[nfbmi-talk] Fw: Resolution concerning employment of blindpeople

Tue Jan 25 18:12:49 UTC 2011

I agree with both you and Fred. This is very encouraging over all and a 
thank you note from NFB MI would be in order along with a meeting in my 
opinion.

Anyway just another opinion, but again it is encoraging in its outreach.

Peace,

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christine Boone" <christine_boone at comcast.net>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 1:03 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: Resolution concerning employment of 
blindpeople

> This is a really positive and hopeful letter.  I suggest that we keep 
> communications open with Gregory Grabowski, beginning with a thank you to 
> him for such a candid response.  It appears, from his carefully worded 
> letter, that Leader Dog may share some of our concerns about the Michigan 
> Commission for the Blind.  He also raises an excellent point about the 
> lack of mass transit in the city of Rochester.  Honestly, it seems to me 
> that it would make many things easier for the folks at Leader Dog if there 
> was bus service in that community.  They always instruct dog users on bus 
> travel, and now need to travel to another city by car for that purpose.
>
> Rochester seems like it would be a decent place to live.  Perhaps they 
> have para-transit that could at least be a start for someone who wanted to 
> take a chance on living and working in Rochester?
>
> Anyway, I just wanted to weigh in, and to offer my encouragement to 
> further pursue a positive working relationship here.
>
> CB
>
> On Jan 24, 2011, at 10:03 AM, Larry Posont wrote:
>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: Gregory Grabowski
>> To: president.nfb.mi at gmail.com
>> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 9:57 AM
>> Subject: Resolution concerning employment of blind people
>>
>>
>> Dear Mr. Posont:
>>
>> Leader Dogs for the Blind strongly agrees with you and the National 
>> Federation of the Blind of Michigan that qualified blind persons can 
>> serve in many positions within our organization.  When we have positions 
>> open in our organization, we do seek qualified candidates that are 
>> visually impaired and blind.  We are currently posting all of our 
>> positions and working with the following organizations, so as to search 
>> for as many visually impaired and blind candidates.  The organizations we 
>> are working with are as follows:  BLIND, Inc. was referred to us by The 
>> National Federation of the Blind, and we have spoken with Dick Davis, the 
>> Assistant Director for Employment Programs at BLIND, Inc.  We are posting 
>> on the American Council of the Blind web site (we have spoken with them), 
>> American Foundation for the Blind and Disability Work.com.  We have 
>> reached out to NFB regarding their job listings through NFB Newsline. 
>> Additionally, our Human Resources Department has been working closely 
>> with the Michigan Commission for the Blind and we are currently sending 
>> our position openings to them. We have been working with counselors who 
>> work with blind persons looking for employment opportunities. We recently 
>> interviewed a candidate last week identified by one of their counselors.
>>
>> Further, we have suggested several ways in which Leader Dogs for the 
>> Blind and the Michigan Commission for the Blind could more strategically 
>> partner in delivering services and thus far the commission has declined 
>> our offers.
>>
>> On the board level this concern is shared and monitored by our Program 
>> and Services Committee of the Leader Dogs for the Blind Board of Trustees 
>> whose chair as well as our current Board Chair are blind persons. We 
>> currently contract with five blind individuals on a regular per diem 
>> basis with an additional four on a more part time basis, who live in 
>> various parts of the country, who represent Leader Dogs for the Blind, 
>> and who travel independently, speaking, raising money and recruiting 
>> clients for our organization.  We have two blind teenagers in the 
>> position of camp counselors for our summer leadership camp for blind 
>> teens and have one employee who is visually impaired on campus.
>>
>> We will continue to recruit visually impaired and blind candidates for 
>> position openings and do very much want to have our work force be more 
>> representative of those we serve.  We currently have positions open in 
>> our apprentice training program and we aspire to be the first dog guide 
>> organization with a blind and/or visually impaired instructor.
>>
>> We have offered employment to visually impaired and blind individuals in 
>> the past, who have declined our offer because we have no form of mass 
>> transportation in our area.  We have met with the appropriate local, 
>> state and federal government agencies responsible for mass transit and 
>> have gotten no where.  In fact our former blind employee, whom we lost to 
>> cancer, spent time lobbying our local government and agencies with no 
>> success. We do continue to seek solutions to this challenge.
>>
>> We are most open to any assistance the National Federation of the Blind 
>> Michigan can provide as we seek to employ more visually impaired and 
>> blind individuals.
>>
>> Mr. Posont, my apologies as a new President and CEO of Leader Dogs for 
>> the Blind, (that is not so new anymore) it is overdue for us to meet.  So 
>> I will reach out in the near future for us to speak and/or perhaps meet 
>> so that I can introduce myself.
>>
>> Best
>>
>> Greg
>>
>> Gregory Grabowski
>>
>> President & CEO
>>
>> Leader Dogs for the Blind
>>
>>
>>
>> Executive Assistant: Leigh Gladding
>>
>> 1039 S. Rochester Road
>>
>> Rochester, MI 48307
>>
>> 248.650.7100
>>
>> Toll Free 888.861.1460
>>
>>
>>
>> Our Mission: To enhance the lives of people who are blind and visually 
>> impaired.
>>
>>
>>
>> Please contact us at: www.Leaderdog.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Disclaimer: This message contains confidential information and is 
>> intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named 
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>> Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this 
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>> verification is required please request a hard-copy version.
>> Leader Dogs for the Blind
>> 1039 S. Rochester Rd.
>> Rochester Hills, MI 48307
>> The mission of Leader Dogs for the Blind is to enhance the lives of 
>> people who are blind and visually impaired. Visit us online at 
>> leaderdog.org to find out more!
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