[il-talk] School for Deaf and Blind in Danger of Closing

[Jemal Powell]

Bill, our conference call about the access board hearing strategy will be held tomorrow night at 7:30 pm, on our normal number and code.  

--- On Tue, 9/14/10, Bill Reif <billreif at ameritech.net> wrote:

> From: Bill Reif <billreif at ameritech.net>
> Subject: [il-talk] School for Deaf and Blind in Danger of Closing
> To: "il-talk at nfbnet.org" <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 4:36 PM
> Hello,
> 
> The below story was on WGN TV yesterday.  This closing
> would be a disaster not only for the deaf-blind children
> that attend there, but also for the numerous mainstreamed
> deaf-blind children for whom this school apparently serves
> as a resource.
> 
> Cordially,
> Bill Reif
> 
> School for deaf and blind children at risk of closing
> The Philip J. Rock Center and School is $1 million in
> debt.
> WGN News
> September 13, 2010
> \
> GLEN ELLYN, Ill. - A school for deaf and blind children in
> Glen Ellyn is at risk
> of closing its doors, if Illinois doesn't come through with
> funding.
> The Philip J. Rock Center and School is $1 million in
> debt.
> It's a state funded agency, and because the state of
> Illinois is behind in payments,
> the center may be forced to close its doors at the end of
> this month.
> Background on The Philip J. Rock Center and School:
> The Philip J. Rock Center and School ( PRC) serves two
> distinct functions in providing
> services to Illinois students who are deaf-blind. It is
> operated by the Illinois
> State Board of Education and is located in Glen Ellyn
> Students (ages 3-21) are eligible
> for PRC services if they have significant impairments in
> both vision and hearing.
> The residential school program is designed to meet the
> unique educational needs of
> children who have combination auditory and visual
> impairments, and severe to profound
> cognitive delays. Students with additional handicapping
> conditions are also accepted
> into the program. PRC has an instructional emphasis in the
> areas of: communication
> skill development, orientation/mobility training, and a
> functional life skills curriculum.
> Residential services are offered year round. Educational
> sites include community
> public school buildings, the PRC building, and the local
> community college.
> The purpose of the center is to serve as a statewide
> resource for children who are
> deaf-blind, their families, and service providers. There is
> a lending library which
> has extensive resources for teachers and parents. The
> center administers a federal
> grant project, "Project Reach: Illinois Deaf-Blind
> Services". This project employs
> regional deaf-blind specialists who provide technical
> assistance at schools and homes.
> Project staff members disseminate information at workshops
> and state conferences.
> The center is responsible for maintaining the Illinois
> Deaf-Blind Census. Contacts
> are made to LEAs and special education programs, on an
> annual basis, to update student
> census information.
> Copyright © 2010,
> WGN-TV, Chicago
> 
> 
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