[nfbmi-talk] FW: Fw: request for information consumer satisfaction
Jacalyn Paulding
jacalynpaulding at gmail.com
Thu Nov 3 17:20:29 UTC 2011
Hi Fred, Joe and list
Fred , I just wanted to say thank you for your clarification about the work of field staff. I currently have the privilege of completing my internship under the Shannon McVoy and I can say without A shadow of a doubt that her heart , mind and energy are 100 percent dedicated to the blind of Michigan. I think it is imperative to remember that there are many many Mcb employees who do a fabulous job and they deserve credit where credit is due.
Sincerely,
Jackie Paulding.
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 2, 2011, at 10:59 PM, "Fred wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hello Joe and list,
>
> I am not sure what to think about this. These are customers who were closed
> successfully, and yet, 25% of them are dissatisfied with the service. I can
> tell you that Ray and Michelle along with Shannon represent what I perceive
> as quality service. There are others who also do good work. Blaming the
> field staff is pretty much blaming the victim, though. The survey results
> reflect a lack of quality staff training and the transmittal of quality
> measures to the customers.
>
> As you point out, this is not aa NFB/MCBVI issue, either. I know Joe Sibly
> and have talked to him a lot. I know he believes in getting good jobs for
> blind people. There will be efforts to drive a wedge between consumers, but
> this is transparent and we will not fall for the bait. near as I can tell,
> all blind people want a chance to support themselves, be a part of the
> community and live a lifestyle of their choice, not one forced on them by
> fals attitudes about blindness.
>
> It is very sad to see the number of people who comment that they cannot work
> due to poor vision after having been closed successfully. Something is
> broken when successful customers are not able to work because of vision
> issues. I will make the brash claim that no successful customer should ever
> fail because of their lack of useful vision. This is one of the only
> measures where the margin for failure is near zero.
>
> Joe, your point about transferal of best practices is on target. I'm not
> sure there is consensus within MCB that what Ray, Michelle and Shannon do is
> best practice. There is a lot of attitude that the goal of doing what is
> necessary for success is desirable. Some people express that blind people
> don't deserve services like college. These are the kinds of training issues
> that need to be confronted.
>
> It is clear that according to statistics, the unemployment rate for the
> general public is around 9% while the unemployment rate for college educated
> people is around 4%. Yet, numbers of MCB staff resist and thwart blind
> people from fully benefitting from legally allowable services. The practice
> of attempting a means test through the oppressive extra form which penalized
> students for things out of their control and continually attempting to get
> students to pay for services when they receive ssi or SSDI\ benefits is
> rooted in this jealous attitude toward blind people who have a chance to get
> a college education. MCB ought to be providing college educations to as
> many people as possible to the highest levels appropriate for the person and
> profession from the very best colleges they can be accepted into. These
> ought to be standard practice. We need to focus more on science and
> technology jobs where the money is.
>
> In my reading of job listings on Newsline, I see 2 tiers of jobs: low paying
> non college jobs and high-paying engineering, computer and administrative
> jobs.
>
> High quality vocational training in such things as auto repair, health care,
> appliance repair, copy machine repair and the like are equally attractive
> jobs for those who do not choose college. Agriculture and tourism are
> strong industries in Michigan. In reviewing the list I did not see anyone
> who was identified as an engineer. I saw 1 clearly agricultural person who
> has a vegetable stand. The lawn care business is considered agricultural
> and I think there was 1 of these jobs.There were 1 or 2 self-employed
> technology entrepreneurs.
>
> Finally, I cannot understand the disparity of statistics showing more than
> 300 26 closures and the report of fewer than 200 competitive closures. This
> seems amazing. What is happening here? What are the priorities? Who is
> focusing on results?As an aside, there seemed to be a lot of thrird parties
> answering for the customers, what is that about?
>
> I feel true sadness for the staff of MCB who want to do better and have such
> low expectations placed on them. I applaud those who do a good job despite
> the environment. It is management and leadership who are responsible for
> training and outcomes. I hope we can continue the positive beginnings at
> the -MCB board level. They are truly consumer oriented and have high
> expectations of staff and consumers.
>
> Warm regards,
>
> Fred
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of joe harcz Comcast
> Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 6:57 PM
> To: mcb2020-L at LISTSERV.MICHIGAN.GOV
> Cc: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: request for information consumer satisfaction
>
> Speaks for itself! I don't think this uses the appreciative inquiry sort
> of hobble gobble. but it does show major problems as disjointed as it is and
> some good things too.
>
> Now at first blush we see all sorts of violations of the rehabilitation act
> including informed choice and rehab technology issues. And we show also a
> lack of accounting of those dubbed successful closures period or a
> substantial portion of them (about half can't be contacted).
>
> Other issues including job retention and so forth are apparent and glaring.
>
> In fact its a mess.
>
> but I wish to say one positive thing that seems to flow through these
> surveys as vague and as untimely as they are.
>
> There are two individuals in the "home counselor" realm that seem to have
> constant respect and success by MCB over the recent years (and this doesn't
> exclude others but only accentuates the positive). One is Ray Kirkland who
> has retired and who was by any definition a "mench" which is Yidish for
> being an overall competent and good guy. the other is Michelle Vishner who
> consistently has been cited by name over and over again in these surveys by
> name.
> Now, why isn't this agency if it truly believes in the ai thing and working
> on the positive not emulating the results of Michelle and her practices
> which lead to those documented and not fabricated satisfactory results?
>
> It is well known by many that Michelle is a customer first counselor who
> also happens to be blind and it is well known that Michelle is also a member
> of the ACB and MCBVI so this isn't the age old issue of NFB versus ACB.
>
> It goes to you Mr. Robertson, cannon, and Leemon Jones in their supervisery
> and administrative capacities sir. Troops or mid level officers aren't held
> accountable for system foul ups over decades in the military and why in the
> Sam Hill should not the general's and colonels in MCB not be held
> accountable including itsprimary and totally incompetent general on a number
> of counts and fronts, Cannon?
>
> Regardless a criticism is in order here for the agency and those in charge
> like Robertson and Cannon. Or perhaps there are mor than a few.
>
> One is why do we have to fight for this information in a timely and
> accessible manner over years? In fact no matter what one thinks of former
> commissioner Taekens she to her credit always tried to get this type of data
> driven instruments and so did for that matter RSA?
>
> Secondly, how much did this survey cost and was it conducted under the line
> item for the Commission on Disability Concerns that seems to have gone
> unspent vis a vis released financial data?
>
> Thirdly, how does this jive with reality and with the RSA monitoring
> requirements and so on and so forth?
>
> Fourthly, and just off the top of my head here how and why are elderly blind
> and VR clients/customers apparently co-mingled here?
>
> Fifthly, and again quickly me not being paid to answer or account for such
> issues though Bob Robertson and Cannon are, I'm wondering about all the
> ereferences and allusions to outright violations of assistive technology
> provisions of the Rehab Act that ring as clear as a bell and what MCB is
> doing about this?
>
> Sixthly, I'm wondering what the heck MCB is doing about the denotations of
> timely service delivery including your rather glib and facile comments on
> the MCB Twenty List Serve in these regards by the way, delivery, informed
> choice and Rehab Act basics denoted with supposed successful closures right
> in plain language in this report?
>
> Sigh...
>
> What a mess this is. It was hard enough to get this and now what is being
> done with this information? Oh and why in the Sam Hill wasn't this
> informatiopn and similar consumer satisfaction surveys not sent to
> commissioners even after requests for same in a timely manner?
>
> And why wasn't this and other surveys uniformly posted to the MCB web site?
> Oh maybey this is final: What the heck is your job anyways Mr. Robertson is
> it simply to be a lapdog for Mr. Cannon and do dirty work like the infamous
> and notorious and paranoid "bullet proof drape" item?
>
> Sorry but in a few minutes I've analyzed a large amount of often ambiguous
> data that was required to be analyzed by high priced taxpayer supported
> so-called professionals like yourself in a timely, accessible and
> transparent manner to the general public let alone this one blind man
> himself.
>
> Again the buck stops at the top and the party is over for over paid and
> non-responsive upper management in MCB if I have anything to do with it and
> I do and I will.
>
> Thanks for everything.
>
> sincerely,
>
> Joe Harcz
>
> Citizen, Taxpayer and Your Boss
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robertson, Bob (LARA)
> To: MCB2020-L at LISTSERV.MICHIGAN.GOV
> Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 3:13 PM
> Subject: Re: request for information consumer satisfaction
>
>
> Joe -
>
>
>
> Per your request, below are the results of the survey done in August 2010 of
> persons closed status 26.
>
>
>
> Bob Robertson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _____________________________
>
>
>
>
>
> Michigan Commission for the Blind
>
> Survey of "26 Closures" Participants
>
> August 2010
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Total Participant Names 320
>
>
>
> Number Deceased 5
>
>
> 315
>
>
>
> Phone Numbers Disconnected 68
>
>
> 247
>
>
>
> Didn't Respond to Phone Calls 94
>
>
> 153 Respondents
>
>
>
> Seniors or Retired: 14
>
>
>
>
>
> 1. Were the services you received from MCB instrumental in assisting
> you in becoming employed?
>
>
>
> Yes: 105 No: 35
>
> Yes & No: 1 (lives in rural area-needs transportation)
>
>
>
> Comments:
>
> Kind of - going to school and doing volunteer work in the field
>
> Already employed/helped keep employment - 11
>
> Guardian not happy w/MCB services - didn't help at all
>
> Helped with schooling/finishing school - 3
>
> Still working w/MCB - wants to be in vending program
>
> Received tools
>
> Didn't get any help, got glasses paid for
>
>
>
>
>
> 2. Are you currently employed? Yes: 86
> No: 61
>
> One person still in school - couldn't do both work
> and school
>
> One person was just laid off
>
> One person laid off two years ago
>
> Was employed and moved to FL& trying to get business
> up again
>
> Was employed and moved to Georgia and working
> w/Georgia MCB
>
>
>
> a. Are you receiving benefits from your employer? Yes:
> 30 No: 39
>
> 1 No response - benefits elective & chose not to
> take
>
>
>
> If yes, what is your employer's name?
>
> Fifth Third Bank
>
> BEP - 10
>
> Sam's Club
>
> University of MI, Transportation Research Institute,
> Transp. Data Center
>
> Liberty Athletic Club
>
> Access Living, Chicago, IL
>
> Meijers
>
> Nino's Salzaggios
>
> Visonary
>
> Pro Step
>
> Lake State Industries
>
> Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center
>
> Bail Bonds insurance Agency
>
> Disability Advocates of Kent County
>
> Cebawfelt
>
> Miller's Super Value Grocery Store
>
> Self-employed - real estate
>
> Hartland health Care
>
> Manor Care
>
> Self-employed - does craft shows
>
> Amway Corp.
>
> State of MI - MDOT - bridge
>
> Moto-Medic Inc.
>
> Windstream Communications
>
> State of Wyoming - Chaplin
>
> Self-employed - Hampton & Sons Construction
>
> Self-employed - RDS Consultants
>
> Jewish Vocational Services
>
> First National Bank
>
> Self-employed (realtor) & works for someone else
> (White Horse Inn)
>
> Cranberry Estate
>
> Dominos & Red Lobster (works 2 part-time jobs)
>
> University of MI
>
> AARP (doing a training program through them)
>
> Arms Insurance Agency
>
> Self-employed - Forest Products
>
> Torres Golf Management
>
> YWCA - southwestern MI
>
> Little Cesar's Pizza
>
> Beaumont Hospital
>
> Self- employed - Brew for You
>
> ARC of St. Clair County
>
> Walgreens
>
> Milt Rackman
>
> Self-employed - AT Guides
>
> Detroit Community
>
> CVS Pharmacy
>
> Trinity Senior Living Community
>
> Self-employed - EZ Way Lawn Service
>
> Flint Public Schools
>
> Kaplan Test Prat & Admissions
>
> America's Pride
>
> Bushes Inc
>
> MSU - Disability Resource Center
>
> Family Health Psychiatric & Counseling Center
>
> Self-employed - Randall Bakery
>
> Self-employed - independent contractor
>
> Detroit Hispanic Development Inc.
>
> Goodwill Industries
>
> City of Detroit - Water/Sewer Dept.
>
> Northern Suburban Special Education District
>
> Community Care Services
>
> Tower Clock Eye
>
> Calvin College
>
> Self- employed - independent contractor
> (transcription)
>
> Self-employed - Fine Imaging Inc.
>
> Self-employed - Awesome Power Washer, Inc
>
> Detroit Board of Education
>
> Double W Oil field
>
> Guardian Industries
>
> Spartan
>
> Self- employed - Blind Campbell Enterprises
>
> Self-employed - Fast Break Foods
>
> Cobbler's Bench
>
> Self-employed - has a vegetable stand
>
> Self-employed - Jaime Villa Message Therapy
>
>
>
>
>
> 3. Are you still working at the same job you were when your MCB case
> was closed?
>
> Yes: 72 No: 14
>
>
>
> If no, who is your new employer? This answer reflects
> current employer in above.
>
>
>
>
>
> 4. Have you received a promotion? Yes: 6 No:
> 61
>
>
>
>
>
> 5. What is your salary range?
>
> Less than $20,000: 46
>
> $20,000-$40,000: 18
>
> More than $40,000: 14
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 6. Do you work full time or part-time? Full time: 45
> Part-time: 39
>
> Comments:
>
> Sometimes full time - sometimes part-time
>
> Seasonal work
>
>
>
>
>
> 7. Are you currently wo
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