[nfbmi-talk] then why is he on nish board?

Tue Oct 22 11:46:39 UTC 2013

Much of the Meijer hiring of PWD is in its whwharehous and food paccking 
facilities. In other words the PWD are hired mostly to package things like 
salads, etc. for delis in Meijer's stores. In addition there is some 
interface with Peckham on these projects that doesn't make me sanguine.

Finally I think it was Cerano himself as a NISH board member who nominated 
Meijer's for a NISH award.

I'm not certain about the severity of disabilities of the Meijer's disabled 
employees either especially given the Peckham interface.
Now, these things said I do not fault Meijer's here from what I know. For 
they don't to my knoledge carry Section 14 C certificates and I do think the 
company is well intentioned.

Or at least I give Meijer's the benefit of the doubt.

Now, as for what you say here Terry you are right one.

But, this goes to the craven attempt by Rodgers and his masters to create 
the BADP for the primary reason of taking over the State plate with a whole 
core of civil service employees to run it and with only one of them being 
blind ... That would be Essenberger.

The other twelve as we know would not have been blind.

Moreover we heard at the last meeting two parents of blind teens who begged 
for any type of meaningful, even unpaid work assistance for their kids. And 
that goes to underscore your point here Terry with a huge exclamation point!

I wonder openly just how many of the numerous student assistants hired by 
BSBP were blind?

Oh, yes and many of them have been assisting in temp work at licensed 
facilities where the BEP operator got his/her license striped.

Looks like more sighted folks sucking at the mammary glands of BSBP for 
programs supposedly for the blind to me.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Terry D. Eagle" <terrydeagle at yahoo.com>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 3:24 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] then why is he on nish board?

> This article hails Meijer, Inc. as a leader in innovation and employment 
> for
> persons with disabilities, However, the human resources of Meijer, Inc.
> certainly has its' ignorance and prejudices when it comes to blindness, as
> one person at the Lansing food processing facility summarily determined 
> upon
> meeting a blind person, that a blind person could not possibily perform 
> such
> jobs as food processing.  Perhaps before Meijer, Inc. is hailed as a hero 
> in
> employment for jobs for persons with disabilities, they need to train the
> Meijer, Inc. human resources to take off the blinders toward blindness, 
> and
> put on the blindfold of blindness, to experience and learn that persons 
> with
> blindness are capable of doing the type of jobs Meijer, Inc. offers for
> employment, in addition to training human resource staff in the
> non-discrimination law provisions of this state and nation.  Meijer, Inc. 
> is
> not to big to be exempt from failure to comply with the law, and 
> adequately
> train their staff in such non-discrimination provisions, especially those
> Meijer, Inc. staff engaged in the recruitment and employment decision
> positions of the company.
>
> The example above would be a wonderful opportunity for BS4BP to do 
> effective
> education about the capabilities of blind persons, through in-service
> training and consultation with  a statewide employer, with the potential 
> for
> well paid meaningful jobs for BS4BP clients, however, instead of BS4BP
> hiring and effectively training job placement specialists to educate and
> demonstrate the skill and willingness of blind persons to want work over
> welfare, The BS4BP is busy hiring incompetent highly paid administrators,
> with no training in skills of blindness, and leaving unused millions of
> rehabilitation dollars on the table at the end of each fiscal year, rather
> than using such administrator salaries and unused rehabilitation funds for
> blind persons, to establish meaningful consumer-centered service 
> positions,
> along with appropriate staff and consumer education and demonstrated
> training in skills of blindness, which would achieve both BS4BP staff
> effectively assisting BS4BP consumers, and consumers to locate and compete
> for jobs and careers in the employment sector of society.
>
> It is only when the state policy and decision-makers realize and make
> consumer-centered services a priority and way of program administration,
> that we shall realize a demonstrated and measurable impact and decline in
> the percentage and number of unemployed and underemployed persons with
> disabilities in this state.  Such an impact shall never be achieved while
> the state is on a path of bloated administration, rather than a
> consumer-centered service focus, subminimum wage sheltered sweatshop work
> for consumers, rather than appropriately trained and placed consumers and
> employers alike within the competitive workforce, and the demise and 
> burial
> of the WORK-TO-WELFARE  attitude and practices toward persons with
> disabilities in this state by politicians, state administrators, and staff
> of programs and services designed to serve the training, employment, and
> career needs and dreams of persons with disabilities.
>
> I know the TRUTH hurts, but its' realization will also set the captive 
> free,
> both the administrator and consumer!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmi-talk [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of joe
> harcz Comcast
> Sent: Friday, October 18, 2013 12:16 PM
> To: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] then why is he on nish board?
>
> Elmer Cerano People with disabilities deserve good jobs | Lansing State
> Journal | lansingstatejournal.com
>
>
>
> Written by
>
>
>
> Elmer Cerano is executive director of Michigan Protection and Advocacy
> Service Inc.
>
>
>
>
>
> People with disabilities are drastically underrepresented in the workforce
> despite having marketable skills and an honest desire to work.
>
>
>
> Current estimates indicate that more than 80 percent of people with
> disabilities in Michigan, and more than 70 percent nationwide, are
> unemployed.
>
>
>
> Michigan's rate of unemployment for people with disabilities is 
> horrifying,
> especially since Michigan is the only state in the nation that guarantees
> mandatory
>
> special education for students with disabilities through the age of 26 -
> well above the national mandate of providing special education through the
> age
>
> of 21.
>
>
>
> October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
>
>
>
> Raising awareness, however, is only the first step in creating meaningful
> policy reforms that will lead to full employment for people with
> disabilities.
>
> When I say full employment, I am not talking about "made-work activities",
> day programs or segregated work centers.
>
>
>
> I am talking about new ways to increase productivity for all people with
> disabilities through unique job matching approaches and the proper use of
> technology
>
> such as touch-screen monitors and picture icons and more automation. Such
> innovative efforts allow people with disabilities to work alongside people
> without
>
> disabilities and to earn a prevailing, fair wage.
>
>
>
> This year's disability employment awareness theme of "Because We Are EQUAL
> to the Task" is a declaration that, with new innovations in job matching,
> people
>
> with disabilities can be valuable assets in making local businesses and
> corporations profitable. People with disabilities are a vast untapped
> workforce
>
> who want an opportunity to prove their abilities and to earn a fair wage
> and, much like their temporarily able-bodied peers, want to be a part of 
> the
> economic
>
> growth and prosperity of this state.
>
>
>
> Despite recent strides in creating new community employment opportunities
> for people with disabilities, segregated work centers ("sheltered
> workshops")
>
> are still considered by some to be acceptable alternatives to gainful
> integrated community employment.
>
> (Page 2 of 2)
>
>
>
> Because of the antiquated 14(c) waiver to the Fair Labor Standards Act
> (FLSA), it is still legal for people with disabilities to be paid below 
> the
> federal
>
> minimum wage. This waiver legally allows people with disabilities to be 
> paid
> based on their levels of productivity - not a bad idea when first enacted
>
> more than 60 years ago - but it fails to encourage job matches and
> technology that enhance productivity. It is time we look at doing a better
> job of matching
>
> the person's skills and interests to a job where their productivity can be
> maximized.
>
>
>
> The next step for Michigan following the October employment awareness
> campaign is to study the successes of employment strategies currently 
> under
> way at
>
> places such as Meijer Inc. Their efforts to hire people with significant
> disabilities are evolving as a national model by creating a dynamic and
> inclusive
>
> workforce where they work with each employee as an individual to provide a
> proper job fit, according to their abilities. Meijer is also a founding
> member
>
> of a knowledge exchange group consisting of leaders from large retailers 
> all
> over the country, which focuses on promoting best practices for hiring
> people
>
> with significant disabilities.
>
>
>
> In addition, we need to put forth and implement statewide policies which
> increase competitive, integrated employment in the community as the
> preferred outcome
>
> for all people with disabilities. Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service,
> Inc. continues to advocate for increased numbers of people with 
> disabilities
>
> who earn competitive, prevailing wages in integrated settings located 
> within
> the community but action in the form of concrete legislation promoting 
> this
>
> goal is long overdue.
>
>
>
> Michigan's unacceptable high rate of unemployment for people with
> disabilities can be corrected by innovative ideas in finding the best job
> match that maximizes
>
> productivity and earnings for people with disabilities. Michigan's 26 
> years
> of special education entitlement and efforts by Michigan Rehabilitation
> Services
>
> must break with past patterns of lowered expectations of the abilities and
> the earning potential of people with disabilities.
>
>
>
> Source:
>
> http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20131012/OPINION02/310120041/Elme
> r-Cerano-People-disabilities-deserve-good-jobs
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