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<DIV>Greetings to all on the NFBNJ distribution list!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It is time to share the following information forwarded by Carol
Castellano, Chair of this committee to provide facts to keep the NJ CBVI a
separate agency!</DIV>
<DIV>It is time to inform the decision makers that the NJ CBVI must remain
as a
separate agency!</DIV>
<DIV>It is time for action!</DIV>
<DIV>Provided is valuable information to read and to assist each to inform
all
of the importance of the NJ CBVI to remain as a separate agency.</DIV>
<DIV>Don’t hesitate and wait for someone else; the time for action is
NOW!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We Can Make A Difference!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">We
care. We
share. We grow. We make a difference<BR>Joe Ruffalo, President <BR>National
Federation of the Blind of New Jersey <BR>973 743
0075<BR>nfbnj1@verizon.net<BR><A
href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">Raising
Expectation To Live The Life We Want!</DIV>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"> </DIV>
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inline'>**</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV>The blind/visually impaired and parents of BVI children must come
together</DIV>
<DIV>to act to save the Commission for the Blind! Please share this
information</DIV>
<DIV>with your distribution list. It is both attached and pasted into
the
body</DIV>
<DIV>of the email below.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Carol Castellano</DIV>
<DIV>Parents of Blind Children-NJ</DIV>
<DIV>National Organization of Parents of Blind Children</DIV>
<DIV>973-377-0976</DIV>
<DIV>carol_castellano@verizon.net</DIV>
<DIV>www.blindchildren.org</DIV>
<DIV>www.nopbc.org</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Parents of Blind Children-NJ</DIV>
<DIV>23 Alexander Ave., Madison, NJ 07940</DIV>
<DIV>blindchildren@verizon.net * www.blindchildren.org</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ALERT !!! ALERT
!!! ALERT !!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ATTENTION PARENTS OF BLIND/VI CHILDREN & BVI ADULTS</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The future of the Commission for the Blind might be at stake</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Gov. Murphy Has Received Recommendations from his Human and
Children</DIV>
<DIV>Services Transition Advisory Committee that we fear will lead to</DIV>
<DIV>DISMANTLING THE COMMISSION for the BLIND</DIV>
<DIV>The Governor has heard from only one side—he has NOT heard from
blind/VI</DIV>
<DIV>people or parents—there were NO blind people or parents of blind kids
on</DIV>
<DIV>the committee!</DIV>
<DIV>We must speak out to preserve services!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here are the facts:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• The Governor appointed people to his Human and Children’s
Services</DIV>
<DIV>Transition Advisory Committee. There were NO BLIND PEOPLE or
PARENTS
OF</DIV>
<DIV>BLIND CHILDREN on the committee.</DIV>
<DIV>• The committee’s report recommends eliminating “fragmentation”
and</DIV>
<DIV>“duplication.” This translates to dismantling the Commission and
sending</DIV>
<DIV>its parts out to other state agencies. This equals fragmentation
of</DIV>
<DIV>services for blind people!</DIV>
<DIV>• THE REALITY IS…the Commission provides a single point of entry
for</DIV>
<DIV>blind/VI New Jerseyans from birth through old age, no matter their age
when</DIV>
<DIV>they enter the system.</DIV>
<DIV>• This is a blindness-specific agency, with easy-to-find,
easy-to-access</DIV>
<DIV>blindness expertise and services all under one roof.</DIV>
<DIV>• Blind/VI people can move seamlessly across service areas for
early</DIV>
<DIV>intervention, school & transition services, college services,
preparation</DIV>
<DIV>for the workforce, independent living, or a combination of these.</DIV>
<DIV>• Specialized skills such as Braille and tactile graphics,
adaptive</DIV>
<DIV>technology, cane travel, and independent living skills are taught
by</DIV>
<DIV>Commission professionals trained in these techniques. These
services
are</DIV>
<DIV>not offered elsewhere in state government. There is no
duplication
of</DIV>
<DIV>services.</DIV>
<DIV>• BVI people represent the smallest percentage of the general
disability</DIV>
<DIV>population. When services for the blind are blended in with service
to</DIV>
<DIV>people with all disabilities, the services for the blind get
lost.
This is</DIV>
<DIV>supported by research done on separate agencies for the blind vs.</DIV>
<DIV>general/combined agencies.</DIV>
<DIV>• Blind people served by separate agencies are more likely to
gain</DIV>
<DIV>competitive employment at a higher salary vs. those served by</DIV>
<DIV>general/combined agencies.</DIV>
<DIV>• Unintended consequences of dismantling the Commission would lead
to</DIV>
<DIV>fragmentation of services for blind/VI consumers and potential
reduction
of</DIV>
<DIV>employment and earnings.</DIV>
<DIV>• 9,000-10,000 people receive Commission services every year and would
be</DIV>
<DIV>directly affected if the changes are made. Another 35,000 receive</DIV>
<DIV>eye-health screenings.</DIV>
<DIV>• With the Commission’s single point of entry and comprehensive system
of</DIV>
<DIV>blindness-specific services all under one roof, the blind of New
Jersey</DIV>
<DIV>experience seamless, easy-to-find, easy-to-access, expert service
and</DIV>
<DIV>certainly NOT fragmentation as suggested in the Report of the Human
and</DIV>
<DIV>Children Services Transition Advisory Committee to the Governor.
There is</DIV>
<DIV>no duplication of services. No other agency in state government
offers the</DIV>
<DIV>blindness-specific services the Commission provides.</DIV>
<DIV>• The NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired must be
preserved</DIV>
<DIV>as a separate agency.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>WHAT YOU CAN DO</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Read the Fact Sheet.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Then Email, write, call, and visit:</DIV>
<DIV> Your 3 state legislators (State Senator and 2 Members of the
Assembly)</DIV>
<DIV> The chairs of the Human Services committees listed below.</DIV>
<DIV> Governor Murphy and Department of Human Services Acting Director
Carole</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson</DIV>
<DIV> The newspapers</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Give/send them our Fact Sheet.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Tell about the special training you or your child has received from
the</DIV>
<DIV>Commission and what is has meant to your life. Tell the number of
other</DIV>
<DIV>blind people affected.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Ask our legislators to protect services for our blind kids and for
BVI</DIV>
<DIV>adults. Ask them to</DIV>
<DIV>PRESERVE THE COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED AS A
SEPARATE</DIV>
<DIV>AGENCY</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Find your legislators at <A
href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp">http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp</A></DIV>
<DIV>Find the Governor’s contact info here: <A
href="http://nj.gov/governor/contact/">http://nj.gov/governor/contact/</A></DIV>
<DIV>Find Acting Commissioner Johnson’s mailing address here:</DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.nj.gov/nj/gov/deptserv/">http://www.nj.gov/nj/gov/deptserv/</A></DIV>
<DIV>Email: carole.johnson@dhs.state.nj.us</DIV>
<DIV>Format for email to legislators: State Senator:
senLASTNAME@njleg.org</DIV>
<DIV>Assemblyman: asmLASTNAME@njleg.org</DIV>
<DIV>Assemblywoman: aswLASTNAME@njleg.org</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Senator Joseph F. Vitale</DIV>
<DIV>Chair, Health, Human Services, and Sr. Citizens Committee</DIV>
<DIV>569 Rahway Ave.</DIV>
<DIV>Woodbridge, NJ 07095</DIV>
<DIV>732-855-7441</DIV>
<DIV>senvitale@njleg.org</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Assemblywoman Joann Downey</DIV>
<DIV>Chair, Human Services Committee</DIV>
<DIV>802 West Park Ave., Suite 221</DIV>
<DIV>Ocean Twp., NJ 07712</DIV>
<DIV>732-695-3371</DIV>
<DIV>or</DIV>
<DIV>35 West Main St.,1st Floor</DIV>
<DIV>Freehold, NJ 07728</DIV>
<DIV>732-333-0166</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>aswdowney@njleg.org</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sample message:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My name is ____ and I am writing to ask you to please preserve
critical</DIV>
<DIV>services for NJ's blind children and adults by keeping the NJ
Commission</DIV>
<DIV>for the Blind and Visually Impaired as a separate,
blindness-specific</DIV>
<DIV>agency. The Governor’s Human and Children Services Transition
Advisory</DIV>
<DIV>Committee has made recommendations that I fear will dismantle the</DIV>
<DIV>Commission for the Blind. Please do not let this happen.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This change, if it is allowed to happen, will have a direct and
drastic</DIV>
<DIV>impact on the 10,000 blind and visually impaired people served by
the</DIV>
<DIV>Commission each year. Blind people are much more successful when
they</DIV>
<DIV>receive services from a separate, blindness-specific agency, rather
than</DIV>
<DIV>one that is combined with other agencies. Please see the Fact Sheet I
have</DIV>
<DIV>provided. [USE OTHER DETAILS ON FACT SHEET & PREVIOUS
PAGE]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[BRIEFLY TELL ABOUT YOURSELF or YOUR CHILD, the special services he/she
has</DIV>
<DIV>received from the Commission, and what these services mean to
your/your</DIV>
<DIV>child’s life. Perhaps enclose/insert a photo of your
child.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My daughter ____ was able to succeed in public school, graduate
from</DIV>
<DIV>college and graduate school, and gain employment because of the
special</DIV>
<DIV>services she received from the Commission for the
Blind—especially</DIV>
<DIV>Braille, access technology, and how to travel with the long white
cane. I</DIV>
<DIV>want every blind person to have the opportunity to receive this
training</DIV>
<DIV>and do not want to see services diminished in any way.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Blind people will directly suffer if the Commission for the Blind
is</DIV>
<DIV>dismantled. There are already too many unemployed blind adults, and
staff</DIV>
<DIV>at other agencies have no idea of what is needed by blind people to
become</DIV>
<DIV>successful, independent, employed adults.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Please make sure that the NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually
Impaired</DIV>
<DIV>remains a separate, blindness-specific agency.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sincerely,</DIV>
<DIV>Your Name & Contact Info</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For further info, contact Parents of Blind Children-NJ (POBC-NJ)
Founder</DIV>
<DIV>Carol Castellano, carol_castellano@verizon.net or 973-377-0976,
or</DIV>
<DIV>National Federation of the Blind of NJ (NFBNJ) President Joe
Ruffalo,</DIV>
<DIV>nfbnj1@verizon.net or 973-743-0075</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Please let us know if you have written or called and if you receive
a</DIV>
<DIV>response.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[end of document 1]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>logo--National Federation of the Blind of NJ</DIV>
<DIV>logo--Parents of Blind Children-NJ</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For further information, contact:</DIV>
<DIV>Joseph Ruffalo, President</DIV>
<DIV>National Federation of the Blind of NJ</DIV>
<DIV>973-743-0075</DIV>
<DIV>nfbnj1@verizon.net</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Carol Castellano, Founder</DIV>
<DIV>Parents of Blind Children-NJ</DIV>
<DIV>973-377-0976</DIV>
<DIV>blindchildren@verizon.net</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Fact Sheet:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>THE NJ COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED</DIV>
<DIV>MUST REMAIN AS A SEPARATE AGENCY</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With the Commission’s single point of entry & comprehensive system
of</DIV>
<DIV>blindness-specific services all under one roof, the blind of New
Jersey</DIV>
<DIV>experience seamless, easy-to-access, expert services</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>To best serve the needs of the blind of New Jersey, the NJ Commission
for</DIV>
<DIV>the Blind and Visually Impaired must be preserved as a separate,</DIV>
<DIV>blindness-specific agency serving the unique needs of the blind.
It
must</DIV>
<DIV>not be dismantled and parceled out or folded in to other agencies, as
the</DIV>
<DIV>Governor’s Human and Children Services Transition Advisory Committee
report</DIV>
<DIV>seems to recommend.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI or
the</DIV>
<DIV>Commission) was created by state statute in 1910. It provides a
single</DIV>
<DIV>point of entry for blind and visually impaired (BVI) New Jerseyans
from</DIV>
<DIV>birth through old age, no matter how old they are when they enter
the</DIV>
<DIV>system.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At this blindness-specific agency, blindness expertise is contained
all</DIV>
<DIV>under one roof. Specially trained professionals provide
consumers,</DIV>
<DIV>regardless of age, with seamless services, whether the need is for
early</DIV>
<DIV>intervention, school and transition services, college services,
preparation</DIV>
<DIV>for the workforce, independence in personal life, or a combination
of</DIV>
<DIV>these.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With this single point of entry and comprehensive system of</DIV>
<DIV>blindness-specific services all under one roof, the blind of New
Jersey</DIV>
<DIV>experience seamless, easy-to-find, easy-to-access, expert service
and</DIV>
<DIV>certainly not fragmentation as suggested in the Report of the Human
and</DIV>
<DIV>Children Services Transition Advisory Committee to the Governor.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Skills such as Braille and tactile graphics, use of adaptive
technologies,</DIV>
<DIV>independent travel with the long white cane, and skills of
independent</DIV>
<DIV>living are taught by Commission professionals trained in these
special</DIV>
<DIV>techniques. No other agency in state government offers similar
services.</DIV>
<DIV>There is no duplication of services as suggested in the Transition
Advisory</DIV>
<DIV>Committee report.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The skills that BVI people must master in order to achieve
independence</DIV>
<DIV>and secure competitive employment are dramatically different from what
is</DIV>
<DIV>needed by those with other disabilities. These skills tend to be
unfamiliar</DIV>
<DIV>to employees of general agencies. Again, there is no duplication
of</DIV>
<DIV>services.</DIV>
<DIV>Research comparing outcomes and costs of vocational rehabilitation
services</DIV>
<DIV>received by blind and visually impaired people from separate vs.
general</DIV>
<DIV>agencies shows that the unique needs of BVI people are best served by
a</DIV>
<DIV>separate, dedicated agency (ongoing research from Mississippi
State).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Blind and visually impaired people represent the smallest percentage of
the</DIV>
<DIV>general disability population. Their needs tend to get lost
in</DIV>
<DIV>general/combined agencies.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Significantly more clients gain competitive employment without supports
in</DIV>
<DIV>integrated settings or in self employment when served by separate
agencies</DIV>
<DIV>vs. general agencies (83% vs. 57%). Separate agencies are able to
achieve</DIV>
<DIV>these results for substantially the same cost. Clients served by
separate</DIV>
<DIV>agencies also gain higher paying jobs and fewer remain on public</DIV>
<DIV>assistance. Separate agencies close a far smaller percentage of
clients as</DIV>
<DIV>homemakers vs. general agencies (16% vs. 41%) (MS State).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Separate agencies achieve these better results while serving a
more</DIV>
<DIV>vulnerable population, including those more severely blind, those
with</DIV>
<DIV>additional disabilities, and those who are poor (MS State).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>While the Transition Advisory Committee had the worthy goal of
eliminating</DIV>
<DIV>fragmentation and duplication, the reality is that the implementation
of</DIV>
<DIV>their recommendations would actually RESULT IN fragmentation for
blind</DIV>
<DIV>people seeking services.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Another unintended consequence of the Committee’s recommendations would
be</DIV>
<DIV>the potential reduction in employment and earnings of blind
adults.</DIV>
<DIV>Unemployment rates are already too high for individuals with
disabilities.</DIV>
<DIV>Policy makers must reject any recommendations or changes which could
result</DIV>
<DIV>in reduced services and reduced employment for the 10,000 BVI people
the</DIV>
<DIV>Commission serves each year.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>To our knowledge, not one blind or visually impaired person or parent
of
a</DIV>
<DIV>blind child was included on the Transition Advisory Committee, yet
the</DIV>
<DIV>results of their recommendation would be drastic negative changes for
those</DIV>
<DIV>actually affected—the blind and visually impaired of New Jersey.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>FACTORS SPECIFIC TO NEW JERSEY:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired was
created</DIV>
<DIV>by the State Legislature in 1910, upon compelling testimony from
Helen</DIV>
<DIV>Keller and other national thought leaders.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Unlike most other vocational rehabilitation agencies in the U.S.,
NJ’s</DIV>
<DIV>Commission has a state-mandated obligation to provide
comprehensive</DIV>
<DIV>blindness education to BVI students, to ensure that the general
education</DIV>
<DIV>curriculum is accessible and facilitate inclusion in the regular
school.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>CBVI is also responsible for administering a unique program of</DIV>
<DIV>comprehensive access technology training and equipment
distribution.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In addition, CBVI has been tasked with administering a
comprehensive</DIV>
<DIV>eye-health services program, in which its specially-trained staff
provides</DIV>
<DIV>eye screening and other services to approximately 35,000 residents of
the</DIV>
<DIV>State.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With its single point of entry, comprehensive system of
blindness-specific</DIV>
<DIV>services all under one roof, better vocational rehabilitation results,
and</DIV>
<DIV>seamless, easy-to-access, expert services, the NJ Commission for the
Blind</DIV>
<DIV>and Visually Impaired must be preserved as a separate agency.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[end document 2]</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>