MSDE DORS Celebrating 90 Years of Helping Marylanders with Disabilities Go to Work

BALTIMORE  – The Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) will celebrate its 90th anniversary on Thursday, October 31, 2019, at the DORS’ Workforce and Technology Center (WTC), 2301 Argonne Drive.

Each month DORS honors graduates of the WTC’s career training programs. During the October 31st ceremony, which will include students, their families and friends, DORS staff and retirees, business representatives, and other special guests, DORS will celebrate and remember highlights from the past 90 years.

Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools, said that MSDE is proud of nine decades of outstanding service to Marylanders with disabilities: “The work that DORS has done to facilitate employment opportunities for all, regardless of their challenges, is truly a cause for celebration. Everyone deserves a chance to fulfill their goals in life and we are proud to help individuals with disabilities achieve success.”

The DORS was first called the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.  The Division grew rapidly from 1946 to 1954, adding offices across the state and programs for specific disability groups. The Disability Determination Services Program was established in June 1955 and the Maryland Rehabilitation Center (now WTC) opened in 1973. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the Division’s focus was broadened and it was renamed the Division of Rehabilitation. The passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in 2014 shifted DORS’ focus again towards devoting more resources to serving students with disabilities and expanding collaboration with other state workforce agencies.

The MSDE Division of Rehabilitation Services offers programs and services that assist adults and students with disabilities find employment or remain employed. For more information, visit dors.maryland.gov.