[Nationalharbor] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Letter of Support for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

[Michelle Clark via Nationalharbor]

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of David Andrews via Nfbnet-members-list
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2014 11:21 PM
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Letter of
Support for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act


Dear Fellow Federationists:

The letter below summarizes our position on the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act. No action is needed at this time. We will keep you updated
on next steps.

John

# # #

May 30, 2014

The Honorable Tom Harkin                          The Honorable Lamar
Alexander
731 Hart Senate Office 
Building                             455 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 
20510                                           Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable John 
Kline                                        The Honorable George Miller
2439 Rayburn House Office 
Building                     2205 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 
20515                                           Washington, DC 20515

Dear Senator Harkin, Senator Alexander, Congressman Kline, and Congressman
Miller:

The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest organization of
blind people in the United States, supports the passage of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act. Title IV of this legislation, the
Rehabilitation Act, is the product of serious and substantive discussions
and negotiations with the blind and other Americans with disabilities. It is
an important first step toward eliminating wage discrimination against
people with disabilities, and it focuses the rehabilitation system on
providing quality rehabilitation services that empower people with all
disabilities to obtain competitive integrated employment.

In particular, we believe that the compromise language in Section 511, while
not perfect, will help reduce the number of disabled youth being tracked
into sheltered subminimum wage employment. We are also pleased that the
Rehabilitation Services Administration will remain within the Department of
Education and that programs for the older blind will also continue to be
handled by this department. The critical importance of the Rehabilitation
Services Administration is properly maintained because its director will
continue to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the United States
Senate.

The National Federation of the Blind is disappointed in the shifting of the
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to the
Department of Health and Human Services. We also disagree with the reduction
in membership of the National Council on Disability, a significant downgrade
of this important voice on disability policy. We are also disappointed with
the lowering of standards for the qualifications of rehabilitation
counselors.

As a whole, however, the National Federation of the Blind supports this
legislation and believes that it represents a significant improvement in
policies designed to create and enhance employment opportunities for
American workers with disabilities. We thank each of you for your hard work
in crafting this important bill and look forward to working with you to see
it become law.

Sincerely,

John G. Paré Jr.
Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy National Federation of the Blind



         David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
E-Mail:  dandrews at visi.com or david.andrews at nfbnet.org


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