[nabs-l] Voc Rehab request denied

Thu Apr 11 01:33:52 UTC 2013

Thank you I will contact Bob.

I submitted a 15 page document with my appeal. I explained how each of
their doctors would try to fit me with colored lenses. I contacted each of
them and included the actual emails from them. The eye doctor in Indiana
sent them a 4-5 page document on what they do which I included again in my
appeal.

I will be submitted a request for ZoomText with speech for both the mac and
Windows next week. I am a Software Engineering major so on the computer all
the time. Before school mac zoom was enough but it does not follow the
insertion point just the mouse pointer. I will also be doing an internship
this summer and need to have the right technology. The more successful my
internships the better chance I have of finding employment upon graduation.

On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 6:17 PM, Arielle Silverman <
Arielle.Silverman at asu.edu> wrote:

> VR will pay for an out-of-state vendor if you can prove to them that
> the vendor is better than what you can get in-state. If you haven't
> already, you should write a letter describing why this vendor is
> superior, and send it to your counselor and to his supervisor. You
> should also contact Bob Kresmer in AZ to see if he can help you with
> your appeal. His phone number is:
> 520-733-5894
> or
> krezguy at cox.net
> He is the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona
> and he knows who is at the top in Arizona VR. If you think getting a
> prescription from this place will make a difference in your education,
> you should pursue it.
> As I mentioned in a previous email, I also think that learning the
> basics of JAWS, or another screen reader, would benefit you a lot in
> your studies and your everyday life. Have you talked with VR at all
> about getting screen reading software?
> Best of luck,
> Arielle
>
> On 4/10/13, Robert William Kingett <kingettr at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 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.
> >
> >
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