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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Thank Janice for posting the SSP resolution, Janice<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Not meaning to be critical but facilitators is not really the word I would use in describing the roles of the SSPs. To facilitate in this content implied that the SSPs has some control in conveying the communication, vision and guiding information. Instead I would use assistance or to assist which mean that the DB person has full control of the information. I think this kind of thinking would aligned with the NFB thinking <span style='color:#1F497D'>of being self-independent.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>See the difference?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Randy<o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> nfb-db [mailto:nfb-db-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Janice Toothman<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, November 11, 2013 6:54 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List; Burnell Brown; Arlene Naulty; Joe Naulty; janice.toothman@verizon.net; Matthew Pettit; Marcus Simmons; Tracie Inman; Cathy Miller<br><b>Subject:</b> [nfb-db] NFBMD 2013-04 SSP resolution<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'> Hi Everyone,<br>I will paste the Maryland State SSP Resolution for 2013 as Passed Below:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Regarding the creation of a statewide Support Service Providers Program for deaf-blind people<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>WHEREAS, Deaf-blind people rely on Support Service Providers (SSPs) to facilitate communications, and to provide environmental and situational information so that they can participate in all aspects of community life, thereby reducing reliance on family members and friends for these tasks; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>WHEREAS, the SSPs are not responsible for providing personal care or serving as interpreters as required by law at legal and medical appointments, i.e., SSPs must serve only as facilitators, not decision makers; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>WHEREAS, Maryland currently has a few regional programs that supply SSPs to deaf-blind residents who live in certain designated localities, leaving many deaf-blind individuals with no assistance; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>WHEREAS, these regional programs vary in the quality and extent of services available; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>WHEREAS, the purpose of the Maryland Department of Disabilities is to coordinate services and to <span lang=EN>advance the rights and interests of people with disabilities so they may fully participate in their communities; and</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN>WHEREAS, the Maryland Department of Disabilities is the right agency in Maryland state government to create a statewide </span>Support Service Providers Program; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>WHEREAS, service programs are most successful when the consumers who use the service play an integral part in the planning and development of the program: NOW, THEREFORE,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, in Convention assembled this tenth day of November, 2013, in the city of Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization strongly urge the Maryland State Department of Disabilities to create a plan with input from stakeholders that leads to the enactment of a statewide Support Service Providers Program so that all deaf-blind Maryland citizens may fully participate in all aspects of community life; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly encourage the Maryland Department of Disabilities to immediately begin planning for this program so that it can be included in the Governor’s 2016 budget. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'>Sincerely,<br>Janice<br>Secretary<br>Deaf-Blind Division/NFB <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>