There are programs that can help people with disabilities in Illinois find work. These programs include:

• The State Vocational Rehabilitation Program: This program helps people with disabilities find and keep a job. The Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services, or DRS, runs this program.  
  • Supported Employment Services: DRS also provides supported employment services to help individuals with the most severe disabilities find and keep jobs.
• The Ticket to Work Program: This program helps Social Security recipients access employment support services. The Social Security Administration runs this program.  

Learn more about how these programs can help and how you can apply below. 

Vocational Rehabilitation 

Vocational Rehabilitation, or VR, provides services to help people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep employment. Services include:

• Guidance and counseling,

• Job development services,

• Follow-up services to ensure that people remain on the job,

• Tuition funding for higher education,

• Assistive technology,

• Job placement services, and

• Supported employment services.

To be eligible for VR services through DRS, a person must be interested in working and have a physical or mental impairment that limits their ability to obtain or maintain employment.

Supported employment services

Among other services, DRS can provide supported employment services to help those with the most significant disabilities find and keep competitive, integrated employment.

Supported employment services can include:

• Job development and placement services,

• Social skills training,

• Job-coaching services,

• Regular observation and supervision,

• Help so you can use the natural supports at the workplace, and

• Follow-up services to help reinforce and stabilize the job placement.

Supported employment services last no longer than 24 months or until you show substantial progress. After your case ends, you will be placed on an extended services plan.

Applying for VR services through DRS

You can apply online using the DRS online referral form. You can also call 877-761-9780 (voice) 866-264-2149 (TTY) or 312-957-4881 (VP).

After you apply for services, your case will be assigned to a DRS counselor who will reach out to you to schedule an initial intake interview. During the intake interview, your counselor will ask you about your goals and talk with you about how DRS may be able to help you.

After your intake interview, DRS might ask you to provide information or documents that they need to determine your eligibility for services. If you provide that information and are found to be eligible for services, your DRS counselor will work with you to choose an employment goal and to figure out what services will help you reach your employment goal. Your counselor will then create an Individualized Plan for Employment, or IPE, listing the services that DRS will provide to you.

Client Assistance Program 

If you have difficulty applying for or obtaining VR services from DRS, or if you have questions or concerns related to your VR services, you can contact Equip for Equality’s Client Assistance Program, or CAP. CAP provides self-advocacy support, information, and legal help to individuals with disabilities who are interested in obtaining DRS services or who are encountering issues related to DRS services.

To get in touch with CAP, you can call 855-452-2725 or email [email protected]. You can find more information on Equip for Equality's CAP page.

Ticket To Work Program 

Many people with disabilities would like to work, but do not know if they will be successful. Because of this, they're scared of losing their Social Security payments. The Ticket to Work Program, or TTW, can help.

The TTW program supports career development for Social Security recipients ages 18-64. It is a free and voluntary program.

Social Security Recipients who enroll in TTW receive a "ticket." They can then assign their ticket to an Employment Network, or EN, that provides employment services. The EN can then provide services to the ticket holder. 

There are many different ENs that provide employment services to people with disabilities in Illinois. The Social Security Administration website has information about different ENs.

Individuals who enroll in the program can also choose to assign their ticket to DRS and receive VR services from the state rather than assigning it to an EN. Individuals enrolled in TTW are presumed eligible for DRS services.

In addition to helping people access employment services, TTW offers Social Security recipients the opportunity to keep their benefits for a period of time while exploring employment and to remain enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare through the transition to work.

To learn more, visit the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work Program website. For American Sign Language-users, use this site. You can also find additional information on Equip for Equality's website.