Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2006

PaRC at Work

1. Increased educational development opportunities for PaRC members which included:
   • Members attended Region III State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) Training Forum by Rehabilitation Services Administration, Regional Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program through the George Washington University in Alexandria, VA March, 2006. Members are working with SRCs from other states on forming a national organization to work on issues from a national perspective.
   • A member attended the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) Conference in San Diego, CA, November, 2005.
2. In consultation with vocational rehabilitation, developed and approved the State Plan Attachment for FY 2007. Highlights of this plan included continued efforts by the PaRC to increase communication with OVR and the OVR Board:
   • An overall emphasis on the importance of consumer input, including: recommendations that VR outreach to Citizen 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
   • 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 South Central and Northwestern Pennsylvania, and evaluated customer satisfaction with VR services by holding two Public Forums. The forums provided an informal atmosphere where VR customers could discuss issues of concern such as: VR - Delivery of Services, Vendor Relations, Training, Communication and Sensitivity and Transition.
4. 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 and the Workforce Investment Act. Members attended the National Rehabilitation Association conference in Alexandria, VA to keep current with national trends and priorities in vocational rehabilitation. Members traveled to Washington, D.C. and presented the twenty-two Pennsylvania legislators with the council's position papers to educate them on the importance of the public vocational rehabilitation program. Members also developed and delivered position papers to twenty state legislators in Harrisburg, PA in October 2005.
5. Collaborated with the OVR Board and other stakeholder workgroups at the annual retreat (September 2006) to develop the OVR strategic plan for the upcoming year. Topics this year included how to continue to provide quality services to OVR customers with flat funding and how to support and develop active citizen advisory committees.
6. The Council continued its recruitment efforts to maintain an experienced and diversified membership. Three new members were appointed and three members were reappointed to the Council this year.
7. The PaRC Website continues to be a useful resource for members and the public. This year the Website hit new all time highs with 6,901 visits in the month of March.
8. Developed and distributed the PaRC Annual Report to the Governor, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania Legislators, and other interested parties.
9. Participated in the following stakeholder workgroups: Advisory Committee for the Blind, State Independent Living Council, Multicultural Committee, and the Advisory Committee for Persons Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
10. Established a CareerLink Accessibility Committee to ensure that CareerLinks across the state are accessible both physically and programmatically for persons with disabilities.
11. Members participated in local Workforce Investment Board Meetings to learn more about the boards and to educate the boards about issues related to employment for persons with disabilities.
12. Increased networking, both statewide and nationally on conference calls with various organizations. Council continued to strengthen their relationship with the Department of Labor and Industry and OVR.

The council's position papers are included in this report on the following pages.