[nfbmi-talk] College Policy

Sun Dec 6 06:52:31 UTC 2009

Hi Geri,

Thanks for the reply.  I understand your fatigue and, after a point, the
urge to just say *!(* it.  (smile)  Regardless of any of that, the NFB will
keep working until the policy is the best it can be.  

Maybe, we need a different approach.  How about saying that the client and
counselor develop the best program to get the student the best possible
degree in the most efficient time at the college that is the very best that
the student can get into.  Or the Commission will provide all the necessary
services to assure that all third party resources are used along with
Commission resources to assist blind persons to achieve their maximum
educational and vocational potentials by working affirmatively with
educational institutions to assure accommodations are provided and that
students have full and equal access to all services and programs of the
institution.  Another suggestion is to say that MCB will assure that all
students are fully prepared to enter college with reading, travel, daily
living skills at levels similar to the general student body (that may be too
low) and will provide financial, material, advocacy and related services
such that MCB clients may reach their maximum educational and vocational
potentials.  After graduation the Commission will do all that is possible to
assist the client to secure a good-paying job in their chosen profession in
a timely manner.  I realize these are terrible sentences, but they do
convey, off the top of my flat head, the idea of what a customer centered
policy could look like.  No bad people, no mean spirited gotchas, just a
hard-driving effort to make the world a better place for blind people.

In other words, let's dispense with threats, penalties, sanctions and
arbitrary limitations.  Let's focus on success, competence, a belief in
blind people, an expectation of excellence.  Let's not make the
client/student relationship adversarial.  Let's make it collaborative and
team oriented so that we graduate the maximum number of blind people from
programs of higher education possible.  This includes vocational training in
trades and occupations which meet the client's interests and needs.  What is
wrong with being positive, optimistic and friendly?  

Let's let the counselors do what they are trained to do - help blind people
get jobs.  The "I" in IPE means for the counselor to have flexibility and
discretion in helping clients succeed.  Let's not micromanage this
relationship.

From: Geri Taeckens [mailto:geri.taeckens at isahealthfund.org] 
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 10:09 PM
To: Fred Wurtzel; Crystal Lefleche
Cc: Diana Mohnke; 'Elizabeth'; Kim Mohnke; 'Larry Posont'; Geer Wilcox;
'mary wurtzel'; Mike Powell; John Scott; NFB of Michigan List; Jo Ann
Pilarski; Boone, Christine (DLEG)
Subject: Re: College Policy

Thank you Fred for your continued vigilance with MCB activities and
practice.  I always appreciate hearing from you or any consumer as it helps
me understand
a fuller picture of how our constituents feel and what they are looking for
from MCB.
As 1 representative of any committee, my duty is to listen, consider, gather
information, and present the views of consumers as a whole, and hopefully
some
of my own thoughts and judgment.  This is not always an easy task.  We all
want our ideas to be made a reality, but in the process of group work, it is
the consensus that prevails.
In regards to the timeline for completing a degree, I spent a great deal of
time writing to, talking with, and reviewing the input of many blind college
students, parents, and reviewing data from American Foundation, and American
Printing House for the blind.,    Though I personally may have wanted a
different outcome, I had to advocate for what I believe to be the needs and
desires
of the whole.  NFB does not speak for every blind person, nor does MCBVI,
nor do you or I.  I did my honest best, with integrity for considering all I
heard from constituents, not from just a few voices.
I'm not sure what was communicated to you, but I hope when you read the
actual policy, you will see that there is room to meet everyone's needs.  I
feel
fairly confident that it addresses the need for time from minimum to
maximum, based on individual needs.
As far as other items, the process is not over yet.  There are several other
areas you and others have communicated that I will address to the best of my
ability.  That's all of us can really do without becoming a dictator.
Thanks again for your continued interest and I look forward to future
communications from you.
Sincerely,
Geri

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Fred Wurtzel <mailto:f.wurtzel at comcast.net>  

To: 'Geri Taeckens' <mailto:geri.taeckens at isahealthfund.org>  ; Crystal
<mailto:dcgorton601 at comcast.net>  Lefleche 

Cc: Diana Mohnke <mailto:d_mohnke18 at yahoo.com>  ; 'Elizabeth'
<mailto:lizmohnke at hotmail.com>  ; Kim <mailto:kitties_kimmy at yahoo.com>
Mohnke ; 'Larry Posont' <mailto:president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>  ; Geer Wilcox
<mailto:ggwilcox at comcast.net>  ; 'mary <mailto:marywurtzel at comcast.net>
wurtzel' ; Mike <mailto:mpowell at wowway.com>  Powell ; John
<mailto:jcscot at sbcglobal.net>  Scott ; NFB <mailto:nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
of Michigan List ; Jo Ann Pilarski <mailto:pilarskij at charter.net>  ; Boone,
Christine <mailto:BooneC at michigan.gov>  (DLEG) 

Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 1:09 AM

Subject: College Policy

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

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From: Geri Taeckens [mailto:geri.taeckens at isahealthfund.org] 
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 10:09 PM
To: Fred Wurtzel; Crystal Lefleche
Cc: Diana Mohnke; 'Elizabeth'; Kim Mohnke; 'Larry Posont'; Geer Wilcox;
'mary wurtzel'; Mike Powell; John Scott; NFB of Michigan List; Jo Ann
Pilarski; Boone, Christine (DLEG)
Subject: Re: College Policy

Thank you Fred for your continued vigilance with MCB activities and
practice.  I always appreciate hearing from you or any consumer as it helps
me understand
a fuller picture of how our constituents feel and what they are looking for
from MCB.
As 1 representative of any committee, my duty is to listen, consider, gather
information, and present the views of consumers as a whole, and hopefully
some
of my own thoughts and judgment.  This is not always an easy task.  We all
want our ideas to be made a reality, but in the process of group work, it is
the consensus that prevails.
In regards to the timeline for completing a degree, I spent a great deal of
time writing to, talking with, and reviewing the input of many blind college
students, parents, and reviewing data from American Foundation, and American
Printing House for the blind.,    Though I personally may have wanted a
different outcome, I had to advocate for what I believe to be the needs and
desires
of the whole.  NFB does not speak for every blind person, nor does MCBVI,
nor do you or I.  I did my honest best, with integrity for considering all I
heard from constituents, not from just a few voices.
I'm not sure what was communicated to you, but I hope when you read the
actual policy, you will see that there is room to meet everyone's needs.  I
feel
fairly confident that it addresses the need for time from minimum to
maximum, based on individual needs.
As far as other items, the process is not over yet.  There are several other
areas you and others have communicated that I will address to the best of my
ability.  That's all of us can really do without becoming a dictator.
Thanks again for your continued interest and I look forward to future
communications from you.
Sincerely,
Geri

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Fred Wurtzel <mailto:f.wurtzel at comcast.net>  

To: 'Geri Taeckens' <mailto:geri.taeckens at isahealthfund.org>  ; Crystal
<mailto:dcgorton601 at comcast.net>  Lefleche 

Cc: Diana Mohnke <mailto:d_mohnke18 at yahoo.com>  ; 'Elizabeth'
<mailto:lizmohnke at hotmail.com>  ; Kim <mailto:kitties_kimmy at yahoo.com>
Mohnke ; 'Larry Posont' <mailto:president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>  ; Geer Wilcox
<mailto:ggwilcox at comcast.net>  ; 'mary <mailto:marywurtzel at comcast.net>
wurtzel' ; Mike <mailto:mpowell at wowway.com>  Powell ; John
<mailto:jcscot at sbcglobal.net>  Scott ; NFB <mailto:nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
of Michigan List ; Jo Ann Pilarski <mailto:pilarskij at charter.net>  ; Boone,
Christine <mailto:BooneC at michigan.gov>  (DLEG) 

Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 1:09 AM

Subject: College Policy

Hello, 