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By the 1950s, the dramatic rise of disabilities due
to polio jolted the nation and reawakened it to the special needs of people
with disabilities.
In 1954, Congress passed The Vocational Rehabilitation Act for people
with disabilities "...so they may prepare for and engage in remunerative
employment to the extent of their capabilities..." Hailed as a landmark
bill, the act ushered in a decade of progressive rehabilitation legislation.
Two years later, the Institute, with the guidance of Dr. Kessler and its
Executive Director, William K. Page, received a grant from the State of
New Jersey toward a pre-vocational diagnostic unit. The first of its kind
in the state, the grant laid the foundation for a department that counsels
and evaluates patients.
The vocational education program, given patients' physical limitations,
matches interests and abilities with previous work experience, and assists
patients in job placement. After more than 40 years of service, the unit
has helped return thousands of people with disabilities to work, school
and greater independence.
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