[nfbmi-talk] Important Alert Related To Indiana: Who gets Vocational Rehabilitation services first? Public hearings April 24

Thu Mar 30 14:26:58 UTC 2017

As you will see, this came to my attention a few minutes ago courtesy
of Fifth Freedom, a disabled persons' advocacy organization based in
Fort Wayne, Indiana.  It is so important, that I am copying lots of
people on this posting--some of whom reside in places other than
Michigan--because I need specific help as to how I can address this in
a legally and politically meaningful way.  I am not an attorney, a
politician, or a professional in the public policy or rehabilitation
arenas.  We also need lots of boots on the ground in South Bend, near
where I am and where one of the hearings mentioned below is to be
conducted:

Monday, April 24, 2017
1:30 p.m. to 3:30p.m. (EST)
St. Joseph County Library, Centre Branch
Alligator Conference Room
1150 E. Kern Road
South Bend, IN 46614

Up for debate is this principal called "Order Of Selection" that the
State of Indiana is trying to implement in its Vocational Rehab
policy.  What the State of Indiana is trying to do, apparently, is
limit the availability of vocational rehab services to only those
persons who fit into certain categories classified as most profoundly
needy.  The problem with this, of course, is that if this goes
through, it is the massive number of persons with learning
disabilities and communication disorders who will get all the
services.  By my count, these make up some 62% of the disabled
population of this country.  Others of us who live with
lower-prevalence conditions such as blindness, deafness, and mobility
impairment, will get a whole lot of nothing.

Due to the universal importance of this issue to all working-age
people who are blind or visually impaired, I have copied both the NFB
and ACB mailing lists pertinent to the State of Indiana.  As Benjamin
Franklin once said during a critical time in our country's early
history: "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we
shall all hang separately."

Kind regards,

-Kane

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "ACT at fifthfreedom.org" <act at fifthfreedom.org>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2017 09:28:51 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Alert: Who gets Vocational Rehabilitation services first?
Public hearings April 24
To: kbrolin65 at gmail.com

An informational alert prepared by Fifth Freedom
Information courtesy of the Arc of Indiana
Vocational Rehabilitation Public Hearings on Order of Selection
April 24 in Evansville, South Bend, and Indianapolis
Under a new proposal, Indiana's Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
would implement
"Order of Selection" rules to determine who gets vocational rehabilitation (VR)
services first. Individuals with the most significant disabilities
would be selected
to receive VR services first.
What does "individual with a most significant disability" mean? The
three criteria
includes:

* The person must have "a severe physical or mental impairment that
seriously limits
one or more functional capacities (such as mobility, communication,
self-care, self-direction,
interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills) in terms of an employment
outcome;"
* The person's VR needs "can be expected to require multiple [VR] services over
an extended period of time;" and
* The person "has one or more physical or mental disabilities resulting from [a
very comprehensive list of enumerated conditions], or another
disability or combination
of disabilities determined ... to cause comparable substantial
functional limitation.
You can view the proposed changes here: http://fifthfreedom.org/l/g3
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001osyl3oKyBe9346q1JLWW7fcOFZI2PEMQkUmCrvXhxwz5fQAXk2S-PojJH6eJ4CZHlV5mlUeJBYvtO-hsPF_A-_V9ayEirqgVQgKHYCoDH1pyTr52OHIj0sKsUxv3AMDSlTsDg0SBvQa4gOmAmtGx-tGES7sHqpdgEcZQWntyrOFbs7hLxqHlVQ==&c=Wt4XeEOcdM40GWWRew-vsypIpjkoEDj5U4eHW9onNFlUuBltgTkclQ==&ch=6rEFCANSNL4l0y-ugmWyuVQdVDq_05MzIREdmiRvT0fEiEPrYU0sjw==]
(pdf). If you would like to share your thoughts on the proposed new
rules, you can
send an email to  Kathy.Sodeman at fssa.IN.gov [mailto:Kathy.Sodeman at fssa.IN.gov].
Comments will be accepted until 4 p.m. (EST), April 25, 2017.
You can also provide feedback at a public hearing.
Public Hearings
Monday, April 24, 2017
Evansville
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (EST) / 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CST)
Evansville Vanderburgh Central Public Library
Browning Event Room A
200 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Evansville, IN 47713
South Bend
1:30 p.m. to 3:30p.m. (EST)
St. Joseph County Library, Centre Branch
Alligator Conference Room
1150 E. Kern Road
South Bend, IN 46614
Indianapolis
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EST)
Indiana Disability Rights
Conference Room
4701 North Keystone Avenue, Suite 222
Indianapolis, IN 46205
An American Sign Language Interpreter will be available at all locations. If you
 cannot make it to a hearing, there will be a conference call Tuesday, April 25,
 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm EDT. Call-in Toll Free at 1-877-422-1931, and
enter Conference
Code 5096611778.
For questions or hearing accommodation requests, email Kathy.Sodeman at fssa.IN.gov
 at least five business days prior to the public hearing.
Doug Schmidt
Act Team Coordinator
The Fifth Freedom Network
4606-C E. State Blvd., Suite 102
Fort Wayne, IN  46815
act at fifthfreedom.org
http://fifthfreedom.org
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001osyl3oKyBe9346q1JLWW7fcOFZI2PEMQkUmCrvXhxwz5fQAXk2S-PoiqcX3QRoUa_j4G1tME3t3mZBQjQcHOhVulQDezg5CptdnMPnnAsirXvktzkzzwUly3_kp61oOjOWaohCQ9UVcWqhp85WbkEUzOzGuL--KAsZBDFXpohAk=&c=Wt4XeEOcdM40GWWRew-vsypIpjkoEDj5U4eHW9onNFlUuBltgTkclQ==&ch=6rEFCANSNL4l0y-ugmWyuVQdVDq_05MzIREdmiRvT0fEiEPrYU0sjw==]
http://jobdoozy.org
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001osyl3oKyBe9346q1JLWW7fcOFZI2PEMQkUmCrvXhxwz5fQAXk2S-PlAZHw4NS4YuHRahS1vFKTvpjvmjxcTI25dZfyfkaRKuRSnFTeTS-gUvRLmPSWXP4Vi0mO-cgQNkBQ1hozVmNIDHowsu4ofs3N7kvWcONAIt8f9-VZC_81Q=&c=Wt4XeEOcdM40GWWRew-vsypIpjkoEDj5U4eHW9onNFlUuBltgTkclQ==&ch=6rEFCANSNL4l0y-ugmWyuVQdVDq_05MzIREdmiRvT0fEiEPrYU0sjw==]
http://indianapop.org
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001osyl3oKyBe9346q1JLWW7fcOFZI2PEMQkUmCrvXhxwz5fQAXk2S-Pkvbs54IaxnEDU2tHtxEtzFZQxS8lrClRDRKilUNTM8ysYRCQEjUJz2Lt_jISbly3j_xuBoTcbviC7JYqy0dVFiSTUfwNIQcsgPqGkPLvecYCPzn04X2NpU=&c=Wt4XeEOcdM40GWWRew-vsypIpjkoEDj5U4eHW9onNFlUuBltgTkclQ==&ch=6rEFCANSNL4l0y-ugmWyuVQdVDq_05MzIREdmiRvT0fEiEPrYU0sjw==]
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Fifth Freedom | 4606-C E. State Blvd. | Suite 102 | Fort Wayne | IN | 46815