[NFBP-Talk] Call To Action: Keep BBVS

Thu Apr 25 22:49:37 UTC 2019

Also, if you have a friend or relative whose representative is on that list, please let us know so we can ask them to help advocate for this very important cause.

Thank you.

Joseph Drenth
Senior R&D Software Engineer
JBT Corporation  |  Automated Systems
400 Highpoint Drive
Chalfont, PA  18914, USA
E: joe.drenth at jbtc.com<mailto:joe.drenth at jbtc.com>  P: 215 822 4457
www.jbtc-agv.com<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jbtc-agv.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd07a795200cf456c447808d618d9e181%7C91c2207902ce47e8bb5bc93a3d5f1a78%7C0%7C0%7C636723721401917690&sdata=nK9H2JUrAkefVUj%2Fux6EMzfRJa3z%2Bbv0fXK6jNB6LBc%3D&reserved=0>

From: Emily Gindlesperger [mailto:skewbdobdo at verizon.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2019 1:18 PM
To: nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org; pacapitalchapter at nfbnet.org; keystonechapter at nfbnet.org; nfbp-board at lists.nfbp.org; pabs at nfbnet.org
Cc: Drenth, Joe
Subject: Re: [NFBP-Talk] Call To Action: Keep BBVS

**This email is from an external sender**
Good afternoon everyone!!

Continuing our call to action, please review the list below.  If you are a constituent of one of these PA Representatives, please email Joe Drenth and me Emily Gindlesperger and let us know.  We need your help.

Stan Saylor - Red Lion area
Sheryl Delozier - Camp Hill area
Donna Bullock - Philadelphia area
Maria Donatucci - Philadelphia area
Matt Gabbler - Dubois area
Keith Greiner - Lampeter area
Seth Grove - York area
Marcia Hahn - Wind Gap area
Patty Kim - Steelton area
Stephen Kinsley - Harrisburg area
Leanne Krueger - Folsom area
Jason Ortitay - Bridgeville area
Peter Schwever - Allentown area
Rosemary Brown - East Stroudsburg area
Linda Schlegel Culver - Sunbury area
Doyle Heffley - Weissport area
R. Lee James - Seneca area
Fred Keller - Mifflenburg area
John Lawrence - West Grove area
Christopher Quinn - Harrisburg area
Greg Rothman - Camp Hill area
Jesse Topper - Bedford area
Ryan Warner - Harrisburg area
Martina White - Philadelphia area
Jonathan Fritz - Honesdale area
Clint Owlett - Wellsboro area
James Struzzi - Harrisburg area
Matthew Bradford - Norristown area
Marty Flynn - Scranton area
Sephen McCarter - Glenside area
Morgan Cephas - Philadelphia area
Carolyn Comitta - West Chester area
Austin Davis - Harrisburg
Elizabet Fiedler - Philadelphia
Benjamin Sanchez - Abington area

Again, if your representative is listed please email Joe Drenth joe.drenth at jbtc.com and me Emily Gindlesperger skewbdobdo at verizon.net and let us know!  We need you!

Thank you and have a great day!

Emily Gindlesperger
Legislative Chair
National Federation of the Blind of PA

-----Original Message-----
From: Drenth, Joe via NFBP-Talk <nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: 'nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org' <nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org>; NFB of Pennsylvania Capital Chapter List (pacapitalchapter at nfbnet.org) <pacapitalchapter at nfbnet.org>; Keystone Chapter List of the NFB of PA (keystonechapter at nfbnet.org) <keystonechapter at nfbnet.org>; 'nfbp-board at lists.nfbp.org' <nfbp-board at lists.nfbp.org>; pabs at nfbnet.org <pabs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Drenth, Joe <Joe.Drenth at JBTC.COM>
Sent: Wed, Apr 24, 2019 1:13 pm
Subject: [NFBP-Talk] Call To Action: Keep BBVS
Hello NFB Family,

*** EMERGENCY ***
The Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry is considering closing the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS). He is trying to justify it as a cost-savings measure, but he has not provided any financial proof. He is also ignoring studies that show the tremendous harm that such an action would have on the blind and visually-impaired citizens of Pennsylvania. He needs to stop considering this as a viable option.

*** CALL TO ACTION ***
We need your help to protect blindness-related services in Pennsylvania. Please share the important message “Keep BBVS” with your state legislators and the Governor’s office.

Below are talking points you can use when you call or meet with your Pennsylvania representatives and senators. They are also attached as a flyer you can hand out to concerned neighbors, friends, and any others who could help.

The Department of Labor and Industry's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation should abandon consideration of any plan to
ELIMINATE the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services.

1. Research shows that consolidation of blindness rehabilitation services into general rehabilitation services hurts blind clients.
BBVS has historically been its own Bureau because of the recognition that services to blind and visually-impaired individuals need to be highly specialized. Studies performed by Mississippi State University’s National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision found that combining blindness-related vocational rehabilitation services with general disability VR services negatively affect the rehabilitation outcomes of blind and visually-impaired individuals and reduces the average income of those who do achieve employment.

2. Projected cost savings is minimal; likely harm to blind clients is great.
Closing BBVS would not save much money compared to the harm it would do, and OVR has not presented any fiscal justification for this action.

3. BBVS provides specialized rehabilitation services distinct from the rest of OVR.
Eliminating BBVS would negatively impact social services for blind children, students, adults, and seniors, since BBVS offers critical opportunities for assistance, training, employment and independent living for which there are no counterparts in the general disability vocational rehabilitation program.

4. OVR did not seek input from stakeholders regarding this plan.
This option is being planned within the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation without input from the State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Advisory Committee for the Blind of Pennsylvania, the Governor's office, or the blindness community.

Please contact your state legislators and the following offices to share your concerns about the proposal to eliminate BBVS. Also, please share phone calls made and copy all emails to KeepBBVS at nfbp.org.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
Phone: (717) 787‐2500
Email: govcorrespcrm at pa.gov

Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak
Office phone: (717) 705-2630
Cell phone: (717) 265-5765
Email: wgoleksiak at pa.gov

Acting Executive Director of the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Ryan Hyde
Central Office phone: (717) 787-5244
Email: rhyde at pa.gov

To find the names and contact information for your Pennsylvania General Assembly Representatives and Senators, visit the following web page and enter your mailing address:
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/

Thank you very much,
Joe

Joseph Drenth
First Vice-President, NFB of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation
Senior R&D Software Engineer, JBT Corporation, Automated Systems Division

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