[BlindTlk] Is blindness from birth considered a developmental disability under the definition

[Ericka]

Wisconsin is kind of weird. And that I mean that we do not have a separate agency for people with disabilities like a commission for the blind for example. We have a tiered system. Depending on how severe your disabilities are you get help from a counselor quicker. So for example because I am quite legally blind and epileptic I move up on the charts with someone who only has a developmental disability. However in Wisconsin you don’t have to go to the vocational rehab services necessarily to get help.. I am pretty sure that you can contact Seay Goodwill and then they will work with you to get you through the system. We also have two agencies one called Care Wisconsin and another called Icare which are HMO is that give you a nurse, social worker and will help you get everything you need including showing up at vocational rehab appointments. Her social worker did not come to meetings but she submitted suggestions via email to my counselor. So in essence we all work together.

I figured this out after years and years of trying to understand the crazy system. We have a program here in Wisconsin called family care and that’s what the two programs, Care Wisconsin and Icare are under.

Ericka Nelson

> On Jan 18, 2020, at 7:11 PM, Rene Harrell via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I can answer this question in respect to Massachusetts. My now 18 year old
> daughter is both blind and has developmental disabilities— with diagnoses
> of moderate Intellectual Disability (IQ of 45) and Autism. In order to
> qualify for Mass Commission of the Blind services she needed to Blind. In
> order to qualify for services from the Department of Developmental
> Disability Services (DDS) as an adult, she needed to have a documented IQ
> of below 70 that also causes a significant limitations in adaptive
> functioning and had an age of onset before the age of 18, or Autism with
> significant impatient in adaptive functioning.
> 
> While her blindness was certainly noted as an additional medical condition,
> it was not considered as part of the eligibility process in qualifying for
> DDS services— that was strictly based on an assessment of IQ and how her IQ
> impacted her adaptive functioning, not how her blindness impacts her
> adaptive functioning.
> 
> Hope that helps!
> Rene
> 
>> On Saturday, January 18, 2020, Kerry via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi I have been on this list for sometime but have never really posted a
>> topic but this is my question is blindness considered a developmental
>> disability under the definition and in most or some states does it qualify
>> for related services. I have been part of both systems for a few years now
>> the vocational rehab system in the DDS system in my state i’ve had problems
>> trying to work with both systems to develop plans and have really been
>> stuck for quite a while now sure the goal always is to focus on what can I
>> do independently into relying on natural supports as much as possible
>> joining the DDS system was more of a social thing than it was to design a
>> plan of services or community staff support and that is not to say that
>> community staff is somehow wrong or wouldn’t help in some areas but I would
>> like some guidance on this issue.
>> Although Rhode Island really lacks in resources for the Blind anyway and
>> have considered a lot moving out of Rhode Island eventually because I just
>> don’t know if I can get successful here
>> Kerry
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
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> 
> 
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