Summer Nebraskan
Page 3
Stale Education Program
Investments For
abilitation
Dividends
ring Nebraska
Tuesday, July 23, 1968
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By John Vincent
NU School of Journalism
That coed on her way to
class looks like any typical
young college woman, but she
is special. The young man
being pushed in a wheelchair
is a special student too, as
are more than 100 other
University of Nebraska
students.
They all have at least one
thing in common: they are
clients of the Nebraska
Department of Education's
Division o f Rehabilitation
Services.
Those young men and
women, attending college
classes, are part of a' process
called rehabilitation. They all
have some disability that
qualifies them for state
subsidized training.
Rehabilitation is both a
process and a philosophy that
had its beginning in Nebraska
in 1921, according to Fred A.
Novak, assistant conv
missioner of education and
director of the division of
rehabilitation services.
"The process of rehabilita
tion is one which transforms
an individual from a deprived
state to one of useful func
tioning; a means of bringing
a person, in a direct line, to
a point where he can utilize
his potential," Novak said.
The philosophy behind the
process is: that for every
dollar invested by society in
rehabilitation of an individ
ual, that individual, when
rehabilitated, will return $5.00
in the form of taxes paid and
other forms of productivity,
he added.
"We have figures to prove
that," Novak said, "but there
is the humanitarian aspect to
consider, as well. A produc
tive person is a better citizen.
Rehabilitation makes better
Americans. The entire society
gains something more than
dollars."
Employment
Novak's division employes
40-45 professional rehabilita
tion people and 35-40 clerical
employees. His budget for
fiscal 1968-1968 is $1.8 million
dollars. Nebraska furnishes 25
per cent, and the federal
government contributes 75
percent
Presently, the division had
S,210 clients in some phase
of rehabilitation and 1,280
waiting determination o f
eligiblity, Novak said.
The ultimate end of
rehabilitation is to get the
client on a Job that fits him
and that he can do, but the
rehabilitation process often is
not r- simple as that. Ac
cording to Novak the client
must sometimes undergo
physical restoration, which
may include medical care,
artificial limbs and training
in their use, physical therapy
a n d o r psychological or
psychiatric help.
Clients are sent for school
ing or training not only to
the University of Nebraska,
but to other state colleges,
private business schools, the
Nebraska Vocational
Technical Schools, private
rehabilitation agencies such
as Goodwill Industries or on
the job training.
"Virtually every type of
training has been
represented," Novak said.
"Often," Novak said,
"rehabilitation is concerned
not only with the client, but
must include his family as
well."
He said the family must
often be oriented to accepting
the handicapped individual
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for what he is, for his poten
tial, recognizing and helping
him to make the most of his
assests.
Effectiveness
That is what the money is
used for, but what about its
effectiveness? Is the invest
ment a good one for Nebraska
tax-payers.' now emcient is
the division.
Novak had figures to
answer these questions.
He said the total outlay for
rehabilitation amounts to ap
proximately five cents per
person, per month, in cost to
Nebraskans.
There is now a study being
conducted to obtain m6re ac
curate data, Novak said, but
he has sampled 100 cases on
a random basis and found
that the division enjoys 90 per
cent success with its clients.
The U.S. Department of
Health, Education and
Welfare's Voc ational
Rehabilitation Administration
has released statistics show
ing cost correlated with the
number of people served, the
number of rehabilitations and
the the size of the counselor
staff. Of 54 states and ter
ritories, Nebraska ranks 28th
in people served, and 30th for
number rehabilitated,
50th in costs.
bu
"I believe we are very effi
cient," Novak said.
Statistics can tell part
the story, but there are other
dimensions, human values.
which can be best told in case
histories.
- Case Histories
Has rehabilitation been
successful in terms of people?
Unsuccessful cases are not
difficult to find, but successful
ones, according to Novak
more than offset cases which
has been closed ''no
rehabilitated."
(The Division has a policy
that does not permit iden
tification of clients or former
clients, but the following
cases are authentic).
One voune man, financed
and counseled through the
University of Nebraska, wrote
back to his Division counselor
that he has been employed
at $8,000 by an aviation firm,
eneaeed in the U.S. missle
program.
Another man, confined to a
wheelchair, was provided an
education at the University.
He is now vice-president of
a Lincoln manufacturing
concern. He is also active in
the employ-the-handicapped
movement and helping other
handicapped persons through
civic activities.
Not all successes are as
spectacular, but they are as
meaningful and productive to
the community
During 1967 a Lincoln
cafeteria employed as many
as 10 clients who came from
a state mental hospital. More
than 50 per cent have worked
out favorably, both for
employer and clients.
Lincoln Goodwill Industries,
which contracts to train
clients, has placed no less
than a dozen of these persons,
some of whom were suffering
from emotional disorders,
enilensv or mental retarda
tion.
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One teenager, retarded
and suffering from emotional
disturbances, was in training
18 months. The rehabilitation
staff discovered she had a
flair for fashion and the
ability to sew. In addition, she
developed considerable skill
in meeting the public. She is
now employed by a Lincoln
department store and, ac
cording to her counselor, has
a bright future.
As one state counselor put
it:
"You win a few, you lose
a few, but the one you win
more than pay you back for
the ones you lose."
Nebraska experience, ac
cording to Novak, shows that
more are won than are lost.
Another counselor who, did
not wish to be identified
because he voiced what he
considdered an unprofessional
view, said:
"You try to be detached.
impartial . . . you see a
person who needs help and
although he doesn't appeal to
you in words, his actions are
a plea you can t ignore.
"You can't help but make
an emotional investment in
every client you have.
"If you fail, the client fails
and you experience an emo
tional hurt. If you and the
client succeed, your invest
ment pays dividends."
Road-Blocks
Statistical and human
vaiues, comommg to ten a
story in terms of finances
... in terms of people. Those
are the processes,
philosophies and mechanics of
rehabilitation, called
"Rehab" by most people in
volved, but although medical
restoration, training and
placement may seem simple
on the surface, Novak outlin
ed some problems that con
stitute road-blocks. .
Public acceptence of the
handicapped is one, Novak
said. Often an employer feels
he is taking a risk by hiring
a handicapped person.
As far as Novak's division
goes, it boils down to a matter
of no funds, no staff, he said.
He would like to be able to
serve the estimated 8,000 in
Nebraska who are not being
served but who could benefit
by rehabilitation services.
One of Novak's staff.
Rehabilitation Specialist Dale
J. Hatch, told of a call from
an outstate employer who
found his insurance cancelled
because a mentallv retarded
person was employed.
Hatch said the employer
wanted to hire the client, was
completely satisfied with his
work and willing to continue
the employment, but was
angered at his insurance
company.
Other employers have ex-
perienced i n c r eased
insurance rates and can
cellation of their insurance
because they have employed
physically or mentally han
dicapped but rehabilitated,
persons, according to Hatch.
Both officials agreed that
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with a modern
point of view
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many employers
"lip-service" to
simply give
hiring the
handi capped despite , rfforU to operating "new programs in
point out to them tnat.nj,,n.(inn ,:(1,1(U ..,.
r e h abilitated handicapped
persons constitute little or no
risk when placed on the pro
per job.
Committees on the national,
state and local level have
been formed for the purpose
of bringing the problems of
employment of the handicap
ped to both government and
the public.
Despite that effort by the
members of the various
committees and other in
terested persons, acceptance
remains as the largest single
problem in successful
employment of the
rehabilitated pe r s o n , ac
cording to Novak and Hatch.
Novak added, however, that
if the acceptance problem
could be removed, there
would still remain many
firms that would not hire
handicapped people because
of increasingly strict physical
examinations.
Optismism
Professional people are op
timistic, however, that pro
gress will be made and that
rehabilitation has a vital
place in modern society.
Novak predicts that his
department, in terms of peo
ple served, will double by 1975
and triple in the following five
years.
Presently there is equal
emphasis on rehabilitation of
mentally and physically han
dicapped people, but Novak
said there is increasing in
terest in the mentally han
dicapped. This expansion is certain,
Novak said, for one reason
if for no other.
"The Vocational
Rehabilitation Act of 1965,
passed by congress dictates
that Nebraska, along with
other states, must be serving
all the people who need
rehabilitation serviaes, "by
1975," he said.
If Nebraska fails in at
taining that goal, Novak feels
that the federal government
will take a long, close look
at continuing their 75 per. cent
share of funds for rehabilita
tion.
"It could be a case of use
them or lose them," the
director declared.
Novak feels that although
there are special agencies to
aid the blind, deaf and other
handicapped, his division will
play a much larger role in
those areas in the future,
"Automation has taken
away many jobs that have
been traditionally filled by
handicapped persons and the
problem of replacing these
people remains," Novak said.
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ine division is Dresentlv
conjunction with the Norfolk
State Hospital Hastings State
Hospital and the Lincoln State
Hospital, according to Novak.
These cooperative efforts
between the division and the
Nebraska Department of In
stitutions are cited by Novak
as evidence of the increasing
role of his department and
rehabilitation in general in
Nebraska.
Division experts are also,
or soon will be, at units at
the Boy's Training School,
Southeast Psychiatric Clinic,
Lincoln State Hospital and the
Beatrice State Home, Novak
said.
The future of rehabilitation,
Novak believes, rests with the
citizens who must be inform
ed of the value of rehabilita
tion, and the Unicameral,
which holds the purse-strings.
He sees a bright future for
rehabilitation to fulfill its
promise in Nebraska and
called for consolidation of
various agencies, to prevent
waste of funds and duplica
tion of effort and close
scrutiny on the part of the
people and elected officials to
prevent it.
He also feels that his
division should be left in the
department of education in
the future because the
machinery is established and
the work is tied in so closely
with education.
Novak said his division is
able, ready and eager to work
with the people of Nebraska
to insure that those who can
benefit from rehabilitation get
the best possible service
so tne next time you
observe a young lady or col
lege man on campus, or a
stream of students emerging
from classes at a private
school, state college or vocational-technical
school, look
again. Some of them may be
part of the more than 3,000
clients of Novak's Division of
Rehabilitation Services who
are being helped to help
themselves become better
Americans.
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Dreams of an Everyday Student
Sometimes, after a busy day of classes or following a frustrating hour exam,
the nicest place to relax is at the columns. Perhaps the most peaceful place
on NU's City Campus, the ivy-covered pillars offer pleasant surroundings for
a quick nap, a place to read, or a chance to daydream amid the confines of a
bustling urban campus.
Athletic
Students and faculty are
encouraged to u' ze the
athletic facilities of the
University during their stay
in Lincoln.
Facilities
The University tennis
courts, the Coliseum pool, the
hand-ball courts, and other
recreational areas are open
to student use.
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SUMMER NEBRASKAN
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