[nfbmi-talk] from aug 9 mcrs minutes

[joe harcz Comcast]

Update-Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (LARA-BSBP):  Ed Rodgers, Director

BSBP has received permission to establish a 4th Division – Business Assistance and Development Program.  The new Division will assist businesses to continue or be created in Michigan, with a focus to assist individuals who are either in the private sector in businesses or would like to start up a business if they qualify for BSBP services.  A new director, Rob Essenberger, has been hired for the Division.  He is a former operator of a business within the Business Enterprise Program (BEP) and the Bureau is excited to be partnering with the legislature to develop a training center that will eventually expand beyond the food service industry.  The new Division will be located in the Anderson House Office Building.  

 

BEP

A press release recently announced that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has plans to put restaurants in at some rest stops over the next year.  This probably will not happen as a result of work done by some BSBP Staff.  They will likely want to close some rest stops that are not frequented often.  Michigan doesn’t have toll roads – it’s an open road system.

 

Youth Camp Program

Next week, BSBP staff will be involved with a Youth Camp Program in Petoskey, which are funded mostly by contributions and very little BSBP funds.

 

Upper Peninsula (UP) Fair

BSBP will have a booth at the UP Fair next week, which will be staffed by BSBP representatives.  1.9% of Michigan’s population is legally blind, so they will likely touch base with present clients, potential clients, and/or families.  Geography is always an issue in the UP, so BSBP is excited to increase its presence in the UP.

 

The May visit of RSA to BSBP was successful, and RSA seems satisfied with the first year of BSBP.

 

Following some criticisms in the past, some research was accomplished indicating that with 1.9% of Michigan’s population having legal blindness, 20% of BSBP Staff is blind.

 

The BSBP Training Center in Kalamazoo has a new Director, Lisa Kisiel.  200 applicants  applied, which was narrowed down to 50 and then to 10, with unanimous agreement that Lisa would be the best candidate.  She was formerly a regional manager for the Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids area.  During her tenure as Acting Director, Lisa successfully reduced the waiting list for people to get into the Training Center from 6 months to 6 weeks.  Any Council Members who would like to visit the Training Center may contact Sue Luzenski to arrange a visit.

The BSBP State Plan was submitted.  Thanks again for a job well done by Marlene and Shori, who worked with Leamon Jones to help complete the BSBP State Plan process.

 

So far this year, BSBP has served between 3500-3700 clients, which is on track, with no drop in services.

 

A meeting took place recently with a national vending company from Iowa that will help update the vending equipment and services.  BSBP has about 300 vending locations around the state.

 

The Governor and legislature (senate) decided that BSBP needed an increase in full-time employees (FTEs).  BSBP is regulated by the Department and Budget Director for how many FTEs that BSBP is authorized to have.  An increase was requested from 107 to 113; the House of Representatives decided it should be 107.  BSBP worked for three days to get the House to agree to 113; the House of Representatives eventually agreed to the 113.

 

BSBP has increased and reassured Ferris State University that BSBP will continue to partner with their Optometrist School, which serves the youth and senior citizens in Michigan.  Their Optical/Low Vision Program has been recognized nationally.

 

In July, Wayne County decided that they would eliminate all spending for Wayne County Library for people with physical disabilities and blindness.  If the budget was not restored, BSBP would have had to help out.  With some subtle advocating, the last word was that the library will be restored in their budget for next year.

 

Partner Reports 

Client Assistance Program (CAP) – B. Sabourin  

33 service requests closed this past quarter as related to information and referral.  44 closed service requests for MRS, 3 related to BSBP, and none related to CILs.  CAP is now down to two advocates.  Alicia Paterni has resigned and another advocate is still on maternity leave.  The two remaining staff members are great advocates, but the number of calls are up lately, with calls relating to a variety of requests.  In October, CAP will be replacing one Advocate position and possibly a second.  A community survey opportunity was shared via the following web page:  www.surveymonkey.com/s/flsd6dd .  The Michigan Protection and Advocacy website has been improved tremendously; everyone is encouraged to check it out at www.mpas.org .  All families in Michigan should be made aware of the updated site, since the Special Education manual is now available online.

 

Public Comment

Joe Harcz

Part of my issues are with the roles and responsibilities in the state/federal relationship.  I go to some comments by Mr. Rodgers and everybody referring over to executive order, as opposed to looking at roles and responsibilities clearly delineated in federal law of an SRC.  Also, each and every one of you are individuals and have access to other groups and anybody can make, can petition our government under the first amendment of the United States Constitution, you know, to give legislators and other people information.  Those are individuals.  Second comment:  it is very alarming to me, in the deterioration, I do know the money problems and everything else, but isn’t it alarming, doesn’t it ring alarm bells in what Brian said about what they’re receiving, five complaints per day, apiece, that’s ten per day.  You know, something is very broken here.  Third comment:  This goes back to the WIA Reauthorization and several problems.  This reorganization really does effectively block grant these federal funds.  Although quite frankly, I’ve seen states manipulate these programs into block grant programs including this state right now; but there’s another component to this and that’s the maintenance of the 14C wage exceptions for people with disabilities, mostly at our CROs, which is totally insulting to people with disabilities.  The sub-minimum wage payment in a sheltered environment runs contrary to anything morally or ethically responsible by our very government and the sheltered notions goes against the integrated setting mandate of the Olmstead Decision and of everything holy.  Why aren’t we putting more money into supportive employment programs and into getting people out of these dead-end, sheltered, non-integrated settings and taking the lead like other states and as advocates, like Oregon, and now even New York, and doing this.  This is not, this is a violation of the fundamental tenets of any civil rights law and I’m talking about the ADA here, and others, and that is that people with disabilities are fully integrated into our society, including in work environments, and that we’re paid on equitable terms, regardless as to our disability, that we don’t have a sub-standard wage differential where some people get paid as little as forty-four cents an hour, why CEOs of these community rehab programs are making hundreds of thousands.  The disparity in these programs is just incredible, obvious, and plain at its face, and it does go to the role of the MRC to look at those and to look at following the law in these programs.  And finally, going back to these programs, what are we doing to ensure our vendor and sub-contractor compliance under 504 and ensuring that they’re fully accessible to all people with disabilities.  I know of many blind people who have applied for these programs, even some of the good programs, and I won’t even mention them, and they were turned away because these CRPs did not give reasonable accommodations upon request and referred people over to Michigan Commission for the Blind or were told “oh, you can’t do that because you’re blind.”  My God, what is wrong with us?  When we have places that serve people with disabilities that don’t make reasonable accommodations… Am I through?  Is my time up?  OK, I ended.  I’m done.

 

Joe Sontag

2nd Vice President to National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of Michigan

I have no responses necessary, I have a couple of, maybe three, comments very quickly.  Number one:  I am impressed with the way this telephone conference is working and I urge someone, Marlene perhaps, or someone working with her to get in contact with BSBP and tell them how you do it.  We have had ongoing issues, not because of lack of interest or lack of competence, but frankly I don’t think they’ve got the equipment they need and maybe a few other pointers on procedure would help BSBP get the job done as wonderfully as you folks have done it today.  Secondly, I wanted to point out that the National Federation of the Blind is interested to see the WIA process go forward.  We have a very serious difficulty with the idea that RSA should be moved from the Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Labor.  We’re opposed to it and we are also opposed to Section 511, which allows placement in sheltered-shop situations where folks are able to be paid legally sub-minimum wages under the provisions of Section 14C - we are opposed to that.  We’re asking that that part of the proposed WIA legislation be taken out, and we would be very interested in working with anyone that feels similarly inclined.  And, last but not least, not to beat up on Ed Rodgers a little bit, but we in the NFB of Michigan, we’re expressing, and will continue to express, concerns about the level of employment of blind people at the new BSBP.  While 20% seems like an impressive number, with respect to the 1.9% of the general population that is blind or visually impaired, the staffing level occupied by blind or visually impaired persons at the former Commission for the Blind has been as high as 33% recently.  So, you don’t need to take my word for it, investigate it, and you’ll find out.  And with that, I’m done, thank you.