.0 83.5
Total 128.9 133.3 136.6

The Louisville, Kentucky-based American Printing House for the Blind provides special education materials for students who are blind, offers advisory services for consumers, and conducts research. Each State receives an allotment that can be used to purchase materials from the Printing House. The request includes an increase of $70,000 for a project to develop guidelines for computer-administered testing of visually impaired students. In 1997, the Federal appropriation represented approximately 34 percent of APH's total budget.

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf provides postsecondary technical education and training for students who are deaf, conducts research, and provides training related to the education and employment of individuals who are deaf. The 1999 request provides an increase of $650,000 for costs associated with developing detailed architectural, engineering, interior design, and construction plans for a renovation of the NTID dormitories. In 1997, the Federal appropriation accounted for about 82 percent of the budget for the Institute, which is based in Rochester, New York.

Gallaudet University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts institution in Washington, D.C., offering undergraduate and continuing education programs for persons who are deaf, and graduate programs for persons who are deaf or hearing. Gallaudet also maintains and operates the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf. The 1999 request includes a $2.5 million increase to complete upgrades of electronic mail and management information systems begun with 1998 funds. In 1997, the Federal appropriation provided approximately 72 percent of the University's total funding.


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Direct any questions to Martha Jacobs, Budget Service