[nfbmi-talk] College Policy

[Fred Wurtzel]

Hello, 

 

Though I was unable to attend the past 2 college policy meetings, I was kept
informed on their progress.  I have been involved in developing a new
college policy for more than 2 years, now.  Though there have been
improvements since the Commission Board stepped in, the process is broken.
It is clear, to me, that the Commission administration has lost its way in
creating a college policy to serve blind people and lead to expanded career
opportunities for blind people.  Policies on used books do not lead to jobs.
Where is the vision.  What about honor, respect, encouragement and belief in
blind people?  Instead of leading, the Commission staff is obstructing,
discouraging and thwarting the development of a progressive client centered
job oriented college policy.

 

I just received an email from a college student who is very frustrated by
their college's inability to meet their obligations under the MOU.  The
technology does not work properly, if at all, books are late or do not get
there at all.  Their MCB counselor (a former MRS counselor with little
blindness training) has no clue how to help the college meet its obligations
with regard to blindness access technology.  The policies now being
developed will do nothing to help this student.  The best the student can
expect is status quo.

 

In the meantime, the Commission's representative on the College policy
committee has used up time in 4 consecutive meetings unswervingly holding
on uncompromisingly to the wrong-headed and anti-blind position that college
students are expected, under threat of withdrawal of support, to complete
all requirements within a certain arbitrary and capricious time limit.  She
has done so in a disrespectful and condescending manner treating everyone,
including Commission Board members in a manner unbecoming a Commission
employee.  With proper counseling and a good counselor/client relationship,
decisions about curriculum completion rates can easily be made between the
professional counselor and their client on an individual case-by-case basis.


 

An excessive amount of time was spent in the last college policy meeting on
how used books are managed.  Many college students keep their books.  Again,
the Commission is focusing on meaningless and trivial matters while
overlooking the real issues facing blind people.  WHAT ABOUT JOBS?  

 

An aggressive career oriented college policy must focus on high paying
quality jobs.  Good counseling by well-trained experts on blindness is a
fundamental prerequisite to quality outcomes.  Good training in blindness
for all staff is a must to create consistent high-quality placements.  An
attitude of positive support to do what is necessary to help the student,
not a withholding of services that will create a more difficult environment
for the student are what is needed. A policy that supports students by
providing accommodations when the college can't or won't do so will show
support, not neglect toward students.  Policies that support and encourage
students, not penalize them and make them feel like they are bad or unworthy
will build more confident graduates who can go out and get jobs in a
competitive job market.    

 

The Commission's college policy needs to be aggressive in its goal to
provide as many blind people with a degree as possible.  These ought to be
the best degrees available anywhere in the nation to assist the student to
have the best chance to get a job.  When blind people with advanced degrees
are asked discriminatory questions about how they will get to work or find
the bathroom, it is clear that the Commission must absolutely do all that is
necessary to provide all the advantage possible to the blind person to get
an extra edge in the hiring process.  

 

Please, let's stop this time-wasting, weaseling and scrooge like approach to
a college policy.  Let's create the best educated cadre of blind people in
America to go out and get great jobs.  We need good educations to get good
jobs.  The better the education, the better the job.  

 

By the way, has withholding services helped our placement rate?  How many
more blind people are being placed now than last year?  Has saving a few
bucks by taking it from SSI recipients helped other blind people get good
jobs?  Is hiring staff with no blindness training increasing placements?
Have the MOU's with colleges improved our placement rate of college
graduates?  Who is benefiting by limiting which colleges blind people may
attend with Commission support?  Are these limitations increasing
placements.  Will requiring clients and college financial aid staff to
complete another abusive, meaningless and useless form improve grades or
incomes of blind college graduates?  

 

Until Commission staff can demonstrate that these restrictive, shortsighted
and unsupportive policies have created a better employment environment, the
privilege of writing their own work-rules should be withdrawn.  If these
ideas are leading to better and more placements, then, they should be
encouraged to do more of it.  10 or more Commission staff using more than 2
years on a college policy that is not leading to more jobs Is a shameful and
irresponsible use of time and resources. Let's stop this wasteful and
divisive policy-writing process and get a client-centered job oriented
policy written.  Enough is enough

 

Sincerely,

 

Fred Wurtzel