Letter From The Chairperson

Council Members

Council Responsibilities

PaRC at Work

Position Papers

Parc 2004 Goals

Meeting Schedule

Standards of Expectations

Close

The PaRC at Work in 2003

1. Increased educational development opportunities for PaRC members. During FY '03, the PaRC welcomed speakers to its business meetings to address a variety of disability-related topics including:
   • The implementation of the "ticket to work" in Pennsylvania,
   • Innovation and expansion grants available through Pennsylvania's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR),
   • The vocational rehabilitation process, and
   • Efforts to improve the provision of vocational rehabilitation services to minority and underrepresented populations. These presentations helped Council members to learn more about the diverse vocational rehabilitation issues facing individuals with disabilities in Pennsylvania. In addition, these presentations were open to the public so these issues could be brought to our home communities.
2. In consultation with vocational rehabilitation, developed and approved the State Plan Attachment for FY 2003. Highlights of this plan included:
   • (a.) Continued efforts by the PaRC to increase communication with OVR, the Bureau of Blindness and Visual
   • Services (BBVS), and the OVR Board,
   • (b.) An overall emphasis on the importance of consumer input, including: recommendations that VR outreach to Consumer Advisory Councils (CACs), and a recommendation to increase and expand advertisement of VR meetings which are open to the public and allow opportunity for public comment, and
   • (c.) Special focus on the availability of PaRC members as a resource to assist VR in addressing issues such as CareerLink (one-stop) accessibility, and physical and technological accessibility of government services for persons with disabilities.
3. Outreached directly into the disability community in Western Pennsylvania, and evaluated customer satisfaction with VR services by holding the first PaRC Public Forum. The forum provided an informal atmosphere where VR customers could discuss issues of concern such as:
• (a.) Communication with VR staff,
• (b.) The overall delivery of VR services to persons with the most significant disabilities, and
• (c.) Community awareness of the availability of VR services. The results of the Forum were provided to OVR, and will be used to facilitate discussion at meetings of the OVR Customer Satisfaction Committee workgroup, which will be held in FY 2004. The PaRC is an invited participant in this workgroup. We look forward to holding additional customer satisfaction forums during FY 2004.
4. Participated with OVR and BBVS in the revision and implementation of VR policy, which directly impacts individuals with disabilities in Pennsylvania who wish to attend college as part of their vocational rehabilitation plan. As part of this effort, the PaRC was asked to participate in the OVR/BBVS college policy workgroup. We look forward to continued participation on this workgroup during FY 2004.
5. Reviewed and made recommendations to VR regarding its customer appeals process. Specifically, the PaRC and the Client Assistance Program (CAP) jointly recommended that the appeal information available to customers be revised and made more "customer friendly". As a result, the "optional client appeal letter", a form designed to make appealing less burdensome on the customer, was designed, and is readily available from VR counselors.
6. Drafted a "sample letter" which is available to individuals with disabilities who experience accessibility problems at a CareerLink, and who would like to use the letter as an advocacy tool for themselves and others with disabilities who may wish to access CareerLink services. The PaRC also worked with VR to improve CareerLink accessibility through its active participation on the state's CareerLink Accessibility Workgroup.
7. Monitored, identified and responded to federal and state legislation and or public policy that affects persons with disabilities, particularly those items that will impact employment. Position papers were written on the following legislation that was due for reauthorization: the Rehabilitation Act, the Workforce Investment Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Assistive Technology Act. Members attended the National Rehabilitation Association conference in Alexandria, VA to keep current with national trends and priorities in vocational rehabilitation. Members also traveled to Washington, D.C. and presented the twenty-one Pennsylvania legislators with the council's position papers to educate them on the importance of the public vocational rehabilitation program.