Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council (PaRC) Newsletter: August 18, 2025

ICYMI: It has been a very active and successful summer for OVR, PaRC Members, students, and many others across the Commonwealth!

Governor Shapiro Honors Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Office of Administration Employees with Governor’s Awards for Excellence for Transforming Internship Program for College Students with Disabilities into a Model of Strategic Innovation and Foresight

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/newsroom/governor-shapiro-honors-office-of-vocational-rehabilitation-and-.html

Shapiro Administration Visits L&I’s Summer Employment Program Providing Students with Disabilities Access to Meaningful Work Opportunities Across Pennsylvania

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/newsroom/dli_summer_employment_program_providing_students_with_disabilities_access_to_meaningful_work_opportunities.html

L&I program helping people with disabilities find and keep employment

https://www.timesleader.com/news/1704949/capitol-roundup-li-program-helping-people-with-disabilities-find-and-keep-employment

Statewide program equips hearing-disabled students with skills for college and workforce

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careers/statewide-program-equips-hearing-disabled-students-with-skills-for-college-and-workforce/ar-AA1HuJqI

PA Secondary Transitions Summer Employment and News

https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/sub-indicator/summer-employment

https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/news

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) News and Resources

https://www.yapinc.org/News

The Neighborhood Advocate

https://theneighborhoodadvocate.org/

What are you most interested in learning about as the new school year approaches?

Back to School Resources:

School-to-Work Transition Services for Students with Disabilities

https://www.pa.gov/services/dli/apply-for-school-to-work-transition-services-for-students-with-d.html

Resources from PA Secondary Transition

https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/

PA Secondary Transition Event Calendar

https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/event/

Commonwealth Technical Institute at the Hiram G. Andrews Center (CTI at HGAC)

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/programs-services/disability-and-vocational-rehabilitation/cti-at-hgac.html

PA Planning for the Future Transition Checklist

https://www.pealcenter.org/pa-planning-for-the-future-transition-checklist/

Resources from Edutopia

https://www.edutopia.org/

Resources from Greater Good In Education (GGIE)

https://ggie.berkeley.edu/

Research-based lessons to support students' social-emotional learning and digital well-being.

https://www.commonsense.org/education/collections/digital-well-being-lessons-for-grades-k-12

PA’s PROMISE for Children: Supporting Children’s Mental Health

https://papromiseforchildren.com/supporting-childrens-mental-health/ 

Learn more about upcoming events

by visiting the following links!

PA Employment - Recruitment, Job Fairs, and Hiring Events Calendar

https://www.employment.pa.gov/Pages/events.aspx

PA Secondary Transition Events

https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/event

August is National Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Awareness Month

https://www.curesma.org/sma-awareness-month/

September is National Service Dog Awareness Month

https://nationaltoday.com/national-service-dog-month/

PA State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation Meeting

September 9, 2025

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/notices/pa-state-board-of-vocational-rehabilitation.html

Commonwealth Technical Institute at the Hiram G. Andrews Center Campus

20th Annual Career & Transition Fair

October 22 - 24, 2025

https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dli/documents/individuals/disability-services/cti-hgac/documents/events/2025-career-transition-fair.pdf

Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) Hearing Loss Expo

Save the date! March 10 & 11, 2026

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/programs-services/disability-and-vocational-rehabilitation/odhh.html

Benefits Corner

Benefits Counseling can be one of the most important tools for the successful attainment and maintaining employment for individuals with a disability. It can also be complicated but very much worth the effort. That is why members of the PaRC have created a ‘Benefits Corner’ which is a compiled list of helpful resources of both benefits counseling topics and OVR services included below. Check the PaRC's Benefits Corner regularly for more updates and resources at https://parehabilitationcouncil.org/benefits-corner/

Benefits Counseling Resources,

Videos, Webinars, and More

Ticket to Work and Reasonable Accommodations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeAaz6nPHB4

Presenting Your Best Self to Employers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu-iZH1UxRU

Working While Receiving Disability Benefits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz5kYsH1k1g

FAQs About Working While You Receive Disability Benefits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sTecetwnS8

What is Ticket to Work?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUv-tIIakG8

Meet Your Employment Team

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbH7M-OAquI

Start Where You Are

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXGZGAJ4qeM

Training - Learn How the Ticket to Work Program Can Work for You

https://choosework.ssa.gov/training/

Video – Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) 5 Tracks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49eWvGitLPw

Webinars - PA ABLE and Social Security Disability Programs

https://paable.gov/webinars/

PA CareerLink Resources for Individuals with Disabilities

https://www.pacareerlink.pa.gov/jponline/Persona/PersonaPage/IndividualDisabilities

PA Department of Human Services - Employment and Training Programs

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/for-residents/employment-training-programs.html

Ticket to Work Service Provider Outreach Toolkit

https://yourtickettowork.ssa.gov/related-resources/service-provider-outreach-toolkit.html

Ticket to Work Success Stories

https://choosework.ssa.gov/success-stories/

WISE Webinars

Are you interested in learning about how work will affect your Social Security benefits? Social Security hosts free online Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) webinars. WISE webinars can help you and your family members learn about the Ticket to Work Program and other Social Security work incentives. They’re generally held on the 4th Wednesday of each month.

https://choosework.ssa.gov/wise/

Help spread the word!

PaRC has continued to expand its Social Media outreach as part of fulfilling our mission to inform and educate on the diverse issues affecting employment of people with disabilities. Please show your support by following us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

In case you missed it, OVR’s Annual Report for 2024 is now available! Discover important highlights, successes, and initiatives that drive our mission forward. We are proud to share in this journey and be the consumer voice for the VR program! Full Report can be found here:  OVR 2024 Annual Report 

Visit the following link to access “The Story” – the latest edition of OVR’s success story publication. The PaRC is excited to share these stories highlighting teachers and nurses and the employment attained through the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS) and Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (BVRS) District Offices.

The Story – An OVR Success Story Publication

PaRC Social Media / Outreach Committee would like to continue to highlight additional OVR Employment Success Stories on the PaRC website, social media, Annual Report, and other communications. If you or someone you know would be interested in sharing an important employment related milestone achieved with the assistance of OVR services, please let us know. Such achievements may include attaining a dream job, a promotion, an important anniversary of successful integrated competitive employment, or other successes.

Spotlighting the important work and successful attainment of employment that is made possible through OVR services is the foremost mechanism for the PaRC to fulfill its mission. Please feel free to contact us with your information, questions, or comments at parc@parehabilitationcouncil.org

Help spread the word about the PaRC Newsletter by inviting your friends and colleagues to sign up!

Our newsletter is intended to broaden the conversation about the diverse issues affecting employment of people with disabilities. Those interested in receiving our newsletter may send an email to parc@parehabilitationcouncil.org with their contact info or fill out the contact form provided on the PaRC website at the following link: https://parehabilitationcouncil.org/contact/

Is advocacy for Disability Rights

and employment for people with disabilities

something you are passionate about?

Please help spread the word! 

The Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council (PaRC) is accepting applications for candidates to fill the following categories of representation that are currently open:

• Business/Labor/Industry
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Mental Health
• Physical Disabilities
• Sensory Disabilities
• State Department of Education
• Veteran

As of July, 2026 the categories of representation listed below will also be available. PaRC encourages all applicants to apply as early as possible to ensure a timely transition of membership:

• Sensory Disabilities
• Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)

 

If you are interested or know of someone who is interested in becoming a member of the PA Rehabilitation Council, please go to our new website (https://parehabilitationcouncil.org/get-involved/become-a-member/) and fill out an application.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is right around the corner. Be on the lookout for the PaRC October Newsletter!

US Department of Labor announces ‘Celebrating Value and Talent’ as National Disability Employment Awareness Month’s 2025 theme

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/ndeam