Law Center Signs on to Vocational Rehab Letter

On June 1, 2015, the Law Center signed on to a letter to support the Advocates for Community Employment (ACE) and promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

One of the main ways people with disabilities obtain work is through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), which assists people with disabilities to find and establish meaningful work by providing a variety of individualized services—from job coaching to technical assistance. OVR assisted over 71,000 people with disabilities and helped over 8,200 people with disabilities attain sustainable jobs in 2014 alone.

Governor Tom Wolf proposed $5 million in state funds for OVR’s Transfer to Vocational Rehabilitation Fund, which would increase federal funding for vocational rehabilitation in Pennsylvania. With increased funding, OVR could support many more people with disabilities.

In the letter, ACE wrote, “Many more people with disabilities want to work in the community and earn a living wage. Many more people need services to maintain their employment.”

Increased funding would allow more people with disabilities to gain independence and contribute to their communities. We hope the Appropriations Committees Chairs will support the Governor’s budget proposal and ensure that Pennsylvania increases the final budget in 2015-2016 by $5 million in state funds for the Transfer to Vocational Rehabilitation Fund.

Click here to read ACE’s letter.