[Colorado-Talk] Colorado DVR and a People Magazine article

[Dan Burke]

Greetings –



As we all know Colorado Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), including
the BLVS unit, have been in an Order of Selection since late January. That
means that everybody that applies ends up on a waiting list. Waiting for
what? Waiting for the Vocational Rehabilitation services they need to
become trained and employed.



If you are a blind Coloradan applying, that also means you might need cane
travel instruction, training in the use of assistive technology, and even
the most basic daily tasks like how to use your stove or microwave at home
and assistance in marking them tactilely. In other words, if you are newly
blind, you are forced to remain dependent on others until DVR and BLVS get
out of financial trouble.



Below is a link to a People magazine article about Bill, one of our current
CCB students. Bill was caught on the waiting list, even though he applied
in October -more than three months before DVR implemented the waiting list.
Bill, however, is not attending CCB with the help of BLVS. He and his
family and friends managed to raise enough money to fund his training.



We also know of cases in which blind Coloradans, despite being eligible for
BLVS and having signed their Individual Plans for Employment (IPE), were
told that BLVS was going to breech that sacred contract and cut their
services. That is a clear violation of the federal law that governs DVR.
Some of those people we know fought BLVS and won, but we know that there
may be others who haven’t, and we want to know about it if it happened to
you.



Bill’s story is compelling, but if you are shut out of services right now,
your story is also compelling. And the NFB of Colorado wants to hear your
story. Please contact Erin Daley at 303-778-1130, ext. 219 or
edaley at cocenter.org and tell us your story.



And if you know of others, please encourage them to contact the NFB of
Colorado too. Here’s Bill’s story:



https://people.com/doctor-heart-attack-blind-independence-program-no-funding-exclusive-11927014




-- 
Dan Burke

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Co-chair

"Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"

My Cell:  406.546.8546
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