Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services

What Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services does

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS) is a division of Iowa Workforce Development, a state government agency headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. IVRS provides employment services to Iowans with disabilities, helping them gain, keep, and advance in employment through career planning, job matching, job training, supported employment, and workplace accommodation services. The program also serves Iowa employers by matching them with qualified VR candidates, and supports students with disabilities transitioning from high school or post-secondary education into employment. Service delivery is multi-channel, available online, via mail, or in person at IowaWORKS offices statewide.

The core program is Vocational Rehabilitation Services, supported by complementary offerings including Disability Determination Services (DDS) for SSA disability claims, a Self-Employment Program, Benefits Planning, and the Iowa Blueprint for Change (DIF) Grant. The agency coordinates with Community Rehabilitation Programs, the State Rehabilitation Council, Iowa Employment First, and the Iowa Disability Benefits Network. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; the underlying service infrastructure is the statewide IowaWORKS office network and online application portal.

As a state government program, IVRS does not generate commercial revenue. Services are provided at no direct cost to eligible participants, funded through state and federal government appropriations under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Program Year 2024 outcomes include 1,541 Iowans with disabilities obtaining employment, $21.75M in estimated wage growth for successful candidates, and a 97.9% retention rate of successful candidates remaining employed and living in Iowa. The organization operates exclusively within the state of Iowa, United States.

Name

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Legal name

Iowa Workforce Development (State of Iowa)

Website

https://ivrs.iowa.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Benefits Counseling & Financial Literacy for Transition-Age Youth (EDAKANAJ), Special Education Vocational & Transition Programs (18–22) (EDAKAAAG)

Keywords

• Vocational rehabilitation services
• Disability employment services
• Workforce development programs
• Supported employment services
• Career planning assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services is a state government division within Iowa Workforce Development that helps Iowans with disabilities gain, keep, and advance in employment. Core offerings include individualized career planning, job search assistance, job training, supported employment, and workplace accommodations, delivered through the statewide IowaWORKS office network and online channels.

Product overview

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services is a division of Iowa Workforce Development that provides a unified program of employment services for Iowans with disabilities. The core offering is Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which includes career planning, job matching, and workplace support. The portfolio consists of multiple complementary services: Disability Determination Services (DDS) handles SSA disability determinations; Self-Employment Program supports business ownership; Benefits Planning helps beneficiaries understand work incentives; and the Iowa Blueprint for Change grant drives disability innovation. Advisory and partner services include the State Rehabilitation Council and Community Rehabilitation Programs. Together, these services help individuals obtain, maintain, and advance in employment across Iowa's workforce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR) Core program that helps Iowans with disabilities gain, keep, and advance in employment through personalized career planning, job matching, job training, supported employment, and workplace accommodations.
• Disability Determination Services (DDS) Makes disability determinations and assists Iowans who receive Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits with their disability claims process.
• Self-Employment Program Supports Iowans whose vocational goal is self-employment by helping them start and run their own businesses.
• Benefits Planning Informs disability beneficiaries about their benefits and work incentives to help them make informed decisions about employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,541 Iowans with disabilities obtained employment (Program Year 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommunity Rehabilitation Programs are partners that coordinate with VR staff to provide supported employment services for Iowans with disabilities. CRPs work directly with VR counselors to deliver employment support services.
• State Rehabilitation CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State Rehabilitation Council serves as a vital group guiding the success of VR programs and services in Iowa. The council provides oversight, policy recommendations, and stakeholder input to improve employment outcomes.
• Iowa Employment FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa Employment First is a partner initiative focused on promoting competitive employment as the first option for individuals with disabilities, aligning state efforts to increase disability employment outcomes.
• Iowa Disability Benefits NetworksupportingOthersThe Iowa Disability Benefits Network provides benefits planning services to help inform disability beneficiaries about their benefits and how to find useful work incentives. Helps VR candidates understand impact of employment on benefits.
• Iowa State Workforce Development BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Iowa State Workforce Development Board releases the PY26 Iowa WIOA Unified State Plan Modification and oversees workforce development initiatives including VR services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Texas's state VR program, operated through the Texas Workforce Commission, providing directly comparable VR services under the same federal framework. Functions as a structural peer in workforce-system integration and employer engagement.
• Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation: Wisconsin's state VR agency, also part of the state workforce development system, delivering the same federally-mandated VR service portfolio to individuals with disabilities. Operates an almost identical service model, employer engagement function, and outcomes reporting structure.
• California Department of Rehabilitation: California's state VR agency, also federally designated under WIOA, offering the same core services plus specialized programs for blind and deaf clients. Although much larger, the service mix and federal mandate are directly comparable.
• Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services: The state-designated vocational rehabilitation agency in Illinois, operating under the same federal Rehabilitation Act / WIOA framework as Iowa VR. It provides directly comparable services (career planning, job placement, supported employment) to a similarly structured population, making it the closest functional peer.
• Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Minnesota's VR unit sits within its state Department of Employment and Economic Development, structurally analogous to Iowa VR's placement within Iowa Workforce Development. Provides career counseling, training, and job placement services under the same federal framework.

Emerging players

• SourceAmerica: A national nonprofit that connects people with disabilities to employment, including AbilityOne program contracts. Overlaps with Iowa VR's supported employment and employer-matching functions, particularly for individuals with significant disabilities seeking competitive integrated employment.
• Easterseals: A national nonprofit network that delivers disability employment and related services including supported employment, similar to Iowa VR's Community Rehabilitation Programs. Comparable as a non-state provider of overlapping vocational services, though funded by donations rather than appropriations.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill operates employment and training programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to work across the U.S., partially overlapping with Iowa VR's mission and service population. Acts as a non-state alternative provider of comparable workforce reintegration services.

Broad incumbents

• Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): The federal agency within the U.S. Department of Education that oversees state VR programs and provides the funding and regulatory framework under which Iowa VR operates. It is the broad-incumbent counterpart that defines the rules, performance metrics, and funding formulas that govern IVRS.
• VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E): The federal program serving veterans with service-connected disabilities; while structurally different (federal rather than state, narrower population), it delivers a directly analogous VR service model and serves a comparable cohort on employment outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iowaworkforce
• YouTubeyoutube.com/iowaworkforce
• Facebookfacebook.com/IAWorkforce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-vocational-rehabilitation-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/Iowaworkforce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services