[Ohio-talk] Services for the blind threatened

Sun Feb 9 16:41:19 UTC 2014

I certainly plan to ask our two agencies here in town.

On 2/9/14, COLLEEN ROTH <n8tnv at att.net> wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
> Well it is obvious that the people who are served under the two contract
> with the Sight Center have another Disability or circustance other than
> blindness.
> These could include Mental Illness, a Developmental Disability or Substance
> Abuse.
> Some of these people may actually have more of a problem with their other
> disability.
> It is good that the Cleveland Sight Center is continuing to serve this
> population for the timebbing.
> If there are rules being broken by any provider or subcontractor this should
> change immediately.
> Colleen Roth
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Cheryl Fields <cherylelaine1957 at gmail.com>
> To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Friday, February 7, 2014 4:00 pm
> Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Services for the blind threatened
>
>>
>>
>> The money that OOd, Opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities is
>> definitely included in this mess. Their money is received from RSC,
>> and distributed to other agencies. This has effected 2 contracts the
>> Cleveland sight Center held, the agency will continue services for
>> now. However if there is no resolution it could get sticky. It is my
>> understanding that  there is the possibility of many programs for the
>> blind and others to disappear even if this situation is resolved
>> without the people effected the most speaking up in a significant way.
>>
>> Check with your providers, agencies, program directors for current
>> information about funding, ask the hard questions and I think you will
>> be surprised.
>>
>> Cheryl
>>
>> On 2/7/14, Marianne Denning <marianne at denningweb.com> wrote:
>> > Cheryl, thanks for sending this article.  It raises more questions
>> > than it answers.  First, are blind and visually impaired people
>> > affected by this?  If so, how?  I believe we should be concerned even
>> > if it doesn't affect one blind or visually impaired person at this
>> > time.  Did the organizations in question misuse the funds?  Hopefully,
>> > these questions and many more will be answered soon.
>> >
>> > On 2/7/14, Cheryl Fields <cherylelaine1957 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> Hello,
>> >> This article appeared yesterday in the Columbus Dispatch, it is
>> >> disturbing. There has been no press coverage in Cleveland on this
>> >> serious issue. If this is not resolved, services for blind persons
>> >> will be greatly effected. Please read, how can we, nfb, become pro
>> >> active
>> >>
>> >> Best,
>> >>
>> >> Cheryl Fields
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> If there are images in this attachment, they will not be displayed.
>> >> Download the original attachment
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Page 1
>> >>
>> >> Columbus, OH February 6, 2014
>> >>
>> >> Social services
>> >>
>> >> Funding flap threatens programs for disabled
>> >>
>> >> Chris Luzader, who is developmentally disabled,
>> >>
>> >> greets shoppers at the Walmart store in Westerville. Luzader is part
>> >> of the state's Bridges to Transition
>> >>
>> >> program, which is in jeopardy because of a funding dispute.
>> >>
>> >> Sometimes the weight of a government dispute falls squarely on the
>> >> shoulders of average citizens.
>> >>
>> >> This is one of those times for Chris Luzader, 46, who loves his job as
>> >> a greeter at the Walmart on Schrock
>> >>
>> >> Road in Westerville.
>> >>
>> >> Luzader, who suffered permanent neural motor-control damage from a
>> >> bout with spinal meningitis when
>> >>
>> >> he was 6 weeks old, knows the program that keeps him employed is in
>> >> danger, but he tries not to think
>> >>
>> >> about it.
>> >>
>> >> "If I didn't have this job, I'd be hurting for money," he said. "I
>> >> hope it don't come down to that."
>> >>
>> >> Luzader is one of 300 people in the Bridges to Transition program
>> >> operated by the Franklin County Board
>> >>
>> >> of Developmental Disabilities that helps disabled adults find and keep
>> >> jobs. About $1 million for the local
>> >>
>> >> program comes from the federal government. It's a great deal for local
>> >> agencies, which put up $1 for
>> >>
>> >> every $3.69 in federal money.
>> >>
>> >> And there's the problem.
>> >>
>> >> A compliance dispute between the Office of Ohioans with Disabilities,
>> >> or OOD, and the U.S. Department
>> >>
>> >> of Education threatens to cut $30 million going to Bridges to
>> >> Transition and dozens of other programs for
>> >>
>> >> disabled Ohioans. Local agencies put about
>> >>
>> >> $10 million into the programs overseen by the federal Office of
>> >> Special Education and Rehabilitative
>> >>
>> >> Services.
>> >>
>> >> The dispute goes back to early 2011 when Kevin Miller, newly appointed
>> >> as head of what was then the
>> >>
>> >> Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (now the OOD), wrote to
>> >> federal officials about questions
>> >>
>> >> raised in prior reports concerning spending by third-party
>> >> contractors. The U.S. Department of Education
>> >>
>> >> indicated that the issues appeared to be resolved, Miller said. The
>> >> program also got a green light last year.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Page 2
>> >>
>> >> But a routine audit this year concluded that the state was improperly
>> >> using federal funds. That finding
>> >>
>> >> means $30 million going to dozens of agencies -- including the Center
>> >> of Vocational Alternatives in
>> >>
>> >> Columbus, Goodwill and the Franklin County Developmental Disabilities
>> >> Board -- could be cut off. The
>> >>
>> >> Oct. 18 finding gave the state a month to terminate contracts. There
>> >> was also an indication the state might
>> >>
>> >> have to pay back money spent previously.
>> >>
>> >> The federal agency cited several issues, most involving administration
>> >> functions performed by some of
>> >>
>> >> the 73 third-party state contractors that regulators said did not
>> >> benefit disabled clients. The draft federal
>> >>
>> >> report cited examples including $10,000 spent on financial services,
>> >> plus expenses for liability insurance,
>> >>
>> >> an audit fee, chamber of commerce dues and cellphone charges.
>> >>
>> >> "We feel we're in compliance," Miller said. "We believe this is a very
>> >> rigid interpretation of what the
>> >>
>> >> federal code says and a misunderstanding of how Ohio's program is
>> >> structured."
>> >>
>> >> Jacqueline Romer-Sensky, a commissioner of the disabilities office,
>> >> said the cutoff order "may
>> >>
>> >> dramatically disrupt services for 8,500 Ohioans with disabilities
>> >> currently receiving assistance to find a
>> >>
>> >> job. ... This we find an outrageous and unconscionable affront to our
>> >> consumers and the providers who
>> >>
>> >> partner with them."
>> >>
>> >> Members of Ohio's congressional delegation are preparing a letter
>> >> asking U.S. Education Secretary Arne
>> >>
>> >> Duncan to intervene.
>> >>
>> >> Officials from two statewide agencies say cutting off the contracts
>> >> would have damaging results.
>> >>
>> >> Cheri Walter, executive director of the Ohio Association of County
>> >> Behavioral Health Authorities, said
>> >>
>> >> Recovery to Work projects with agencies throughout the state help
>> >> recovering addicts and those with
>> >>
>> >> mental illness return to the workforce.
>> >>
>> >> "For some of our agencies and our clients, this is not just about a
>> >> job. It's about life and death," Walter
>> >>
>> >> said. "We just think it's a terrible injustice to the clients we're
>> >> serving."
>> >>
>> >> Adam Herman, spokesman for the Ohio Association of County Boards of
>> >> Developmental Disabilities,
>> >>
>> >> said the Bridges to Transition program serves about 4,000 people in 55
>> >> of 88 Ohio counties.
>> >>
>> >> "It would be a travesty if bureaucratic disagreement between the state
>> >> and federal governments were
>> >>
>> >> allowed to get in the way of people with significant disabilities
>> >> getting the skills they need to find and
>> >>
>> >> keep a job," Herman said.
>> >>
>> >> "Through no fault of their own, people with developmental disabilities
>> >> already face an uphill battle when
>> >>
>> >> seeking a job and trying to live independently. They don't need the
>> >> government working against them as
>> >>
>> >> well."
>> >>
>> >> ajohnson at dispatch.com
>> >>
>> >> @ohioaj
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> Ohio-talk mailing list
>> >> Ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
>> >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org
>> >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> >> Ohio-talk:
>> >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/marianne%40denningweb.com
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
>> > Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
>> > (513) 607-6053
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Ohio-talk mailing list
>> > Ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
>> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org
>> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> > Ohio-talk:
>> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/cherylelaine1957%40gmail.com
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Ohio-talk mailing list
>> Ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Ohio-talk:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/n8tnv%40att.net
>
>

-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053