The paper examines six issues affecting the development of vocational education programs for handicapped students in rural areas. Problems facing special education in rural areas include financial difficulties and inadequate services. The following six issues are addressed (sample recommended strategies for change in parentheses): broadening the curriculum (flexible scheduling, programed and computerized instruction); working with teachers (employment of itinerant teachers, interns, and paraprofessionals); cooperation with neighboring districts and the community (teacher exchange, mobile labs or classrooms, rotation of instructional materials and equipment between schools); community relations (community resource trainers, creation of jobs needed but nonexistent in the community); students' needs (student exchange, parent involvement, and residential boarding programs); and management in the small district (use of combined facilities, and solicitation of assistance of state and community agencies). For each issue, examples of innovative approaches used in rural areas are cited. (CL)