Vocational Rehabilitation Programs For People Who Stutter
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- 4 min read
Living with a stutter usually requires flexibility, patience, and determination. No matter what your stutter looks or sounds like on the expansive spectrum, the resources we utilize should reflect and nurture these characteristics. People who stutter might choose to assemble “strategy toolboxes” with exposure therapy, speech-language pathology, assistive technology, workplace accommodations for stuttering, and other forms of job support. Emily Blunt, a famous actress appearing in films like The Devil Wears Prada (2006, 2026), A Quiet Place (2018), and Mary Poppins Returns (2018), draws attention to the care that stuttering needs as a woman who stutters herself: “It is neurological, it’s biological, it’s often hereditary, and it’s not your fault” (Woerner, 2023). Attesting to Blunt’s seriousness and supporting the stuttering community are Vocational Rehabilitation Programs (often referred to as VR).
What Is Vocational Rehabilitation?
VR is a disability employment service made up of individualized programs that help people with physical, mental, developmental, or emotional disabilities prepare for, obtain, maintain, advance in, or return to work. There is a history to VR, as there is with general disability awareness. In September 1973, the Rehabilitation Act was passed, which expanded federal disability rights. Seven years later, in 1980, the US Department of Education was officially inaugurated as a cabinet-level agency (Williams, 2016). Today, VR falls under the DOE–more specifically managed by the Rehabilitation Services Administration–explaining how VR is state and federally funded.
While state programs often house VR under various names, they tend to follow the same procedures. To be considered eligible, a person must have a mental, physical, or developmental impairment that acts as a substantial barrier in the workplace. Typically, if a person already exercises Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance, they will automatically be approved (CareerOneStop, 2026). Once eligibility is established with the necessary documentation, a VR counselor assists the person to develop an Individualized Plan for Employment. Together, both parties identify vocational goals and appropriate supports.
How VR Services Support People with Disabilities
Examples of how VR programs aid people with disabilities are diverse. Someone with a vision impairment may be provided with screen-reader assistive technology. A construction worker who can no longer lift heavy objects due to injury may be provided with new training covered by VR. A person with arthritis may receive specialized desk tools or voice-to-text software. Those with autism may work with job coaches to complete applications, practice interviews, or polish resumes. For adults who stutter, VR services may include career counseling, speech therapy referrals, job coaching, resume support, mock interviews, assistive technology, and help request workplace accommodations. For someone worried about job interviews with a stutter, VR can provide both practical preparation and an advocate who understands disability employment services.
Anabel Augustin’s Experience with Vocational Rehabilitation
Anabel Augustin recently used VR in 2019 to job search while coping with the unpredictable navigation of stuttering. Now a Wraparound Youth Case Manager assisting children in multiple areas of life, Anabel shares her successful journey.
After graduating from college with Summa Cum Laude honors, Anabel remembered feeling intimidated as she was forced to go from an exceptional student “on paper” to someone imperfect as she tried to verbally pitch her skills to interviewers. In a spring 2026 interview with Mia Woltman from the National Stuttering Association’s WeStutter@Work Committee, Anabel stated something she had asked herself many times during her employment search: “Am I ever going to find a job?” Even after disclosing during interviews, Anabel still seemed to come up short. Taking action and new approaches, she typed “I have a stutter, and I need a job” into the Google search bar, a phrase many people who stutter may recognize when searching for employment support, job interview help, or VR services. From there, Anabel not only witnessed change but lived it. After calling Florida’s VR office, Anabel was given an in-person appointment once she submitted documentation of her disability from a licensed speech-language pathologist. At this appointment, Anabel explained her challenges and was assigned a counselor. After a few weeks, this counselor matched her with a new speech therapist and a job coach. This coach supported Anabel by planning mock interviews, revising her resume, and completing applications for Anabel using previously made connections in several fields. During interviews, Anabel’s coach would even act as another in-person advocate at the table. For Anabel, the VR process lasted approximately three months.
When Mia asked Anabel in the interview what advice she would give to someone starting VR:
“It is very beneficial in the way they give you practice, and with their connections, they can be a better advocate,” said Anabel. While Anabel grants that the process can be lengthy and slow-moving at times, she does not hesitate to proudly exclaim, “Take a chance.”
Could Vocational Rehabilitation Be Part of Your Stuttering Strategy Toolbox?
While the perception of stuttering is shifting from a “fix it” to “accept it” mindset, and some who stutter may be hesitant to label their speech as a disability, we must not lose sight of the overarching goals we have for ourselves. How people choose to craft their “strategy toolboxes” is a personal experience that may feel like a trial-and-error undertaking. Perhaps VR is another strategy that may be a fortunate surprise, like it was for Anabel. In addition to flexibility, patience, and determination, it is curiosity that befriended Anabel Augustin at the most imperfectly perfect time. Sometimes, change simply begins with a Google search.