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Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services

About the Waiting List

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS) currently has more requests for assistance than we have resources to serve. Your name may be placed on a waiting list. This web page will help you to understand what this could mean to you.

When we are unable to serve everyone that applies for services, applicants are placed on one of three waiting lists.

The waiting list has three categories:

  • Most Significantly Disabled: This list is for individuals who have three or more impediments to employment. This person's vocational rehabilitation (VR) will need many services over an extended period of more than six months.
  • Significantly Disabled: This list is for individuals who have two or fewer impediments to employment; and whose VR is expected to need many services over an extended period of more than six months.
  • Other Eligible: This list is for individuals who do not need many services over an extended period. Their impediment to employment is not considered to be a significant limitation. A person may be “other eligible” if they only require one service for employment.

Those on the waiting list are served according to the severity of disability.

Federal laws requires that we must first serve all Most Significantly Disabled before serving those applicants determined to be Significantly Disabled.

Only after both categories are served may those who are considered Other’s Eligible receive services.

Individuals with disabilities who do not meet the category currently being served can receive information and referral services.

Those on the waiting list can be referred to other federal and state programs. This includes programs carried out by other entities in the statewide workforce system.

An IVRS vocational rehabilitation counselor must determine your eligibility.

In this process, the rehabilitation counselor learns about your disability and gains understanding of the impact the disabling conditions have on your employment.

If you can provide additional information to show you are more limited than currently documented, your counselor can reconsider your eligibility determination.

If you disagree with your eligibility determination, you have the right to appeal that decision.

You can contact your counselor or the office supervisor.

You may also contact the Client Assistance Program (CAP) by phone at 1-800-652-4298 or email dhr.disabilities@iowa.gov.

You will remain eligible for services as long as your file is active.

You will be notified when you become eligible for services.

We will contact you once a year to determine your interest in remaining on the waiting list.

Please keep your counselor informed of your current contact information.

Report changes to your address, phone number or email address.