6 Key Reasons to Support $5 Million OVR Budget Increase
to Help Young People with Disabilities Get Work Experience
This
appropriation
is
needed
to
implement
the
provisions
of
HB
400
approved
by
the
House
by
a
vote
of
198-0.
An
identical
bill
in
the
Senate
(SB
200)
has
36
cosponsors,
including
Senate
President
Pro
Tempore
Joseph
Scarnati
and
Minority
Leader
Sen.
Jay
Costa,
indicating
its
strong
bipartisan
support.
Gov.
Wolf
included
this
funding,
and
the
federal
matching
funds
it
would
obtain,
in
his
proposed
2015-2016
budget
for
the
Office
of
Vocational
Rehabilitation
(OVR).
Here
are
six
key
reasons
to
make
sure
the
funds
are
included
in
the
final
2015-2016
state
budget:
Promotes
Work
over
Dependence:
Young
people
with
disabilities
deserve
the
chance
to
go
to
work
after
high
school,
rather
than
entering
a
lifetime
of
dependence
upon
government
services,
and
a
strong
likelihood
of
living
in
poverty.
Creates
Return
on
Investment:
Pennsylvania
invests
more
than
$200,000
on
the
education
of
young
people
with
disabilities.
Skills
developed
in
special
education
are
often
lost
if
young
people
with
disabilities
graduate
to
the
couch
rather
than
going
to
work.
Gets
Teens
with
Disabilities
Vital
Early
Work
Experience:
Under
the
current
system,
OVR
has
a
lengthy
backlog
of
young
people
needing
job
placement
services.
This
funding
will
reduce
the
backlog
and
create
opportunities
for
part-time
and
summer
jobs
earlier
in
high
school
just
like
their
peers.
With
this
work
experience
they
will
be
better
positioned
to
compete
for
jobs
after
high
school.
Earns
Long
Term
Cost
Savings:
Potentially
more
than
$1
million
in
government
funds
can
be
saved
each
time
a
person
with
a
disability
gets
a
job,
rather
than
receiving
services
at
an
Adult
Training
Facility
at
a
cost
of
$20,000/year
for
50-plus
years.
Utilizes
Federal
Matching
Funds:
Every
dollar
of
the
Commonwealth
invests
in
this
area
of
OVR
services
generates
nearly
4
dollars
of
federal
matching
funds.
This
$5
million
state
investment
will
create
up
$18
million
in
new
federal
matching
funds.
Returns
PA
to
Full
Federal
Funding:
Pennsylvania
historically
has
drawn
down
all
of
its
federal
allocation
under
the
Vocational
Rehabilitation
program.
Cuts
in
this
funding
area
were
one
of
the
painful
effects
of
the
Great
Recession
resulting
a
loss
of
available
matching
federal
funds.
This
appropriation
returns
Pennsylvania
to
fully
seeking
available
federal
matching
funds
for
OVR.