Section 79. The commission shall have the following powers and duties:—

(a) it shall continuously study the problems of vocational rehabilitation and may make investigations, demonstrations and reports thereon, and shall establish and maintain contact with such physicians, persons, programs, instrumentalities, organizations or facilities rendering any one or more of the services authorized under the provisions of sections seventy-four to eighty-three, inclusive, and the commissioner shall be satisfied with regard to qualifications to deliver such services; said qualifications for physicians shall include evidence of certification by an appropriate American medical specialty board and with respect to persons, programs, instrumentalities, organizations or facilities, said qualifications shall include, but need not necessarily be limited to, a demonstrated ability to deliver one or more of such services;

(b) it may enter into reciprocal agreements with other states to provide for the vocational rehabilitation of residents of said other states;

(c) it may enter into contracts for the purpose of providing or planning for the provision of services to handicapped individuals;

(d) it may establish and operate rehabilitation facilities and workshops and may make grants to public and contracts with private nonprofit organizations for such purposes;

(e) it may supervise the operation of small business enterprises established to be conducted by handicapped persons;

(f) it may conduct other programs for the provision of rehabilitation and other services to handicapped individuals as it determines are necessary to enhance the ability of a handicapped individual to live independently and function within his family and community and, if appropriate, secure and maintain employment;

(g) it shall maintain records of all persons who are determined by the commission to be fit and eligible for vocational rehabilitation and the actions and procedures taken by the commission in regard to the persons so determined;

(h) it shall make an annual report to the general court, a copy of which shall be filed with the clerk of the house of representatives on or before the first Wednesday in December;

(i) in conjunction with the executive office of health and human services, it shall maintain a central registry of apartment housing which is accessible or adaptable, as defined in section thirteen A of chapter twenty-two, and a list of persons seeking accessible or adaptable apartment housing and shall notify them as said apartment housing becomes available and shall maintain a toll free telephone line, subject to appropriation, for persons to obtain information about accessible and adaptable apartment housing.