The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program is the largest workforce program in the United States, providing employment services to
people with disabilities to help them retain or enter competitive integrated employment
commensurate with their abilities and capabilities. During the pandemic, state VR
services were significantly affected and in some cases those services were halted for a period of time as agencies attempted to reroute services virtually and to eventually
provide in-person contact. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a recession in the United States that impacts all workers.
Historical data in the U.S. show that people
with disabilities are more likely than their peers without disabilities to drop out of the workforce during economic downturns and are less likely to recover employment after
the recession ends.