Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker and Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin recently teamed up to promote services for individuals with disabilities and reinforce the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to ensuring that all Pennsylvanians have real freedom and opportunity to chart their own course toward success.
The Secretaries visited an event hosted by the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) – the training arm of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) Bureau of Special Education (BSE) — to showcase assistive technology (AT) tools and resources for students with sensory impairments across the Commonwealth. The Technology Adventure for Students with Vision and Hearing Needs series brings together families, educators, and AT vendors to share information about advancements in assistive technology for individuals with vision and/or hearing loss.
More than 6,000 PreK-12 students in Pennsylvania have sensory impairments. Assistive technology plays a vital role in the education of those students by allowing them to fully participate in the general education curriculum alongside other students.
To help ensure that Pennsylvania students have the resources they need to learn and grow all year long, the state’s 2024-25 budget prioritizes services for Pennsylvanians with disabilities that support independence without barriers by investing an additional $787,000 in vocational rehabilitation. More than 50,000 individuals with disabilities receive services through the vocational rehabilitation program and an additional 17,000 students with disabilities utilize OVR’s pre-employment transition services program annually. Pre-employment transition services become available to Pennsylvania students with disabilities starting at age 14.
L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) helps Pennsylvanians with disabilities achieve independence through competitive, integrated employment. Services available at no cost to eligible individuals include diagnostic services, vocational evaluation, counseling, job training, placement assistance, assistive technology and more. Within OVR, L&I also offers specialized assistance to individuals with visual impairments and individuals with hearing loss.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and its workforce development initiatives, please visit the website or follow L&I on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest.