Feb 20, 2022 Updated Apr 5, 2022
Building on years of work on behalf of Pennsylvanians with disabilities, state Rep. Dan Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon, has been appointed to the state Employment First Oversight Commission, a group tasked with increasing quality employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The commission was created by the enactment of Act 36 of 2018, a bipartisan piece of legislation Miller co-authored with House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster.
“Ever since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, advocates have been pushing for states and the federal government to address the massive employment gap for people with disabilities,” Miller said. “Competitive, family-sustaining employment is the lifeline to real independence.”
In Pennsylvania, approximately 65% of people with disabilities are not involved in the workforce, a number that is reflected across the United States.
“I am very honored to be part of this nonpartisan commission which has such an important role to play in improving people’s lives,” Miller said. “We have made progress since the ADA, but the fullness of aspiration is up to us to complete. I am excited to join the commission and look forward to continuing to advocate for and with people with disabilities to improve employment possibilities.”
In furtherance of that goal, Miller, a leading voice in disability and mental health issues, will soon be unveiling the program for his annual Disability and Mental Health Summit, which has become the largest collection of disability and mental health resources in Western Pennsylvania.