Transition Map

General Transition Issues

The PA Office of Developmental Programs, formerly Office of Mental Retardation (OMR), a section of the PA Department of Public Welfare, has a customer hotline number for general information and referrals. The toll-free number is 1-888-565-9435. The TTY number is 1-866-388-1114. The local number is 717-265-7427. A customer service member answers calls from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. After these hours or on holidays, callers may leave a confidential message on voicemail. Include your name, telephone number with area code, and the best time of day to reach you. You may also include detailed information about your question or concern.

The Partnership: The PA Training Partnership for People with Disabilities and Families makes available training and technical assistance across the Commonwealth. The Partnership offers knowledge, power and assistance to citizens with disabilities who are eager to belong and contribute to their communities. For more information call 1-866-865-6170 or visit www.TheTrainingPartnership.org.

PaTTAN has revised the following Transition brochures:

Transition: What Administrators Need to Know

Transition: What Educators Need to Know

Transition: What Families Need to Know

These fact sheets provide information to educators, administrators, and families about secondary transition planning for students with disabilities. Go to www.pattan.net, go to Resources and click on Publications. Under "View Publications by Interest Area," select Secondary Transition from the drop-down menu. Under "View Publications by Material Format," select Quick Facts from the drop-down menu. Click Search for Publications . To receive hard copies of this product, order online at www.pattan.net or email your request to Sunanda Banerjee at sbanerjee@pattan.net.

PA Education for All Coalition is a partnership of parents, educators, related professionals and others who believe that children of all backgrounds and abilities should be successfully educated together in their neighborhood schools within the general education curriculum. The Education for All listserv is an exchange of ideas and stories about inclusive education. The Coalition's Parent Consultant Network provides training and technical assistance to schools, school districts, colleges and universities that prepare future teachers, and parents of children with disabilities who advocate for inclusive education. For more information contact Diane Perry at 610-522-0698.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic provides recorded textbooks for those who cannot read standard print because of visual, physical or learning disability. For more information, call 610-265-8090 or email philadelphia@rfbd.org.

Special Education in a Nutshell is available online at http://www.elc-pa.org

Parents of children with disabilities are also protected by ADA. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. In addition to protecting qualified applicants and employees with disabilities from employment discrimination, one ADA provision the "association" provision" - protects applicants and employees from discrimination based on their relationship or association with an individual with a disability, whether or not the applicant or employee has a disability.

The purpose of the "association provision" is to prevent employers from taking adverse actions based on unfounded stereotypes or assumptions about individuals who associate with people who have disabilities. It makes unlawful actions, such as refusing to hire an individual who has a child with a disability based on an assumption that the applicant will be away from work excessively or be otherwise unreliable, firing an employee who works with people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS based on the assumption that the employee will contract the disease, or denying an employee health care coverage available to others because of the disability of an employee's dependent. This document explains the requirements of the ADA's association provision and provides examples of how it applies to these and other employment situations.

Education

IDEA 2004 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) Transition guidelines are summarized at http://www.ncset.org/publications/related/ideatransition.asp

Employment

The PA OVR and other community agencies' staff offer information about employment.

The PA CareerLink offers job training and employment opportunities for people in the community. To locate the nearest PA CareerLink center, call 1-877-872-5627.

Housing

The goal of the Self-Determination Housing Project of Pennsylvania, Inc. is to build upon national and state efforts to increase the stock of affordable, accessible, integrated housing. By bringing together individuals committed to this goal, the project is expanding access to public and private housing programs and self-determination in housing for people with developmental disabilities.

Information and applications for Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) can be obtained through

Benefits Planning Assistance Outreach offices (BPAO) are available to advise individuals on earned income and how it affects their Social Security or other benefits they may receive. The BPAO office for Montgomery County can be reached at 1-800-692-7443, ext. 309. The program provides individualized counseling on work incentives to persons ages 14-64, who receive SSI and/or SSDI and are working or interested in becoming employed.

Transportation resources

SEPTA offers several programs that provide transportation to individuals that need to travel to and from work, such as paratransit or Customized Community Transportation (click on the icon for Customized Community Transportation). The American Public Transportation Assocation also provides information on public transportation. It is a good idea to obtain a non-driver's photo ID from a State Police Examination Center.

Employment networks under the "Ticket to Work" and "Work Incentives Act" have recently begun to identify themselves as a source of job training. Information about these programs can be obtained by contacting your local Social Security Administration Office.

If you need more information regarding transition planning from the Montgomery County Office of Mental Retardation, please contact your Suppports Coordinator at 610-278-1284.