Rural and urban vocational rehabilitation: Counselors perceived strengths and problems

For over 30 years rehabilitation literature has described the problems faced by rehabilitation professionals working in rural areas. However, there is little consensus on what the differences are or the priorities for research or program development. This article reports the results of a national research project conducted with rural and urban vocational rehabilitation counselors to identify the strengths and problems they experience. Rural counselors reported fewer strengths and more problems especially in the areas of public transportation and employment opportunities. Recommendations are made for future research and demonstration projects based on the results.