In June 1980, about 285 severely handicapped people had learned to become business application programmers as a result of the IBM Project to Train the Handicapped. The program consists of 17 different projects sponsored by vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies in 16 states. Designed to enable students to perform competitively as entry-level business application programmers, the typical project is a cooperative effort involving the joint efforts of the state VR agency, a business advisory committee, and a local training activity site staffed by a qualified programming instructor. Despite the fact that these training courses will last for only nine or ten months, those individuals participating in them should gain skills that are commensurate with those of individuals graduating with degrees in computer science. The reason behind the effectiveness of the IBM program is the fact that the individual projects are staffed by a community-based group of people, representing usually unrelated fields of activity, who form a team in which each member provides his or her expertise to make a unique contribution to the provision of job-oriented training for severely handicapped individuals. (MN)