[NFBP-Talk] PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Reopening the Order of Selection -- No More Waiting List!

[Joseph Drenth]

Hello everyone,
 
There is good news from Harrisburg: Effective today, the Pennsylvania Office
of Vocational Rehabilitation is doing away with the waiting list to receive
services. If you are seeking vocational rehabilitation services to pursue
your educational or career goals, you will no longer be placed on a waiting
list. The press release is attached as a PDF file, and the primary contents
of the PDF are provided below for your benefit:
 
Pennsylvania  DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY
OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
 
The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is announcing the
reopening of the Order of Selection (OOS) for Pennsylvanians who are Most
Significantly Disabled (MSD), effective July 1, 2021.
Due to this reopening, the waiting list will be discontinued for MSD
applicants.
 
The Order of Selection was temporarily closed on July 1, 2019, after OVR's
state board approved the closure.
The U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration
(RSA) subsequently approved and supported OVR's request to close the order
and create a waiting list for new customers.
Since the closure of the order, OVR has authorized 17,162 individuals to be
released from the wait list.
 
For a customer to be determined MSD, they will need to meet the following
eligibility criteria.
Those who are determined Significantly Disabled (SD) and/or
Non-Significantly Disabled (NSD) will be served based on the availability of
funds.
 
MSD Criteria
. The physical, mental or sensory impairment(s) must seriously limit three
or more of the individual's functional capacities;
and
. The individual must be expected to require two or more vocational
rehabilitation services that are expected to last six months from the date
of the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) or be needed on an ongoing
basis to reduce an impediment to employment.
 
OVR looks forward to continuing their mission to assist Pennsylvanians with
disabilities in achieving their independent living and employment goals.
 
If you are interested in applying for OVR services, please contact your
local OVR office or apply for OVR services online.
 
OVR's Mission: To assist Pennsylvanians with disabilities to secure and
maintain employment and independence.
 
 
 
Joseph Drenth 
First Vice-President, National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation
Senior R&D Software Engineer, JBT Corporation, Automated Systems Division
Cell: 215-827-7787
Email: joe.drenth at gmail.com
 
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