[Nfb-hi] FW: Special Briefing

[Milton Ota]

Urgent--this information has been revised. If you have questions, contact
the Committee Chair conducting this briefing.
 
Milton Ota, List Moderator
National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii
 
 
 
 
 

  _____  

From: nanifife at aol.com [mailto:nanifife at aol.com] 
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2009 7:22 AM
To: mota at hawaii.rr.com
Subject: Fwd: Special Briefing 


please post. I believe I had 12:30 but it is 12.
Thanks, Nani


-----Original Message-----
From: Virgil Stinnett <one.fisherman at hawaiiantel.net>
To: Virgil Stinnett <one.fisherman at hawaiiantel.net>
Sent: Mon, Oct 12, 2009 6:49 am
Subject: Special Briefing 


Aloha All,  We need to support Ho`opono by going to the Capitol for this
special  briefing.  On the message below it has October 16, 2009.  That date
has  changed.  It will be held on Thursday October 15, 2009 around 12:00 PM.
So,  for all of you who are going to the Capitol for the White Cane Walk ,
PLEASE  make sure that you also go to the briefing after the walk.  We need
to make  a good showing and support Ho`opono in these times.  If you know
anyone who is blind and know how Ho`opono has benefitted them,  then please
send in your support letter.  We need to preserve all of the  positions at
Ho`opono.    Mahalo and Aloha,  Virgil    HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES  THE
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE  INTERIM OF 2009    COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Rep. John M. Mizuno, Chair  Rep. Tom Brower, Vice Chair    Rep. Della Au
Belatti   Rep. Maile S.L. Shimabukuro  Rep. Joe Bertram, III   Rep. Ryan I.
Yamane  Rep. Mele Carroll   Rep. Gene Ward  Rep. Scott Y. Nishimoto
COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES  Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Chair  Senator
Les Ihara, Jr., Vice Chair    Sen. Josh Green, M.D.   Sen. Fred Hemmings
NOTICE OF JOINT INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING    DATE:   Friday, October 16, 2009
TIME:   3:00 p.m.  PLACE:  Conference Room 329  State Capitol  415 South
Beretania Street    A G E N D A    The purpose of this informational
briefing is review Vocational  Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind
Division, under the Department of  Human Services.  The focus will be on
services for the blind under the  Ho'opono program.    Vocational
Rehabilitation is a State-Federal partnership program that  provides
services to help people with physical or mental impairments to  attain
successful employment outcomes.    The Ho'opono Program provides services to
the blind.  The program's goal is  to enable visually impair





ed adults attain maximum vocational and functional  independence with its
team of skilled professionals providing varied  services to meet the
participant's individual needs.    Under the Randolph-Sheppard Vending Stand
Act  it is intended to "provide  blind persons with remunerative employment,
enlarge the economic  opportunities of the blind, and stimulate the blind to
greater efforts in  striving to make themselves self-supporting."    The
Ho'opono program is one of the most successful programs in the country,
with graduates from the program securing approximately $20 per hour in
employment wages in Hawaii (according to advocates this is the highest rate
in the country).  However, Ho'opono participants and advocates for the blind
have suggested that six positions under the program will be eliminated.
These positions are as follows:  Two counselor positions, one brail
(communications) position, one employment specialist position, and two
rehabilitation teachers for the old blind.  According to the advocates for
the blind, these positions are mostly funded with federal funds on a
percentage basis.  Finally, advocates for the blind and disabled have
asserted that the  visually impaired in Hawaii want to contribute to their
community by being  employed and being tax paying citizens thus helping
Hawaii's economy.  However, should these positions be eliminated, the
services for the Ho'opono  program will be severely affected and many
believe this would lead to more  visually impaired relaying on state and
federal assistance rather then being  gainfully employed.  A review of the
significant impact as well as the  adverse consequences, not only to the
visually impaired, but also to the  state, will be discussed.    Presenters
will discuss the importance of the positions in question for  Ho'opono and
determine if such cost reducing measures are justified.    The following
organizations or individuals have been invited to participate:    The
National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii    Department of Human Se





rvices, Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the  Blind Division and
the Ho'opono Program    The Blind Vendors Association    Organizers of the
White Cane Safety Awareness Day    Association for the Home Rehabilitation
Teachers    Individual participants of Ho'opono    Other organizations or
individuals representing the visually impaired.    In order to ensure
adequate representation from each presenters, please  limit testimony to
five minutes.    Only testimony from people on the testifiers list will be
accepted.    Persons on the testifiers list wishing to offer comments should
submit  testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing with a transmittal
cover  indicating:  .   Testifier's name with position/title and
organization;  .   The Committee the comments are directed to;  .   The date
and time of the hearing;   .   Measure number; and  .   The number of copies
the Committee is requesting.      While every effort will be made to copy,
organize, and collate all testimony  received, materials received on the day
of the hearing or improperly  identified or directed to the incorrect
office, may be distributed to the  Committee after the hearing.    Submit
testimony in ONE of the following ways:  PAPER:  One copy (including an
original) to Room 315 in the State Capitol;  FAX:    For comments less than
5 pages in length, transmit to 586-8524  (Oahu) or 1-800-535-3859 (Neighbor
Islands); or  EMAIL:  For comments less than 5 pages in length, transmit to
HUStestimony at Capitol.hawaii.gov.    Testimony submitted will be placed on
the Legislative Web site after the  hearing adjourns.  This public posting
of testimony on the Web site should  be considered when including personal
information in your testimony.              If you require special
assistance or auxiliary aids and/or services to  participate in the House
public hearing process (i.e., sign or foreign  language interpreter or
wheelchair accessibility), please contact the  Committee Clerk at 586-60





50 or email your request for an interpreter to
HouseInterpreter at Capitol.hawaii.gov at least 24 hours prior to the hearing
for arrangements.  Prompt requests submitted help to ensure the availability
of qualified individuals and appropriate accommodations.    For further
information, please call the Committee Clerk at 586-6050.    Selected
meetings are broadcast live.  Check the current legislative  broadcast
schedule on the "Capitol TV" Web site at www.capitoltv.org
<http://www.capitoltv.org/>  OR call  550-8074.
________________________________________  Senator  Suzanne Chun Oakland
Chair       ________________________________________  Representative John M.
Mizuno  Chair  APPROVED        APPROVED
________________________________________  Senator  Colleen Hanabusa  Senate
President        ________________________________________  Representative
Calvin K.Y. Say  Speaker of the House