[Massachusetts-NFB] FW: MCB's statutory meeting in one hour April 4

Tue Apr 4 13:38:16 UTC 2023

Please attend this meeting. Let's take action. 

Here is a note from our member Justin Salisbury. He said it perfectly. 

>From Justin: 

Hi everyone,

If you go to this meeting, please remember the discussion we had at the
state convention. We need the Mass Commission for the Blind to make all of
the policies governing VR services available to the public. 

We brought this up at a recent meeting of the Statutory Advisory Board.
Commissioner D'Arcangelo responded by talking about regulations, like he did
at our state convention. The regulations are public, but the policies, we
are told, are not all public. Even if only one policy item is not made
public, if that one policy item is consistently used to deny services to
blind consumers, then it is very literally a secret weapon.

My explanation of policy versus regulations:

Regulations create a set of rules that must be followed in a program of
government and any agency which runs such program. Agencies make their own
policies to carry out the functions of the agency (deliver the program), and
the policies set by the agency must not contradict the regulations of the
program placed on the agency.

Even the Client Assistance Program in our state doesn't have a copy of the
full version of the VR agency policies, which seems ridiculous. How can we
expect CAP to do its job without having all the policies?

Personally, I am much less interested in axing the current Commissioner and
much more interested in figuring out how we can use this moment to bring
about sweeping systemic reform to our state agency. Changing out the
Commissioner, in my opinion, would be short-changing the blind of
Massachusetts. There are many additional reforms that need to happen, such
as divorcing MCB from what President Riccobono named the Vision-Centered
Approach. Even if we put a good person with honest values, etc., in charge
of MCB, how much do we really think will change if nothing else changes? In
my opinion, if we allow all this attention to result in only a change in
Commissioner, we will have failed as an advocacy movement to seize an
opportunity to improve blind services in our state. 

True reform will take ongoing involvement from the NFB. It's worth it. I
hope my fellow Federationists on this list are up for it. 

Justin

Shara Winton

President, National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts

617-600-8130

Hello Federationists, 

Here is the zoom link for today's mornings statutory advisory board meeting.
Given the recent series of events, including the recent globe article and
the upcoming rally on Wednesday, I strongly urge everyone who can attend.
Please call me if I can help you in any way.  Warmly, 

Shara Winton

MCB Statutory Advisory Board (SAB) Meeting - Virtual

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

<https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87225762575?pwd=Umh1U3ZteTNnclA0ejdWbm84RTUyQT09>
Join Meeting 

  _____  

Overview of MCB Statutory Advisory Board (SAB) Meeting - Virtual

Join Zoom Meeting

<https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87225762575?pwd=Umh1U3ZteTNnclA0ejdWbm84RTUyQT09>
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87225762575?pwd=Umh1U3ZteTNnclA0ejdWbm84RTUyQT09

Meeting ID: 872  <tel:2576%202575> 2576 2575

Passcode: 2022

Phone:  <tel:1-305-224-1968> 1-305-224-1968

One Tap Mobile:  <tel:+13052241968> +13052241968,,87225762575#,,,,*2022# US

Find your local number:  <https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kAnmnn8Ph>
https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kcUgZ6il4

This meeting will be recorded. The recording made by MCB is a public record
and will be posted following the meeting on
<https://www.youtube.com/@massblind> MCB's YouTube Channel.

_._,_._,_

  _____  

Shara Winton

President, National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts

617-600-8130

Visit NFB MA Website for more information

Visit the NFB website for more info

Visit us on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-of-the-Blind-of-Massachusetts-
1593379944322253> 

"You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back."

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