[Massachusetts-NFB] MCB Rehabilitation Council Meeting today 1PM to 3PM

[Justin Salisbury]

Hello, everyone!

I will be in class when this meeting happens, but I want to offer a note about something that I think would be really nice if someone could ask about it.

At our state convention, we had a big discussion about how it is necessary for the policies governing the vocational rehabilitation program of the Massachusetts commission for the blind to be made public. I have heard conflicting information about whether or not these policies became public after John Oliveira became acting commissioner. I cannot Verify this one way or the other. I still have no access to these policies. I’ve been looking.

We have to reach a day where the following interaction never happens again:

Consumer makes a request.
Vocational rehabilitation counselor denies the request.
Consumer asks why the vocational rehabilitation counselor has denied the request.
Vocational Rehabilitation counselor says that it is against the policy.
Consumer asks for a copy of the policy.
Vocational rehabilitation counselor responds that they cannot share the policy because the policy is confidential.

This exchange is too common in our state, and making these policies public can help a lot with this.

In Massachusetts, we pay a lot of taxes, and it is important that we get something in exchange for those taxes. My tax dollars go to support our VR programs, and I want to make sure that every blind person has a fair shot at the benefits of those programs. I also want to see the policies that govern the program that I am paying for with my taxes.

Hope it’s a great meeting!

Justin

Sent from my iPhone

Justin Mark Hideaki Salisbury

Mobile: 808.797.8606
Email: 808salisbury at gmail.com
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


On Sep 6, 2023, at 5:47 AM, Shara Winton via Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:


       (Virtual)
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting <https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85722480303?pwd=YUtnWVVCeFBId1AwdnVsMlB4aVF4UT09>
________________________________
Overview of  MCB Rehabilitation Council Meeting (Virtual)

MCB Rehabilitation Council Meeting

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85722480303?pwd=YUtnWVVCeFBId1AwdnVsMlB4aVF4UT09

Meeting ID: 857 2248 0303<tel:857%202248%200303>

Passcode: 2022

Phone: 1-646-558-8656<tel:1-646-558-8656>

One Tap Mobile: +16465588656<tel:+16465588656>,,85722480303#,,,,*2022# US

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kyI7Bue3K<https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdzOqwqFmP>

This meeting is being recorded. The recording made by MCB is a public record and will be posted in the near future on MCB’s YouTube Channel.

_._,_._,_
________________________________


Shara Winton
President, National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts
617-304-0347

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