Harrisburg, PA – As Pennsylvania recognizes National Disability Employment Awareness Month this October, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) is celebrating significant progress in helping Pennsylvanians secure meaningful employment through its Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). From program year 2022 to program year 2024, the number of OVR customers who secured employment increased by 13 percent, while their average hourly wages grew by 11 percent, reflecting continued progress in expanding career opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the Commonwealth.
“Individuals with disabilities bring valuable skills to the workforce. Employment is about more than a paycheck – it provides independence, purpose, and opportunity,” said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “We are fortunate to have leaders like Governor Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro who are deeply committed to providing all Pennsylvanians with opportunities and understand the importance of investing in OVR. We are making meaningful progress in connecting Pennsylvanians with disabilities to good-paying jobs.”
Between program years 2022 and 2024, OVR saw significant improvements in employment rates for the Pennsylvanians with disabilities the office assists. The number of customers who secured employment increased from 5,654 to 6,409, representing a 13 percent increase. During the same period, the average hourly wage for employed OVR customers rose from $17.24 to $19.05, an 11 percent increase. OVR collaborates with providers, employers, families, and agency partners to help Pennsylvanians achieve successful employment outcomes.
A History of Investing In and Supporting Pennsylvanians with Disabilities
Each year, OVR works with more than 76,000 students and adults with disabilities across Pennsylvania. Last year, nearly 18,000 students received Pre-Employment Transition Services, including paid work-based learning experiences like MY Work, and OVR helped more than 6,400 individuals secure competitive integrated employment.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of MY Work, a summer employment program for high school students with disabilities. OVR launched the program as a pilot in Allegheny County in 2016 with just 50 students working for the City of McKeesport. The program expanded statewide in 2021, and since then has provided paid, real-world work experiences to more than 3,600 young Pennsylvanians. That number includes the more than 1,000 students who participated at more than 250 MY Work sites across all 67 Pennsylvania counties this year, which marked a first for the program.
In 2026, the OVR Statewide Internship Program placed 27 interns across nine participating agencies in Harrisburg, Erie, Pittsburgh and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. This program was established in 2018, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Administration, to create internship opportunities and potential pathways to state employment for college students with disabilities. The program is specifically designed to help students build the professional and workplace skills needed to transition into the workforce after graduation. The program continues to expand each year with the goal of increased student and agency participation.
Throughout October, OVR district offices across Pennsylvania will host career fairs, employer engagement events, educational workshops, mock interviews, networking opportunities, and informational sessions designed to connect Pennsylvanians with disabilities to employment resources and strengthen partnerships with employers and community organizations.
Pennsylvania doesn’t celebrate disability employment only in October – it has made Employment First a statewide priority. Employment First means that competitive, integrated employment is the first and preferred outcome for Pennsylvanians with disabilities. The Employment First Act provides training, education, and support to help individuals reach their personal goals.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, please visit the website or follow L&I on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Note: The Pennsylvania Vocational Rehabilitation program receives 78.7 percent of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For federal fiscal year 2025, the total amount of federal grant funds awarded was $163,789,270. The remaining 21.3 percent of the costs ($44,329,243) were funded by state appropriations or another non-federal allowable source.
# # #