Fiscal Year 2002 Highlights

The Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council (PaRC) has accomplished the following:

• Developed and adopted two position papers
  • Public Vocational Rehabilitation
  • IDEA and Transition
• Currently working on a position paper in support of the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act
• Developed and implemented an Educational portion for the Full Council Business meetings, which included the following speakers and topics on which they presented
  • Ms. Jamie Ray, Esq. on the Rehabilitation Act
  • Mr. Mark Cline on the CareerLink
  • Dr. Ralph Pacinelli, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) on the Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Mr. Terry Martin (Maximus) on the Ticket to Work Implementation
• Developed and submitted State Plan attachment
• Testimony given at the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education public hearing on the topic of IDEA and Transition
• Testimony given at public hearing on June 19, 2002 on the reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
• Participated in the National Rehabilitation Association 2002 Governmental Affairs Seminar
  • Visited with 17 members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation and disseminated information to 6 other legislators.
• Participated in several conferences
  • The Governor's Committee on Employment for People with Disabilities in Philadelphia, PA
  • Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) conference in Washington, DC
  • 2002 Spring Vision Conference in Harrisburg, PA
  • Disability and Employment 2002 in Washington, DC
  • Pennsylvania Transition Conference, Hershey, PA
• Advocated on behalf of Public Vocational Rehabilitation and funding
• Held six Full Council Business meetings
• Participated in the Annual Retreat with OVR
• Produced and distributed the Fiscal Year 2001 Annual Report
• Continued dialogue with the OVR Consumer Advisory Committees through the State Plan Committee
• Council representation in several OVR Workgroups
  • Transition Guidelines Workgroup
  • Governor's Advisory Committee for the Blind
  • CareerLink Accessibility Workgroup
  • College Policy Workgroup
  • Multicultural Advisory Committee