Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS)
The Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services is a state agency within DHS that administers publicly funded vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology, disability determination, and transition programs for Rhode Island residents with disabilities, delivered via direct counseling and a 40+ authorized vendor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersProvidence, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) does
The Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) is a state government agency operating under the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS). Its stated mission is to empower individuals with disabilities to choose, prepare for, obtain, advance in, and maintain employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, and integration into society. ORS administers a portfolio of programs including the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program, Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBVI), Disability Determination Services (DDS), the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, Supported Employment, Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), the Assistive Technology Access Partnership (ATAP), and the Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program (ATEL). The agency also operates sub-programs such as the Business Enterprises Program and Independent Living and Social Services for blind and visually impaired individuals. DDS acts as the state unit that determines medical eligibility of Rhode Island residents for cash benefits under SSA-administered disability programs.
ORS services are publicly funded through state and federal appropriations tied to the Rehabilitation Act and WIOA, and delivered to eligible individuals at no direct cost. The underlying technology stack is centered on assistive technology access rather than a commercial product platform: ATEL provides landline and wireless devices on loan to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or have speech or neuromuscular disabilities; ATAP coordinates device acquisition, training, and public awareness across partner organizations (TechACCESS, OSCIL, West Bay Educational Collaborative, with Apple Accessibility involvement); TTY relay services support text-based telephone communication; and 3D printing is used by a partner for adaptive equipment fabrication. ORS does not disclose any proprietary software product, API, or AI/ML system.
Service delivery is executed through ORS counselors and supported employment liaisons working alongside a vendor network of 40+ authorized organizations (Goodwill Industries, Perspectives Corporation, Gateway Healthcare, Easter Seals of RI, Accesspoint RI, Work Inc., Spurwink, Seven Hills, Anchor Recovery, Blackstone Valley Arc, Sargent Rehabilitation Center, and others). Distribution spans a Providence headquarters at 40 Fountain Street with orientation sessions held at Providence, West Warwick, and Woonsocket American Job Centers, in-school Pre-ETS delivery through partner districts (Providence, Cranston, Central Falls, Ponaganset), and MOU-based coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the RI Department of Education, RI institutes of higher education, the Governor's Workforce Board, the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Customer segments served include individuals with disabilities seeking employment, students with disabilities aged 14-21, Deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals, blind and visually impaired individuals, older adults with visual impairments (55+), and Rhode Island employers seeking inclusive hiring support.
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS)
- Legal name
- Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services
- Website
- https://ors.ri.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services is a state agency within DHS that administers publicly funded vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology, disability determination, and transition programs for Rhode Island residents with disabilities, delivered via direct counseling and a 40+ authorized vendor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Providence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Federal-State Vocational Rehabilitation Funding: Publicly funded state agency. The Vocational Rehabilitation Program is a public state and federally funded program. Services are provided to eligible individuals with disabilities at no direct cost to the client.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Free vocational rehabilitation services for eligible individuals with disabilities |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ORS is Rhode Island's designated state vocational rehabilitation agency, providing individualized services to residents with disabilities to prepare for, obtain, maintain, or regain employment. Core offerings include eligibility determination, vocational evaluation and counseling, training, assistive technology (devices, loan library, and reuse program), job placement, supported employment, independent living services, and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students. Services are delivered directly through ORS offices, partner schools, American Job Centers, employer networks, and an assistive technology vendor/loan network.
Product overview
ORS operates as a unified suite of rehabilitation programs administered by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services. The core programs include the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program, Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBVI), Disability Determination Services (DDS), and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. Supporting these are the Assistive Technology Access Partnership (ATAP), Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program (ATEL), Supported Employment, and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Sub-programs include the Business Enterprises Program and Independent Living and Social Services. Together, these programs provide comprehensive support for individuals with disabilities across employment, assistive technology access, independent living, and disability determination services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ATAP (Assistive Technology Access Partnership): Statewide partnership of organizations working together to improve access to and acquisition of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities
- ATEL (Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program)
- SBVI (Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired)
- VR Program (Vocational Rehabilitation Program)
- DDS (Disability Determination Services)
Products and services
- Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 11 out of 13 students secured competitive employment prior to exiting high school (Providence Transition Academy 2021)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS)
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
33 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- TechACCESS of Rhode IslandcoreATAP partner organization dedicated to enhancing lives of people with disabilities through assistive technology. Hosts annual Assistive Technology Conference of New England since 1988.
- Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL)coreATAP partner - independent living organization providing services to help people with disabilities live independently in the community.
- West Bay Educational CollaborativecoreATAP partner - educational collaborative providing assistive technology services and support, particularly for students with disabilities.
- Apple Accessibility TeamcoreApple partnered with ATAP to host accessibility events for local leaders and organizations to educate on Apple's accessibility features across Vision, Mobility, Speech and Cognition.
- Department of Veterans AffairsmajorMOU/cooperative agreement for vocational rehabilitation services coordination for veterans.
- Rhode Island Department of EducationmajorMOU for collaboration on transition services and Pre-ETS for students with disabilities.
- Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode IslandmajorMOU for workforce development coordination and career center partnerships.
- Providence/Cranston Workforce DevelopmentmajorMOU for workforce development services and American Job Center partnerships.
- Rhode Island Institutes of Higher EducationmajorMOU for post-secondary transition and college planning services for students with disabilities.
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Vocational RehabilitationminorMOU for vocational rehabilitation services coordination for tribal members.
- Perspectives CorporationcoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities. Home of 2024 Assistive Technology Champion Arianna Bordeleau.
- Goodwill IndustriescoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing job development and placement services.
- Gateway HealthcarecoreAuthorized supported employment vendor with multiple locations across Rhode Island.
- Easter Seals of RIcoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities.
- Accesspoint RIcoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing employment services.
- Work, Inc.coreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing employment services.
- SpurwinkcoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities.
- The Providence CentercoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing mental health and employment services.
- Groden CentercoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities.
- Seven HillscoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities.
- Looking UpwardscoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities.
- Life, Inc.coreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities.
- Anchor RecoverycoreAuthorized supported employment vendor with multiple locations (Cranston/Warwick, East Bay, Providence).
- Blackstone Valley ArccoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing services to individuals with disabilities.
- Work Opportunities UnlimitedcoreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing employment services.
- Community Living R.I.coreAuthorized supported employment vendor providing community-based services.
- Sargent Rehabilitation CentercoreAuthorized supported employment vendor serving transition-age youth.
- Governor's Workforce BoardmajorCo-sponsor of 2024 Disability Hiring Resource Symposium and workforce development initiatives.
- Skills for Rhode Island's FuturemajorExhibitor at 2024 Disability Hiring Resource Symposium - workforce development organization.
- National Federation of the Blind (NFB)majorExhibitor at 2024 Disability Hiring Resource Symposium - advocacy organization for blind individuals.
- Paul V. Sherlock Center on DisabilitiesmajorExhibitor at 2024 Disability Hiring Resource Symposium - university center for disabilities at Rhode Island College.
- RI Commission on the Deaf and Hard of HearingmajorExhibitor at 2024 Disability Hiring Resource Symposium - state commission supporting deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
- Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)majorExhibitor at 2024 Disability Hiring Resource Symposium - organization promoting employment first philosophy.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Easterseals: National nonprofit delivering disability and rehabilitative services including employment supports; Easter Seals of Rhode Island is an ORS authorized vendor. Comparable as a broad disability-services incumbent operating across multiple states and service lines.
- Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit providing employment, training, and disability services through a large affiliate network — Goodwill of Rhode Island is itself an ORS authorized vendor. Comparable in mission and supported-employment delivery but operates across many states and revenue streams.
Direct peers
- Texas Workforce Commission - Vocational Rehabilitation: Texas's state VR program, embedded within the state's workforce development agency. Similar WIOA-aligned mandate but integrated with broader workforce services, providing a model ORS could compare against for employer-engagement approaches.
- Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation: Florida's state VR agency within the Department of Education. Comparable in administering VR, supported employment, and Pre-ETS services with a similar vendor and school-partnership model.
- Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission: Massachusetts' state vocational rehabilitation agency, administering VR, independent living, and disability determination services under the same federal-state VR framework as ORS. Most directly comparable peer given geographic proximity and shared New England labor market dynamics.
- California Department of Rehabilitation: California's state VR agency and one of the largest in the country. Comparable in mandate (VR, independent living, DDS-adjacent services) and federal funding alignment; differs primarily in scale and state-specific policy overlay.
- Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation: Pennsylvania's state VR agency under the Department of Labor & Industry. Direct functional peer administering VR and supported employment services under WIOA across a multi-county service-delivery structure.
- Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services: Connecticut's state VR agency providing vocational rehabilitation and employment services for individuals with disabilities. Functions under the same federal WIOA/Rehab Act framework and serves an adjacent Northeastern state population.
- New York State ACCES-VR: Adult Career and Continuing Education Services - Vocational Rehabilitation, New York's state VR program. Operates under the same federal mandate but at much larger scale, providing a useful benchmark for service-delivery models and program breadth.
Others
- APSE - Association of People Supporting Employment First: National membership organization advancing the Employment First philosophy that frames ORS's supported employment work. Not a direct service peer but an influential ecosystem participant that shapes VR policy and best-practice standards affecting ORS.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) social profiles
Digital presenceRhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS)
What does Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) do?
ORS is Rhode Island's designated state vocational rehabilitation agency, providing individualized services to residents with disabilities to prepare for, obtain, maintain, or regain employment. Core offerings include eligibility determination, vocational evaluation and counseling, training, assistive technology (devices, loan library, and reuse program), job placement, supported employment, independent living services, and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students. Services are delivered directly through ORS offices, partner schools, American Job Centers, employer networks, and an assistive technology vendor/loan network.
Is Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) a public or private company?
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) founded?
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) based?
Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) is headquartered in Providence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) make money?
One revenue line is on record: federal-State Vocational Rehabilitation Funding.
Who are Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS)'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Easterseals and Goodwill Industries International. Direct peers are Texas Workforce Commission - Vocational Rehabilitation, Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, California Department of Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and New York State ACCES-VR. APSE - Association of People Supporting Employment First is listed as an others.
Does Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS).