[NFBMT] Billings Gazette Letter to the Editor

[Bruce&Joy Breslauer]

Blind Montanans on 2-year wait list  

 

Nov 7, 2017

 

Montana's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services is in
crisis. Since March, 2017, no new services have been offered due to budget
constraints. Clients with open cases are still receiving services, but new
clients are put on a two-year waiting list in the hopes that when a category
for which they are eligible for services opens up, they will be first to
receive them. In the meantime, they must put their educational and vocational
plans on hold. The National Federation of the Blind of Montana thinks this is
unreasonable.

 

Efforts are already underway to roll back decades of hard-won and vital
programs and services for blind Montanans. If Blind and Low Vision Services
is consolidated into general disability services in the name of balancing the
budget, this would effectively eliminate our ability to procure the targeted
and specialized services we need in order to be successful in achieving our
educational and vocational goals. Moreover, merging the blind and general
disability programs violates Montana state law, which calls for stand-alone
services for the blind. We cannot afford to lose the autonomy of our only
service option within a one-size-fits-all service delivery system.

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Montana strongly urges Gov. Steve
Bullock and our state legislators to hold a special session to find other
ways to balance the budget that do no harm to the blind, elderly, and
disabled, and to maintain and preserve the autonomy and the quality of
services for the blind of Montana, so that we can continue to be
contributing, tax-paying citizens of our state and nation, and live the lives
we want.

 

Joy Breslauer, president,

National Federation of the Blind of Montana