Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council Reauthorization
Testimony
Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council
1902 Market Street
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Voice (717) 975-2004 or (888)
250-5175 TTY (877) 827-9974 Fax(888) 524-9282
E-mail
racucpca@parac.org Website
www.parac.org
My name is Carol Baker and I am the chairperson of the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council. As you are aware, the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council was created in the 1992 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under this Act, the Council reviews, analyzes, and advises the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). The Council reviews OVR’s performance in regard to eligibility, extent, scope and effectiveness of services provided that affect or potentially affect the ability of individuals with disabilities in achieving employment outcomes, particularly those individuals with the most significant disabilities.
In 2001, OVR served persons with these Major Disabling Conditions:
326 persons with Traumatic Brain Injury
538 persons with Blind/Visually Impaired
968 persons with Learning Disabled
886 persons with Alcoholism/Drug Addiction
1,007 persons with Deaf/Hard of Hearing
1,234 persons with Other Physical Disabilities
1,364 persons with Mental Retardation
2,750 persons with Mental Disorders
2,916 persons with Orthopedic/Amputation
In partnership with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Council develops, agrees to, and reviews the State’s goals and priorities and reports OVR’s progress to the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration. The Council reviews consumer satisfaction and provides a voice for persons with disabilities, as their representative.
Public vocational rehabilitation has existed in Pennsylvania since 1919, which is one year prior to the federal program of vocational rehabilitation.
- Pennsylvania has developed an effective service system for persons with disabilities, returning $10.00 for every $1.00 spent.
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The total number of Pennsylvanians successfully rehabilitated in 2001 was 11,989; of these, 10,875 (93%) were placed into competitive employment.
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The weekly earnings of the 11,989 individuals rehabilitated in 2001 before Rehabilitation was $810,877 and after Rehabilitation is $3,431,821.
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The estimated taxes paid by VR consumers placed in employment during 2001 was $46,398,200
The Bush Administration, in its budget proposal for 2003, called the nationwide, public vocational rehabilitation program one of the most efficient programs under the Department of Education. Pennsylvania’s Rehabilitation Council supports the continuation of public vocational rehabilitation with single streamed, mandatory funding.
We believe that public vocational rehabilitation provides a vehicle that is efficient, low cost and without the pressures of the for-profit sector, and that it significantly enhances opportunities for persons with the most significant disabilities to return to meaningful work. In conclusion, the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council:
- Strongly supports single source funding
- Excluding vocational rehabilitation from any super wavier developed during reauthorization
- Ensuring the accountability of vocational rehabilitation through the development of a standardized method of reporting within the partners in WIA that will protect the confidentiality of persons with disabilities, and
- Strengthening the mandated CAP advocacy in transition issues and in Title I of the ADA
