Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Independent Living Services

The Act authorizes several programs which are aimed at assisting persons with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities to achieve and maintain independence. Those programs include:

• Formula grants to state rehab agencies for the provision of comprehensive independent living services. The list of services is long, and includes counseling, housing, job placement services, transportation, attendant care, prostheses and equipment, health services, and recreation
• Project grants to public and private nonprofit rehabilitation agencies to establish and operate centers for independent living. Centers may provide intake counseling and evaluation, referral and counseling for attendant care, legal and economic advocacy, skills training, housing, and transportation referral and assistance, etc.
• Project grants for assisting public and nonprofit agencies in providing independent living services to person over age 55 whose visual impairments are severe