HARRISBURG — A bipartisan bill in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives seeks to consolidate certain state programs for people with disabilities into a new executive department headed by a Cabinet-level secretary.
The upcoming bill seeks to establish a Ministry of Disability Rights, Employment, Accessibility and Mobility (DREAM), which would be set up alongside the existing ministries of transport, education and environment.
The bill’s lead sponsor is Rep. Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny, a two-term legislator with a strong focus on disability issues who has been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare genetic connective tissue disorder.
“One of the things we’re trying to do is centralize most of the services that people with disabilities have,” Benham said. “When people with disabilities try to get services from the government, they might end up dealing with four or five different departments, which is really difficult.”
Under the current proposal, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Office of Developmental Programs, Office of the Hearing Impaired, Office of Services for the Blind, Office of Disability Certification, Office of Early Intervention Services and the Accessibility Advisory Board would all transition to DREAM.
The Secretary appointed to lead DREAM will advise the Governor directly on issues relating to physical, intellectual, developmental and sensory disabilities.
This includes financing and administering program services and working with all levels of government, community groups, and health care organizations to follow through on initiatives incorporated in the state’s action plan. As the executive branch, it has the authority to promulgate rules and regulations.
The DREAM proposal is modeled after the Maryland Office on Disabilities, which was first introduced under a different name last session by House Majority Whip Dan Miller (D-Allegheny). Rep. Miller and Rep. Jason Ortitei (R-Allegheny/Wash.) have proposed a variety of disability-related bills and initiatives and are co-sponsoring the new bill led by Benham.
Miller said DREAM was inspired by issues highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. One concern was that public officials were posting information about the pandemic, including information that could potentially save lives, on websites that didn’t meet standards for people with disabilities, such as lacking software to assist the visually impaired.
“We want to encourage policies to be created with those needs in mind from the beginning,” said Miller, who is hosting the 11th annual Disability and Mental Health Summit in Pittsburgh on April 18 and 19. For more information, visit www.disabilitysummit.com.
Miller said disability advocacy isn’t a popular topic at the Statehouse. It’s often used as fodder for legislative newsletters and photo opportunities, he said, but little else. He hopes the DREAM Act and upcoming disability employment proposals will not only spur attention, but action.
“Disability and mental health issues are inherently nonpartisan, certainly regardless of demographics or party affiliation,” Miller said. “If you’ve ever been moved by the richness of the human experience that includes these diagnoses, you’ll care about progress in this field.”
Benham said DREAM can help make bureaucracies more efficient, citing the establishment in 2012 of the Drug and Alcohol Agency, a cabinet-level agency under the Department of Health, as an example.
“Saving time and getting service quicker is important,” Benham said.
“Taking this role has given me a little more insight into how bureaucratic state government can be, and because of my identity, I can see how it impacts this community,” she added. “To be able to push for this bill from the inside is really special.”