[Nfbv-announce] 2014 Richmond Seminar Fact Sheet

Sat Jan 18 04:34:19 UTC 2014

Please find attached and below the Richmond seminar fact sheet. We will have
Braille and large print copies at the Board Meeting along with copies to
pass out on our Salmon colored paper.

Team assignments will be distributed later this weekend.

We have  legislation in motion and expect a fast paced day at the General
Assembly.

Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder, President
9522 Lagersfield Circle
Vienna, VA 22181
(703) 319 - 9226
fschroeder at sks.com

2014 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FROM THE BLIND OF VIRGINIA

Priority #1: Virginia's Blind Students Deserve Literacy Equal to their
Sighted Peers

Action:  Co-patron SB 291 (Patron Senator Carrico) /HB 228 (Patron Delegate
Cole) which requires a research based assessment of the literacy needs of
Virginia's blind and low vision students as a component of a student's
Individual Education Plan (IEP) 

Issue: Visually impaired students in Virginia are not obtaining the literacy
skills to achieve future employment. Since most visually impaired students
have some residual vision, students are taught to read using large print
even when Braille or a combination of large print and Braille would best
meet the students' current and future needs. While Braille is the presumed
reading media, Virginia schools are teaching Braille to only 100 of
Virginia's 1,200 blind and low vision students. Thus, Virginia's blind and
low vision students are falling behind their sighted peers because they are
not provided the literacy skills to keep pace. While 70% of blind Americans
are unemployed, 90% of those employed know Braille. The future success and
employment of Virginia's blind and low vision students depends on literacy.
Virginia has no specific requirements for the reading media assessment. As a
result, bias, cost and familiarity often drive the use of large print when
Braille or both Large Print and Braille would best meet the students'
current and future needs.

Solution: SB 291/HB228 require use of a research based, data driven and
valid literacy assessment tool. The literacy assessment must provide the IEP
team of parents, teachers, administrators and the teacher for the visually
impaired an objective recommendation for meeting the student's current and
future needs as compared with sighted peers. Existing literacy assessment
tools which meet this standard include a free tool developed by Louisiana
Tech University, the National Reading Media Assessment (NRMA). Since the
entire assessment can be completed in just over an hour, the NRMA could be
easily performed annually. The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
urges your support of SB 291 (Patron Senator Carrico) / HB 228   (Patron
Delegate Cole).

Priority #2. Eliminate the Registry of Blind Virginians

Action:  Co-Patron HB664 (Patron Delegate Brink) to eliminate the Registry
of Blind Virginians

Problem: The Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI) is required
to maintain a registry of blind citizens. The Registry is:

.        Discriminatory - Most other groups of disabled citizens are not
maintained in a registry and there is no reason to specifically call out the
blind for registration.

.        Inefficient - DBVI's resources are distracted from their important
work by a 64 year old requirement designed to assist medical researchers. No
requests from medical researchers have been received for over 20 years. 

.        Incomplete - Medical professionals generally do not report patients
due to privacy and a concern that patients will not visit doctors if the
patient could be reported to the state authorities. As a result, the
registry vastly underrepresents Virginia's blind citizens.

.        Inaccurate - DBVI has no means to know when blind citizens leave
Virginia so the list is not current.

.        Useless - DBVI does not benefit from the registry. DBVI has
alternative methods to identify blind citizens to report to DMV.

Solution: Support HB 664 (Patron Delegate Brink) to eliminate the registry
of blind citizens.

Additional Priorities:

Priority #3:  Keep DBVI as a Separate Agency - The Virginia Department for
the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI) should remain a separate agency
responsible for serving the unique needs of Virginia's blind citizens. The
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia opposes efforts to merge DBVI
into other agencies.

Priority #4:  Support Blind Entrepreneurs - Virginia's Business
Opportunities for the Blind vending program provides a priority opportunity
for blind entrepreneurs licensed by DBVI to operate vending facilities in
state buildings. The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia opposes
efforts to weaken the priority for blind entrepreneurs.

*****

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

We are your neighbors, changing what it means to be blind.  The National
Federation of the Blind is America's largest and most active organization of
the blind.  With more than 50,000 members, we are not an "agency" claiming
to speak for the blind; we are blind people speaking for ourselves.  In
Virginia, we are organized into 13 local chapters in major population
centers, and into various special interest divisions.  Through advocacy,
peer support, scholarships, specialized literature, student seminars, free
white canes, and much more, we do whatever it takes to promote full
integration of the blind into society on terms of equality.   

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