[Coagdu] FW: Important Message regarding 2 DVR Processes

[melissa R green]

For your information.

 

Warmly,

Melissa R. Green and Pj

It is 'where we are' that
should make all the
difference, whether we believe
we belong there or not. 

 

From: Lisa Bonderson
[mailto:lbonderson at cocenter.or
g] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 05,
2015 11:51 AM
To: Lisa Bonderson
(lkb at labarrelaw.com)
Subject: Important Message
regarding 2 DVR Processes

 

Greetings,

There are two important
processes in motion regarding
Colorado's Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation
(DVR), and they present
significant opportunities for
the blind of the state to
receive improved services from
that agency.  These things
don't just happen, of course,
but require our input and
vigilance.

Both processes came out of the
2015 Colorado legislative
session.  The first of these
processes is the transfer of
DVR from its long-time home in
the Department of Human
Services (DHS) to the
Department of Labor and
Employment (DLE).  This
process was initiated by the
Legislature's Joint Budget
Committee.  The NFB of
Colorado didn't ask for this
transfer, but we supported it.
DLE went into motion early to
make sure that the transition
is a smooth one, meeting with
disability advocates,
including leaders of the NFB
of Colorado, as early as
February.  To that end, they
are about to launch on a
series of public stakeholder
meetings across the state in
order to gather input from
Coloradans with disabilities.
We have continued to engage
DLE officials on a number of
levels and urge local leaders
and members to participate in
the stakeholder meetings.  The
DLE has posted the schedule of
meetings at

https://docs.google.com/a/stat
e.co.us/forms/d/1Gz1v4TH04FBvU
V3dcSum9GzqvGUIN8c7Vd0AdRtjKGw
/viewform

The second process is the
legislature's Vocational
Rehabilitation Services for
the Blind Interim Study
Committee.  This process was
initiated by the National
Federation of the Blind of
Colorado following passage of
Resolution 2014-7 at our
convention last October and
carried through the 2015
Legislature by our friend and
colleague Rep. Pete Lee of
Colorado Springs.  The
committee's charge is to study
the current effectiveness of
services to the blind in
Colorado's DVR and to make any
recommendations for changes to
the 2016 Legislature.

What we know for certain at
this writing is that the
committee has been appointed
and its first meeting will be
Wednesday, August 12 from 1 to
4 p.m. in House Committee Room
0112 at the Capitol.  What we
must do is provide evidence
that the current lack of
structure for services to the
blind in DVR aren't working
and that a better model can be
established in order to
provide the services that
blind people in Colorado need
and deserve in order to become
self-sufficient, contributing
citizens of our state.

We are gathering documents and
expert witnesses that can
assist us in this effort, but
we also need blind people who
can share their stories,
either written or oral, that
will demonstrate the need for
a more coordinated,
identifiable service-delivery
model.  Again, we need our
local leaders and members to
help in this initiative.
Contact Dan Burke by e-mail
burke.dall at gmail.com or by
phone at 406.546.8546 if you
know someone or are personally
interested in sharing your
experiences with DVR.

At this time, we do not have
any information about further
meetings of the Interim Study
Committee or the steps they
will choose for fulfilling
their charge, but will share
these as they become
available.

Here is our opportunity, now
is the time to create a more
effective service-delivery for
Vocational Rehabilitation for
the blind of Colorado!  

Let's seize the day!

Scott C. LaBarre

 

 

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