[Colorado-talk] Important Message regarding 2 DVR Processes - Chapter & Division Presidents - please forward on to your email lists

[Dan Burke]

Hi,

There was an excellent meeting on Monday in Denver with Dept. of Labor
 Employment officials regarding the move of DVR to that Dep[artment.
The majority of comments and questions came from NFB of Colorado
members who wer ein attendance.

I thik those who were present would agree that these folks are willing
to engage with Coloradans with disabilities in a respectful way.

Boulder, you're up next on Monday, August 10 at

August 10: 5:30-7 PM @ Boulder County Workforce Center, 5755 Central
Avenue, Unit B Street,

Next, the NFBCO's Resoution 2014-07 calling for an interim study of VR
services for the blind in Colorado, along with the final request for
that study approved by the Legislature have been posted on the Blind
Coloradan.  Please take a minute or two to review them, and check back
as we'll likely be posting other important documents there.


http://theblindcoloradan.blogspot.com/

Best,
Dan


On 8/5/15, Lisa Bonderson via Colorado-talk <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 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/state.co.us/forms/d/1Gz1v4TH04FBvUV3dcSum9GzqvGUIN8c7Vd0AdRtjKGw/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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-- 
Dan Burke
My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal