Shortage of workers affects people with disabilities

In Pennsylvania, an astonishing 13,300 people with intellectual disabilities are on a waiting list for services. Additionally, 2,000 people with autism await services.

In the Jan. 14 Post-Gazette article, “Report: Pa. Improving Services for Disabled,” reporters Kate Giammarise and Jill Daly correctly point out that while Pennsylvania has made great strides in recent years, one of the largest barriers to providing quality supports for people with disabilities is a severe shortage of direct support professionals.

This is not just an Allegheny County or a Pennsylvania problem. This is a national systemic failure to prepare a well-educated, competent workforce equipped with the knowledge, values and skills to meet the needs of people with disabilities. The importance of a DSP in the life of an individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities cannot be overstated. They empower people with disabilities to be successful and achieve the same quality of life that we all strive for. They provide care, a support system and companionship.

A DSP is a lifeline for people who need help navigating daily life. And the DSP shortage is preventing tens of thousands of people from achieving quality of life.

Fortunately for anyone considering a rewarding career as a DSP, on-the-job training is available to anyone who is kind, hardworking, flexible and dependable. There are dozens of agencies in our region that provide essential residential, in-home and employment services — and all of them are hiring.

From college students to anyone looking to make the world a better place, we urge you to learn more about the need for DSPs. Together, we can do better for people with disabilities here in Allegheny County.

KAREN D JACOBSEN

Mt. Lebanon