PRA President Letter to Gov. Wolf on State Schedule A Model
Office of the Governor
508 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Dear Governor Wolf,
The PRA (Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Association) is a member based, award winning chapter of the National Rehabilitation Association which is committed to furthering the vocational and independence goals of citizens with disabilities. Our PRA members are residents of Pennsylvania who work for private and public entities that are committed to working day to day to directly assist people with disabilities as they struggle to find and keep meaningful work.
As such, our membership applauds your work in establishing PA as an “Employment First” state.
Additionally, in light of the leadership you have already demonstrated in this regard, and because employment rates for citizens with disabilities continue to hover at below average rates, we ask your support for another initiative that could dramatically increase this rate of employment for PA citizens with disabilities. We respectfully ask that you support the section of “Employment First” that calls for a fast tracked means to bring more workers with disabilities onboard as Commonwealth of PA employees. (Recommendation #47 indicates support for such a fast-track process and Recommendation #48 a. Recruiting people with a disability to apply for commonwealth jobs and b. Ensuring the application process is accessible, user-friendly, and promotes alternative formats to attract qualified applicants with varying disabilities)
This request would also allow the PA government to directly show its leadership in the area of diversity and inclusion by hiring MORE STATE WORKERS with disabilities.
Specifically, the purpose of my letter is to ask for approval from your office to develop a “Schedule A” type program and to create U Code job classification (3c6-unskilled) utilizing the “customized employment” model. By supporting this request, you will lead the effort to permit more candidates with disabilities to be hired by the Commonwealth of PA, utilizing a model that has stood the test of time as a hiring preference program for the Federal government.
Let me explain. Last summer the State Civil Service Commission conducted meetings with interested state agencies and other organizations that submitted comments to the Independent Regulatory Review (IRRC) Commission in response to the proposed draft regulations implementing Acts 69 and 167 of 2016. During these meetings they had requests for the creation of an alternative hiring pathway for individuals with disabilities; this would be a program similar to the Federal Government’s “Schedule A” Hiring Program. The Commissioners wrote letters to Secretary Minnich conveying these requests along with their willingness to move forward and begin the development of a “Schedule A” type hiring program for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania but have not received authorization.
We again applaud your work in making PA an Employment First State, and we now ask that you show the same commitment to diversity and inclusion of workers with disabilities by opening up more opportunities for them to be considered for employment by our own state government. Your support for a “Schedule A” type of hiring program to be implemented in PA would be a landmark increase in the number of Pennsylvanians with disabilities who find and keep meaningful jobs.
In October of last year the House Labor & Industry Committee held hearings on HB 1641(Employment First). The testimony given by the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA) referenced recommendations involving the Civil Service Commission. The State Civil Service Commissioners followed up with RCPA and met with their representatives on January 17, 2018. One of the recommendations by RCPA was the creation of a “Schedule A” type hiring program for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The groundwork for authorization of this Program was laid out in your Employment First Executive Order. Goal #2 The Office of Administration will explore the means to reduce barriers to Commonwealth employment for Pennsylvanians with a disability.” Furthermore Recommendation #47 indicates support for such a fast-track process and Recommendation #48 a. Recruiting people with a disability to apply for commonwealth jobs and b. Ensuring the application process is accessible, user-friendly, and promotes alternative formats to attract qualified applicants with varying disabilities clearly are asking for just such a Program.
What is needed? The Commissioners are very much in favor of proceeding with the recommendations they’ve received, however they are unable to proceed without authorization from your office. Will you provide the “push” needed to move forward and initiate the development of a “Schedule A” type hiring program for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?
Sincerely,
Ralph Roach, M.S., CRC, PA L.P.C.
2018 Pa Rehabilitation Association President-PRA
Presidentpra2018@gmail.com
The Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Association is a membership based professional development organization whose members are committed to advancing independence and employment for Pennsylvanians with disabilities. PRA is the Pennsylvania Chapter of The National Rehabilitation Association.
Cc: 2018 PRA Board
Dr. Fred Schroeder- NRA