[nfbmi-talk] Fw: not the only vr related building with access issues

[joe harcz Comcast]

And there are countless violations of both program access issues let alone requirements for effective communications in our VR entities here today. In fact BSBP is worse than ever!





----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: Mikezelley at aol.com 
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 10:43 PM
Subject: Re: not the only vr related building with access issues


I wished to talk about access requirements with state agencies, years of discrimination in that regard, and the fact that millions are going to be sent back to the feds because of mismanagement and failures at both MCB and MRS which will adversely impact CIL funding and the state plan statewide. All of this will severely impact everything from transition services to diversion programs ...

There are some very dire things going on and have been for some time.

And no one seems to have seen the RSA monitoring which is     at the core of these issues.

Joe
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mikezelley at aol.com 
  To: joeharcz at comcast.net 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 7:57 PM
  Subject: Re: not the only vr related building with access issues


  Joe, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Do you still want to do an access audit at TDN? What else did you want to cover with me? Mike Zelley

  In a message dated 4/28/2010 2:06:31 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, joeharcz at comcast.net writes:
    April 28, 2010

     

     

    Note on Access Requirements Vocational Rehab 

     

    This section of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act goes directly to accessibility of all Vocational Rehabilitation facilities including the Michigan Commission for the Blind, it also goes to all the various One-Stops…

     

    Yet, to this very date so many of Michigan’s V.R. and related agencies have issues of accessibility. One item comes strongly to my mind here and that is the fact that raised character and Braille signage is woefully non-compliant at the Victor office building and that includes both MCB, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, the Michigan Commission for Disabilities concerns, and a wide variety of DELEG offices just to name a few. The raised character and Braille signage requirement is a “program access” requirement of the ADA and Section 504 referenced in these Vocational Rehabilitation Act Title I rules. My gosh how many parts of these acts have MRS, MCB, DELEG and predecessors violated over these manty years on this access issue and requirement alone?

     

    I simply can’t take a count of the egregious and intentional acts of discrimination in this regards over the years.

     

    It staggers the mind, but I have been vilified over and over again for pointing out the obvious violations of these civil rights requirements. 

     

    Relevant section:

    Sec. 361.51 Standards for facilities and providers of services.

     

        (a) Accessibility of facilities. The State plan must assure that 

    any facility used in connection with the delivery of vocational 

    rehabilitation services under this part meets program accessibility 

    requirements consistent with the requirements, as applicable, of the 

    Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, the Americans with Disabilities Act 

    of 1990, section 504 of the Act, and the regulations implementing these 

    laws.

     

     

     

    Joe Harcz