The Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Advisory Council (RAC/Council) is pleased to present its 1997 Annual Report. This report is prepared and presented in accordance with Section 105(c)(4) of the 1992 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act which states:

"The state rehabilitation advisory council shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor and the Commissioner on the status of vocational rehabilitation programs operated within the State, and make the report available to the public."

The Pennsylvania RAC was established in 1993 as mandated under the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992. The Council provides citizen oversight to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and shares its dedication to the empowerment of persons with disabilities, particularly those with the most severe disabilities, so that they may realize their goals with respect to employment, independence, and integration into society.

The Rehabilitation Advisory Council reviews, analyzes, and makes recommendations regarding all aspects of the vocational rehabilitation program in Pennsylvania to the OVR State Board and to OVR's Executive Director. The Council actively monitors policies and programs to assure that they are customer driven and responsive to the identified needs of the individual, specifically, and of persons with disabilities in general.

Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act and Pennsylvania's plans for Workforce Development are just two of the many issues which the RAC addressed this year. The process through which Pennsylvanians obtain employment training and placement services is destined to change. As the principle advisory body on employment of persons with disabilities, the RAC expects to play an active role in assuring that OVR services, provided by qualified rehabilitation personnel, remain an integral part of the Commonwealth's job services system.

Virginia Leonard
Chairperson, Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Advisory Council
1996-1997