Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 2.djvu/264

 112 STAT. 1148 PUBLIC LAW 105-220—AUG. 7, 1998 each individual who is an applicant for or eligible to receive vocational rehabilitation services under this title to exercise informed choice throughout the vocational rehabilitation process carried out under this title, including policies and procedures that require the designated State agency— "(1) to inform each such applicant and eligible individual (including students with disabilities who sire making the transition from programs under the responsibility of an educational agency to programs under the responsibility of the designated State unit), through appropriate modes of communication, about the availability of, and opportunities to exercise, informed choice, including the availability of support services for individuals with cognitive or other disabilities who require assistance in exercising informed choice, throughout the vocational rehabilitation process; "(2) to assist applicants and eligible individuals in exercising informed choice in decisions related to the provision of assessment services under this title; "(3) to develop and implement flexible procurement policies and methods that facilitate the provision of services, and that afford eligible individuals meaningful choices among the methods used to procure services, under this title; "(4) to provide or assist eligible individuals in acquiring information that enables those individuals to exercise informed choice under this title in the selection of— "(A) the emplo3mtient outcome; "(B) the specific vocational rehabilitation services needed to achieve the employment outcome; "(C) the entity that will provide the services; "(D) the employment setting and the settings in which the services will be provided; and "(E) the methods available for procuring the services; and "(5) to ensure that the availability and scope of informed choice provided under this section is consistent with the obligations of the designated State agency under this title. 29 USC 723. "SEC. 103. VOCATIONAL REHABIUTATION SERVICES. "(a) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS. — Vocational rehabilitation services provided under this title are any services described in an individualized plan for employment necessary to assist an individual with a disability in preparing for, securing, retaining, or regaining an employment outcome that is consistent with the strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice of the individual, including— "(1) an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs by qualified personnel, including, if appropriate, an assessment by personnel skilled in rehabilitation technology; "(2) counseling and guidance, including information and support services to assist an individual in exercising informed choice consistent with the provisions of section 102(d); "(3) referral and other services to secure needed services from other agencies through agreements developed under section 101(a)(ll), if such services are not available under this title;

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