The past twenty years have witnessed a major evolution in the roles and lifestyles of all women. These changes have been equally evident in the lives of women with disabilities. This paper traces changes in society as a whole, notes how these changes have impacted women with disabilities differentially and asks the question, “Where do we go from here?”

This study compares female clients of a state rehabilitation agency with male clients of the same agency according to selected demographic, case service and rehabilitation outcome variables. Female clients are found to be underrepresented as rehabilitation applicants although they have a higher rate of acceptance for services and successful case closure. Regardless of educational level, they are employed most frequently in homemaking, clerical and sales positions whereas male clients are closed more frequently in professional technical and managerial positions. Recommendations for counselors working with disabled women clients include greater case finding efforts and the use of counseling approaches which avoid stereotyping of occupations by gender.

Deaf youth and adults have unique needs. As a result they experience considerable barriers in attaining access to meaningful employment and independent functioning in the community. Current habilitation and rehabilitation initiatives have enhanced opportunities and options for all people with disabilities. However, some of these initiatives work at cross purposes for deaf persons, particularly the lower achieving deaf person. Special concerns related to the employment of deaf people are overviewed in this article. Transition issues for deaf youth are reviewed, a model for supported employment assessment and intervention is provided, and recommendations are made for system-wide changes.

This study evaluated the adequacy of training provided to more than 80 graduates of a school counseling program for specialists with hearing impaired individuals according to employment demands and continuing education needs. Results indicated that almost all graduates were employed in settings consistent with their training. Continuing education needs in the areas of consultation skills, networking strategies, and administrative and management training were similar to results obtained in studies of generic counselor education programs.

Hearing impairment is one of the most prevalent disabling conditions in the United States. This article examines the functional limitations imposed by early profound deafness—the most severe form of hearing impairment. The psycho-social, educational and vocational implications of early profound deafness are presented with recommendations for rehabilitaiton practice.