[nfbmi-talk] marcus and others will love this

[joe harcz Comcast]

It is important to get all information related to meetings in accessible format the Michigan SILC has been excellent on this. BSBP on the other hand still wants to charge for minutes. Enough said on this.

But here is a segment from one SILC meeting packet that is Leemon Jones report to the SILC. It goes to his issues and mine in getting any information from BSBP on the "I Can connect" program":. While this is with the complete packet from SILC dated for its May 2013. The information that followsrelates to the November, or December meeting. I must state that MI SILC again is accessible and responsive while the BSBP isn't even in the universe including Mr. Jones.

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BSBP- L. Jones 

•       As you know we are the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons and now we are one-month-old.  Just to highlight some points that the agency has achieved and accomplished over the past period of time let's start out with awards, this is something we have every year but recognizing those persons that achieved their goals throughout the year and/or our partners with the community partners as well as employers and just in October we had this event and it was very successful.  We had a number of individuals that received awards.  And especially those that worked with us and assisted in finding jobs for individuals.  That is one of the main goals and objective is to have people become as independent as possible and economically independent is very valuable.  

•       Other aspect of the program that we have and some things that we were able to achieve this year is we had received a FCC grant to work with persons who are deaf and blind.  This grant is a two-year grant with the possibility of a third year ($267,000 per year). This is to provide technology equipment for persons that are deaf and blind.  They do not have to be consumers of the agency as we identify throughout the state that we can work with them to provide them with updated technology and communication technology.  I think this is a very valuable grant that will enhance lives of these individuals and also probably bring even more individuals to our program for further vocational services.  

•       As Colette made mention of, we collaborate very closely with them with our programs in providing a number of services.  In our transition activity with the Intermediate School District, we work very closely together there and provide Independent Living training as well as technology assessment and evaluation as well as training.  This is before the instructors and/or the students, which is a really very valuable cooperation.  That really helps to enhance our transition a programs, rehab transition programs throughout the state, in particularly the major Metropolitan areas where we provide additional services and working with the school districts for persons who are blind and visually impaired to enhance the opportunities for them and particularly in the areas of Independent Living as well as transition from high school to secondary education or to employment.  

•       We also have our Media Adjustment Program and it's at a center in Kalamazoo but it moves around throughout the state.  What it does is it provides an introduction to persons who are newly blinded, fields of blindness and begins to see how they can live and maintain themselves within their home environment and gives them an idea of hope rather than being hopeless. This program really gives them an idea of what it is, what an individual can do to become successful and independent. 

•       We also then provide a variety of training for our staff and what we have done is assess the staff and some of the areas that we want to provide training for in the future.  Just 

White

recently we completed training for employment and we have the opportunity for those individuals to become gainfully employed and looking at some other types of training programs that will really kind of be on the cutting edge and that is social media and how we can use that or how we can use that and enter employment outcomes.  Just to indicate a few themes that the agency as BSBP is considering at this particular time.  We also continue to collaborate with many of our community partners and to enhance employment outcomes.  We are working with CMH, Michigan Works and other agencies and developing some cooperative relationships to increase employment outcomes and to work with job developers, increasing the expectations of our job developments are and continue to do and provide the additional services for the agency. 

•       So the Agency is continuing to move forward with the staff.  We have some people who were affected by the some of the downsizing.  But with the staff that lost and we received some as well, we will have to go through some training in order to bring some of those individuals up to par, but we are looking forward to new ideas and working with the staff and working with our community partners in order to achieve the outcomes and we have a State Plan approved and that was very helpful so we can look forward to another year and continue to work with our community partners.  "