[nabs-l] Voc Rehab request denied

[Robert William Kingett]

I'm sorry to say that there isn't much that you can do. For contact 
lenses you'll have to pursue that avenue yourself. Even though a 
rehabilitation agency for the blind is supposed to provide you with 
tools, or resources that you'll be able to do your work successfully in 
school or elsewhere, most agencies will only either a, go with what they 
frequently do, like for example getting clients jaws for windows even if 
they prefer window eyes. Why? Because that agency is used to getting 
JAWS and the like. Or, B, go with a cheap solution. Understandable, but 
unacceptable. Also, from my personal experience. Counselors seem to like 
newly blind people because they haven’t yet formed educated opinions 
about what's better, for them, in the adaptive technology market. Those 
kind of blind people are much easier to serve because they will take 
anything without question and don’t need anything anymore complex. Also, 
even though this is going on a tangent, they tend to lean just a bit 
more appreciatively to simple outcomes. What I mean by this is they like 
the clients with simple needs that can be resolved once and that's it 
and don't need ongoing service, upgrades, etc. these are just my 
personal opinions and don't reflect the agencies as a whole because 
there's some people who work in the field who are real gems, and they 
understand the client, not just understand their immediate needs and 
treat them with a pacifier until later when the client realizes a 
permanent, yet very expensive solution, or the like. Every person is 
different. As I have said, these are just some of the things that I, 
myself, personally, have noticed and they don't reflect every agency or 
every social worker. I’d quietly remind your counselor, not to mention 
her entire staff that this is a facility, a dedicated team, that 
provides vocational rehabilitation. VR accomplishes this by providing 
support and services to promote the acquisition of skills and 
experiential learning that will support the consumer in meeting his/her 
independent living and vocational goals as well as the technology to 
achieve and acquire such learning, or accommodations, not technology, 
sorry. I didn't have my coffee yet. Remember, they are there to provide, 
you, as a client, specific barrier removal including assistive 
technology or computer training, as well as Braille, use of low-vision 
devises for job related functions, and/or other blindness related skill 
training as well as employment, etc., any kind of training or the 
tools/technology to acquire the training or job. Provision of 
rehabilitation counseling, as well as access to services and resources 
to support adjustment to blindness to achieve independence is given: 
This refers to the intellectual, emotional, and social adjustment to 
blindness and visual impairment as well as the provision of techniques, 
tools, and equipment which will enable the consumer to achieve 
independent living and travel functioning. You need those lenses to be 
able to do what you need to do and to function independently, use that 
word. Independently. That word will make a lot of people listen. Apart 
from that, I’d say tell their board staff. Provide a logical case with 
fact sheets and all this to present your case saying why you need these 
lenses. Make a clear case, not an emotion filled one. That isn't what 
you need and that won’t get you heard at all. present your case, first, 
to your counselor, and if she says no again, tell her, in plain English, 
no metaphors, no if’s, ands, or buts, tell her that you’re going to go 
up the chain of command because you were denied technology to allow you 
to function independently. Do this with her supervisor. Tell her the 
same thing. Tell her word for word. Don't change anything. Don't add 
anything or remove anything. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Yes, if you have 
to, contact the president. I hope that this helps you.