Employment and VR Services
For information related to this topic that is provided in American Sign Language (ASL), visit our Employment and VR Services Videos in ASL Page.
We protect the rights of people with disabilities in a range of work environments. These efforts include things like:
- Helping people get services from the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) program through our Client Assistance Program (CAP)
- Assisting people with the Social Security Administration’s “Ticket to Work” program
- Ensuring employers do not discriminate because of a person’s disability
If you are unable to get the accommodations you need at work, experiencing disability discrimination at work, or having problems getting employment services from Texas Workforce Solutions, read about how to apply for our services.
(If you want to apply for services from Texas Vocational Rehabilitation, please visit their website or call them at 1-800-628-5115.)
Featured Resources
Asking for an Accommodation at Work
Do you need to request an accommodation to remove a barrier at work? Our Workplace Accommodation Request Tool can help. Continue reading “Asking for an Accommodation at Work”
Client Assistance Program (CAP) In Texas
If you are a person who has a disability, DRTx’s Client Assistance Program (CAP) may be able to help you reach your goals to live more independently and go to work. CAP helps people who are getting services, or who are trying to get services, from the Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program and the Independent Living Centers. Continue reading “Client Assistance Program (CAP) In Texas”
Handouts
10 Self-Advocacy Tips
Self-advocacy is when you let others know what’s important to you so you can influence decisions that will affect your life. Continue reading “10 Self-Advocacy Tips”
Sample Medical Documentation for Workplace Accommodations
This handout includes three different sample letters healthcare professionals can customize for patients who are seeking workplace accommodations. Continue reading “Sample Medical Documentation for Workplace Accommodations”
PABSS: Choose a Pathway to Work
The Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) program protects the legal rights of Social Security beneficiaries in their efforts to secure, maintain, and regain employment. Learn how the program can help you. Continue reading “PABSS: Choose a Pathway to Work”
Vocational Rehabilitation System in Texas
The vocational rehabilitation (VR) program in Texas provides services that help people who have disabilities prepare for, keep, or get a job. This handout covers how to get VR services, what’s involved in the process, and how to handle problems with the VR system. Continue reading “Vocational Rehabilitation System in Texas”
Client Assistance Program and Transition Services
The Client Assistance Program (CAP) works to make sure that students who have disabilities leave school prepared for jobs in the community, a place to live, or readiness to participate in adult services. Learn about how CAP can help students who have disabilities transition from school to community life. Continue reading “Client Assistance Program and Transition Services”
Employment Discrimination
This handout answers many questions related to employment discrimination for people with disabilities. Some of the broad topics that are covered in-depth include information about the law, specific kinds of discrimination to be aware of, and how to file a complaint or a lawsuit. Continue reading “Employment Discrimination”
Employment Advice for People with Psychiatric Disabilities
This handout provides answers to various questions related to employment for people who experience psychiatric disabilities. Topics covered include what the law says, how to get a job, disclosing information, reasonable accommodations, and more. Continue reading “Employment Advice for People with Psychiatric Disabilities”
Publications
Living on a Dime and Left Behind
Today, most employers paying subminimum wage under Section 14(c) keep their employees segregated from the community. Workers with disabilities making subminimum wage are employed in sheltered workshops, which intentionally isolate workers with disabilities from the rest of their communities. Continue reading “Living on a Dime and Left Behind”
Videos
Employment Rights: Asking for an Accommodation
Learn what you need to know about asking for an accommodation at work, including the laws that apply, who’s covered, and more. Watch the video “Employment Rights: Asking for an Accommodation”
Medical Documentation for Accommodation Requests
Learn about four things medical professionals need to know when providing medical documentation for accommodation requests. Watch the video “Medical Documentation for Accommodation Requests”
Get Help with Employment and Independent Living Services
Our Client Assistance Program can help you navigate employment services and live more independently. Watch the video “Get Help with Employment and Independent Living Services”
DRTx Legal Tips: Employment Rights
In this video, a Disability Rights Texas attorney explains some of the basic employment rights of veterans and others with disabilities. The attorney covers what to do if you face discrimination and how employers are supposed to accommodate disabilities in the workplace. Watch the video “DRTx Legal Tips: Employment Rights”
Employment Discrimination Issues
Discrimination in the workplace because you are deaf is illegal. This video about employment discrimination provides examples of discrimination, discusses how to file a complaint, and highlights important deadlines. Watch the video “Employment Discrimination Issues”
External Links
- Disability Discrimination
- Facts about the ADA and Employment
- Filing a Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC
- Pre-Employment Inquiries and Disability
- Questions & Answers About Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Questions and Answers about Blindness and Vision Impairments in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Questions and Answers about Deafness and Hearing Impairments in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Social Security: What Prisoners Need to Know
- Protecting the Rights of Persons Living With HIV/AIDS
- Understanding Your Employment Rights Under the ADA: A Guide for Veterans
- What You Need to Know About Texas Unemployment Benefits
This fact sheet from Texas RioGrande Legal Aid covers what workers need to know about unemployment benefits, including who qualifies, how to apply, and how to appeal a denial.
- Workers with Disabilities and the Medicaid Buy-in Program
People with disabities can face problems getting the jobs they want and making enough money at those jobs. A Medicaid “buy-in” program can help. Workers with disabilities who are in this program can get help that other insurance doesn't have.
- Your Employment Rights as a Person with a Disability