[nfbmi-talk] If you Had 20 million Dollars, What Would You Do To help blind People Get a Job?

[joe harcz Comcast]

Fred,

Great questions all!

There is a whole lot to clean up as you know. But, let me start with first 
things first.

1. We need to clean up, streamline and make accountable the system right 
from the get go. I'm talking about increasing our information and referral 
including updating and utilizing MCB's web site to start with. There also 
needs to be accountability rregarding the application, assessment and 
eligability process. We all know that right now there is no accountability 
in these regards and that in many cases a potential customer is lucky to get 
a call back from a counselor. We all know of gross violations of the Rehab 
Act when it comese to eligability as well. The Eaagle, Tomcak, Brooks, and 
Fellows cases show that is a fact and those are only the tip of the 
proverbial iceberg. I think that MCB should get a grant like MRS did a few 
years back to have an independent "mystery shopper" program to look at these 
issues scientifically and independently.

As I said this is just a start.

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at att.net>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2011 4:47 PM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] If you Had 20 million Dollars,What Would You Do To 
help blind People Get a Job?


> hello,
>
>
>
> There is a MCB meeting com9ing up march 18.  What would happen if we all
> showed up and gave our ideas of ways to spend $20 million, the Commission
> Budget, to help blind people go to work.  If you live in Detroit or
> kalamazoo, or Traverse City or Allpena or Ishpeming, what would you do? 
> if
> you had 100 people on your staff what would you have them do?  Where would
> you send them.  What would you have them say to blind people?
>
>
>
> Just think of it.  $20 million dollars.  To me, that is a lot of money. 
> 100
> people or so, that is a large staff.  The possibilities seem very bigg. 
> If
> those 100 people called 1 employer a week and asked if they were willing 
> to
> hire a blind person, how many job openings could we find?  If we created a
> competition to create an accessible way to use Facebook with a chas prize
> and publicity how much would that help blind people find work?
>
>
>
> If we turned counselors into mentors what difference would that make. 
> What
> would happen if we had brainstorming groups meet around the state to think
> up ideas of ways to make their communities more accessible what woudld
> happen to those communities?  What if the Commission actually collaborated
> with consumer groups to solve problems slowing down blind people from
> getting good jobs?
>
>
>
> I encourage you to put march 18 on your calendars and go to lansing to the
> ottawa building at pine and ottawa to use your public comment to let the
> Coommission how you think $20 million dollars could help blind people in
> Michigan.  This is a lot of money, despite the constant complaining that
> MCB- is broke.  it is not broke, it has 20 million dollars generously
> appropriated by congres and the Michigan legislature to help blind people 
> go
> to work.  We can make a difference.
>
>
>
> Warmest Regards,
>
>
>
> Fred
>
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