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PROBABLY vocational rehabilitation can best be illustrated by telling the story of "J. S." Born in the rural mountainous section of his state, he was stricken with infantile paralysis at the age of two years. Due to the loss of use of both legs, "J. S." attended the rural school but little. He received no expert medical attention at the time he was stricken, and when found at the age of 20 by a field agent of the State Rehabilitation Service, was confined to a wheel chair and was only able to read and write poorly. The rehabilitation agent so won the confidence of the boy and his mother that two weeks later he appeared at a clinic presided over by a competent cooperative orthopedic surgeon who examined "J. S." and recommended surgical treatment. The orthopedist contributed his services free of charge, and the civic clubs of a nearby town paid the hospital fees. "J. S.," on crutches and using a brace, learned to walk at the age 20 years. A careful study of the aptitudes, abilities, and disabilities of "J. S." indicated that with crippled legs and an untrained mind his best assets were his nimble fingers, good eyes, and apparent mechanical bent. Watch and jewelry repairing was selected as a job objective for "J. S." The old German "watchmaker" in a nearby town agreed to train "J. S." "on the job," and the "junior league" paid his board. The State Rehabilitation Department paid for the training and bought "J. S." a set of tools. In due time "J. S." was pronounced a competent watch repairman by his trainer. The rehabilitation agent, assisted by the old German trainer, secured a job for "J. S." with a jeweler in a big city at a living wage. "J. S." writes that his boss is good to him and that he makes $25 per week.

Promoted from a country hut, unable to walk, unable to earn, to independence in a city jewelry shop -- this is Rehabilitation, and it could not have been accomplished without the combined cooperation of "J. S." and all the agencies which participated in the program.

It is conservatively estimated that 400,000 men and women in this country become permanently disabled through accident and disease every twelve months. Of this number, one in every five or about 80,000 men and women, will be unable to return to their work or to enter their chosen vocations. What can be done for this annual army of 80,000 disabled men and women in order that they may take their places in society and "carry on" profitably for themselves and their dependents?

The effects of disabling accidents and diseases are more far reaching than first appears. Disabled workers lose time and wages, and in many instances their employability. State and nation suffer great economic losses as industry, the community and the coutry -sic- are deprived of the work of skilled men and women. The disabled persons become dependent upon relatives, friends, or the public, lose their morale, and frequently develop anti-social tendencies. Vocational Rehabilitation is society's constructive effort to overcome the effects of accidents and disease on the 80,000 persons annually disabled and left unable to follow remunerative occupations.

Through cooperation of the national and state governments, rehabilitation services have been established in the various state departments of education. These services locate disabled persons, diagnose their physical, mental and vocational resources, give vocational guidance and assist disabled persons in the selection of suitable employment, secure maximum physicial -sic- restoration for the disabled, train the handicapped for employment, secure or provide services incident to the solution of personal and family problems of the disabled, place the disabled in employment, and adjust them to their new fields of work.

These state departments of rehabilitation are the only agencies, public or private, that provide for physically handicapped persons a complete, unified service of preparation for and placement in employment. They are manned by a qualified and technically trained personnel whose function is that of rendering such cooperative assistance to the disabled as is involved in counsel and advisement, vocational training and placement in employment. In carrying out a program of rehabilitation no special schools or institutions are established or maintained. Existing facilities in the communities, in which the disabled persons reside are used for rehabilitation purposes. The "case method" is used in accomplishing rehabilitation of physically handicapped persons. Owing to variations in education, aptitudes, personality and work experience, rehabilitation can not be accomplished in groups. Each case presents an individual problem which requires a specific solution.

In order to vocationally rehabilitate a disabled person the following steps are taken: First, a thorough study of his social and economic status, including an analysis of his aptitudes and abilities is made; second, a suitable employment objective is selected; third, preparation for employment through physical restoration, vocational training or other service is provided; fourth, placement in employment and follow-up supervision to insure success is secured. Each of these steps is accompanied by competent counsel and advisement, and such cooperation and assistance as will bring about the desired result.