What is DORS?
DORS is an agency of the Maryland State Department of Education. DORS is composed of the public vocational rehabilitation (VR) program and the Disability Determination Services. The public VR program includes:
The
Office of Field Services, which prepares people with disabilities to go to work, stay on the job, or prepare for the world of work. Rehabilitation counselors in offices throughout Maryland provide or arrange for services that may include career counseling, assistive technology, vocational training and/or job placement assistance.
The
Office for Blindness & Vision Services (OBVS), which specializes in helping people whose primary disability is blindness or vision loss go to work and stay independent. The office also oversees the
Maryland Business Enterprise Program for the Blind. This program prepares individuals who are legally blind to operate vending, gift or food service businesses in public facilities.
The
Workforce & Technology Center (WTC), a comprehensive rehabilitation facility in northeast Baltimore which offers career assessment services, career and skills training, job placement assistance, assistive technology services and support services.
The VR program receives 78.7% of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For the Federal fiscal year 2022, the total amount of grant funds awarded was $48,610,998. The remaining 21.3% of the costs, $13,156,470, was funded by State of Maryland appropriations.
In addition, DORS also operates the
Disability Determination Services (DDS), which makes medical decisions about disability claims filed by Marylanders for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
