DEPARTMENT OF
LABOR AND INDUSTRYOffice of Vocational Rehabilitation; Public Comment on Amendments to State Plan [30 Pa.B. 955] The Department of Labor and Industry (Department), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), including the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS), under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, announces a period of public comment throughout the Commonwealth. The purpose of this period of comment is to provide individuals, advocates, and other interested parties and/or organizations the opportunity to present their views and recommendations regarding vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for persons with disabilities. In Pennsylvania, those services are provided by OVR through a network of 21 local offices including the OVR and the BBVS District Offices and the Hiram G. Andrews Center.
OVR, including BBVS, is required under law to develop and implement a Combined Agency State Plan which must be reviewed and, as necessary, revised annually when there are changes to the State's VR program. The Combined Agency State Plan, currently in effect for the period 2000-2004, is a compliance document filed with the Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, United States Department of Education. It is the blueprint for the provision of VR services to persons with disabilities in this Commonwealth.
This period of public comment gives interested parties an opportunity to provide input regarding Pennsylvania's public VR program. Specifically, comment is being solicited regarding the following State Plan components: comprehensive system of personnel development; annual estimate of individuals to be served and costs of services; state's goals and priorities; order of selection; innovation and expansion activities; and supported employment services.
All meeting sites are accessible and interpreters for people who are deaf or hard of hearing will be present at each public forum. For additional information, reasonable accommodation requests, or alternative format requests call the OVR District Office or BBVS District Office conducting the public forum you wish to attend.
If an individual or organization is unable to attend the public forums, but wishes to give testimony, written comments may be mailed to the appropriate OVR or BBVS District Office serving the area in which the individual/organization resides. Written comments should be submitted to that District Office by April 7, 2000.
A listing of OVR District Offices, the Hiram G. Andrews Center and BBVS District Offices and their addresses and telephone numbers (Voice & TTY) follows. The OVR and BBVS public forums are planned for March 27, 2000 through April 7, 2000. Persons/organizations wishing to obtain information regarding the specific time and location of the meetings in their area, a copy of the State Plan Attachments, or other information regarding OVR or BBVS services should contact the appropriate District Office in their area.
Copies of the current Combined Agency State Plan and revised Attachments will be available on the OVR web site: http://www.dli.state.pa.us/ovr
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Public ForumsAllentown OVR District Office
(Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton Counties)
160 Hamilton Street, Suite 100, Allentown, PA 18101
800-922-9536 (Voice); 610-821-6144 (TTY)Altoona OVR District Office
(Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton and Huntingdon Counties)
1101 Green Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601
800-442-6343 (Voice); 814-946-7240 (Voice and TTY)Altoona BBVS District Office
(Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Somerset, Union)
Executive House #1, 615 Howard Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601
814-946-7330 (Voice); 814-949-7955 (TTY)Dubois OVR District Office
(Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson and McKean Counties)
199 Beaver Drive, DuBois, PA 15801
800-922-4017 (Voice); 814-371-7505 (TTY)Erie OVR District Office
(Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and Warren Counties)
1600-C Peninsula Drive, Erie, PA 16505
800-541-0721 (Voice); 814-871-4535 (TTY)Erie BBVS District Office
(Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, Warren)
448 West 11th Street, Erie, PA 16501
814-871-4401 (Voice); 814-871-4599 (TTY)Harrisburg OVR District Office
(Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin and Perry Counties)
2971-B North Seventh Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110
800-442-6352 (Voice); 717-787-4013 (TTY)Harrisburg BBVS District Office
(Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, York)
2923 N. Seventh Street, Suite B, Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-787-7500 (Voice); 717-787-1733 (TTY)Johnstown OVR District Office
(Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland Counties)
Hiram G. Andrews Center
727 Goucher Street, Johnstown, PA 15905
800-762-4223 (Voice); 814-255-5510 (TTY)New Castle OVR District Office
(Armstrong, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence Counties)
100 Margaret Street, New Castle, PA 16101
800-442-6379 (Voice); 724-656-3252 (TTY)Philadelphia OVR District Office
(Philadelphia County)
444 North Third Street--Fifth Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19123
800-442-6381 (Voice); 215-560-6144 (TTY)Philadelphia BBVS District Office
(Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia)
Philadelphia State Office Building, 1400 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130-4064
215-560-5700 (Voice); 215-560-5725 (TTY)Pittsburgh OVR District Office
(Allegheny County)
217 State Office Building, 300 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
800-442-6371 (Voice); 412-392-5936 (TTY)Pittsburgh BBVS District Office
(Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington, Westmoreland)
Room G-10 Kossman Building, 400 Stanwix Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-565-5240 (Voice); 412-565-5509 (TTY)Reading OVR District Office
(Berks and Schuylkill Counties)
1090 Commons Blvd., Reading, PA 19605-3332
800-442-0949 (Voice); 610-378-4433 (TTY)Rosemont OVR District Office
(Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties)
1062 Lancaster Ave., Rosemont, PA 19010
800-221-1042 (Voice); 610-525-5835 (TTY)Washington OVR District Office
(Fayette, Greene and Washington Counties)
201 West Wheeling Street, Washington, PA 15301
800-442-6367 (Voice); 724-223-4430 (Voice and TTY)Wilkes-Barre OVR District Office
(Bradford, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties)
665 Carey Avenue, P. O. Box 1105, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773
800-634-2060 (Voice); 570-826-2023 (TTY)Wilkes-Barre BBVS District Office
(Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, Wyoming)
111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-2361
717-826-2361 (Voice & TTY)Williamsport OVR District Office
(Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Tioga and Union Counties)
The Grit Building - Suite 102, 208 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA 17701-6410
800-442-6359 (Voice); 570-327-3620 (TTY)York OVR District Office
(Adams, Franklin, Lancaster and York Counties)
2550 Kingston Road, York, PA 17402-3792
800-762-6306 (Voice); 717-771-4433 (TTY)THE Hiram G. Andrews Center
727 Goucher Street, Johnstown, PA 15905
800-762-4211 (Voice); 814-255-8200 (Voice and TTY)JOHN J. BUTLER,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 00-305. Filed for public inspection February 18, 2000, 9:00 a.m.]
