Education and Employment

Education and employment are a huge part of anyone’s life journey. You have the right to a quality education, with support when you need it. You have the right to real work for real pay. DRA works to help people with disabilities gain access to opportunity.

• We help obtain timely access to vocational rehabilitation services to support individuals in gaining, maintaining, or advancing in employment.
• We work to reduce reliance on segregated, subminimum wage employment in favor of competitive, integrated employment.
• We assist students with disabilities who are being suspended, expelled, referred to the justice system or otherwise excluded from school because of their disabilities.
• We help ensure that students with disabilities can get access to health plans and nursing services if they need it.
• We help enforce students’ rights to individualized transition services that are right for them.
• We assist students and individuals seeking employment with accessing assistive technology.
• We assist individuals who have experienced a traumatic brain injury and individuals who receive social security with navigating the EEOC adminstrative process.

All Arkansas students deserve a quality, free, and appropriate public education. Students with disabilities learn best in integrated settings with their non-disabled peers.  If you or your child need help accessing the services they need to be successful in the classroom, call DRA at 800-482-1174. We can help.

What is competitive and integrated employment? 

It means real work for real pay. Competitive and integrated employment is full- or part-time work that:

• Pays workers with disabilities at or above the minimum wage, and at the same pay rate as their non-disabled peers with similar training and experience;
• Offers workers with disabilities the same benefits as their non-disabled peers;
• Workers with and without disabilities interact with each other in the same setting; and
• Workers with and without disabilities have the same opportunities to get ahead in their jobs.

Disability Rights Arkansas provides employment support for people with disabilities. We can help you access the accommodations, tools and services you need to live and work independently, including:

• Assistive technology
• Tuition assistance
• Supported employment
• Assistance in developing a small business plan
• Vehicle modifications
• And more!

We’re here to help you reach your goals! Give us a call toll-free at 800-482-1174 to learn more about how we can help you access the tools you need to succeed.