Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council Annual Report
Fiscal Year 2007

PaRC at Work in 2007

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, 2007. 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 Francisco, CA, November, 2007.
2. In consultation with vocational rehabilitation, developed and approved the State Plan Attachment for FY 2008. 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 Pennsylvania, and evaluated customer satisfaction with VR services by attending the State Plan meetings across Pennsylvania. At the meetings members gave an explanation of Council's connection to the CAC's, and tried to recruit new members of both groups. Members also explain their survey tool, and make it available if individuals would like to complete it.
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-four 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 five state legislators in Harrisburg, PA in May 2007.
5. The Council continued its recruitment efforts to maintain an experienced and diversified membership. Two new members were appointed and six members were reappointed to the Council this year.
6. The PaRC Website continues to be a useful resource for members and the public. This year the Website hit new all time highs with 8,519 visits in the month of June.
7. Developed and distributed the PaRC Annual Report to the Governor, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania Legislators, and other interested parties.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.