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Evaluation, development and achievement of a realistic rehabilitation
goal for a severely disabled person requires the skills of many
professionals for extended periods. A complex array of services must
be available to the severely handicapped and their highly individual
needs met through provision of compassionate, competent and sustained
service. Such services are available and their use with the
severely handicapped should not be limited by funding.

Increased appropriations for contracts and grants for facility construction and improvement to $60 million for fiscal 1973, $70 million for 1974 and $80 million for 1975. Such increases would bring the authorization to the present level and reflect more accurately the rehabilitation facility needs.

Extension of the mortgage insurance program to all rehabilitation
facilities rather than limit such coverage to new facilities.

Elimination of the limit on the principal amount which could be
Insured under the mortgage insurance program and provide coverage
for 100% of the project cost.

Provision for use of grant and loan program together without

duplication.

We would like to call your attention to the plight of the severely disabled individual who is homebound. Although the proposed legislation provides for a significant increase in services to the severely handicapped, we would ask specific mention and special provision for the services to the homebound disabled. A recent national survey of state and local rehabilitation agencies, completed by the Programmatic Research Project, funded by Social Rehabilitation Services found that only twenty-five agencies actively offer systematic services to the homebound.

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Yet that same project discovered that if the homebound are given a suitable rehabilitation program, at least 20-25% may be expected to resume their rightful place in the community. For this reason, we recommend the specific identification of homebound programs in Title III, Section 304 as a means of providing

comprehensive service to the severely disabled.

Time does not permit me to comment further on these provisions.

In conclusion, I want to say that I have experienced the reality of Geothe's statement which asks that we treat "people as if they were what they ought to be and help them become what they are capable of being". Through the extension of the vocational rehabilitation legislation, you can make this statement a reality for the disabled.

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you.

Senator CRANSTON. We are going to pause for a moment.

Senator Stevenson wished to introduce the next witness and also preside during my absence at another committee briefly.

(Short recess.)

Senator STEVENSON. The hearing of the Subcommittee on the Handicapped will resume now.

It gives me a very special pleasure to introduce and welcome our next witness, Dr. Henry Betts.

Dr. Betts is the medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He is also chairman of the Northwestern University Department of Rehabilitative Medicine, and project director of Research Training Center in Rehabilitative Medicine, which is a combined effort of Northwestern University and Rehabilitation Institute.

Dr. Betts is presently serving as vice president of the American Congress Rehabilitative Medicine, as a member of the Governors of Illinois' Development Advisory Counsel, and is chairman of the Governor's Committee for the Employment of the Handicapped.

I could go on to mention many more of his activities and his honors. Instead, I think I will just welcome a distinguished professional in his field and good personal friend.

STATEMENT OF DR. HENRY BETTS, DIRECTOR, CHICAGO
INSTITUTE OF REHABILITATION

Dr. BETTS. Thank you, Senator, very much.

I appreciate very much the privilege of being here. I think that really we stand on the brink of being able to do something unique in the world for the physically handicapped.

Most of this has been brought up by the efforts of the RSA, the VRA, and the previous administration.

Being able to reintegrate physically handicapped people back into society is really unique for almost any country, and I realize that the greatest impetus for anyone has been as a result of this agency's work.

The private sector, of course, must become involved in this cause; and it seems to me that this has become more and more true throughout the country, particularly in Chicago, I might say; but I think more and more.

But the main drive has come through this Federal agency. There are a lot of Federal agencies, I am sure, doing great things. I frankly think that it is very hard to find one, rather a small one, which has had over the years a relative small budget that has accomplished more for more people when this agency was originally led by Miss Switzer, which is now RSA.

They work with a very small group relative to Federal agencies, without very much money. It has gotten a tremendous amount begun that even the private sector was not able to do. Its accomplishments are absolutely tremendous. It has even made a profit, and it has taken people off welfare and put them back to work; and I am told by that agency that you get an $8 return on every dollar invested, at least $8 return on every dollar invested.

With all due respect to the other Federal agencies that you have here, I would doubt that you could point to any that really is more accomplished than this.

So that this legislation is very vital, you may imagine, and is a very significant cause in this country and in the past has made great strides.

I would prefer to be open to questioning. I do have a statement that I have put in for the record, and I do have a couple of points to which I would like to speak.

(The prepared statement of Dr. Betts follows:)