[Ohio-talk] Fwd: Rehab Act Finally Moving!--Status Quo Mixed with Modest Change and Good News for the Future of Vision Rehabilitation!

[Marianne Denning via Ohio-talk]

I am certain NFB will be sending out more information about this soon
but I am forwarding this from AFB.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: AFB DirectConnect <MRichert at afb.net>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 16:24:21 -0400
Subject: Rehab Act Finally Moving!--Status Quo Mixed with Modest
Change and Good News for the Future of Vision Rehabilitation!
To: AFB Subscriber <afbweb at afb.net>

				
 AFB DirectConnect Letterhead
	    	
	

Rehab Act Finally on the Move!
Bipartisan Breakthrough is Mixed Bag of Status Quo and Incremental
Change, but
AFB's Language Supporting Training of O&M, VRT, and LVT Professionals
Poised to Become Law!


For further information, contact:

Mark Richert, Esq.
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 469-6833
MRichert at afb.net <mailto:mrichert at afb.net>

Advocates who have been following the sad saga of the Congress's nearly
twelve-year-long failure to reauthorize the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
as amended, are breathing a sigh of relief today as news of a bipartisan
agreement among law makers in both the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives reached their disbelieving ears. As part of the
so-called workforce investment system, the federal/state partnership to
provide vocational and pre-vocational rehabilitative services to people
with disabilities, which is funded and described in the Rehab Act, has
been held hostage to a protracted legislative process which, until
today, could not resolve differences both about the structure and
function of the broader workforce system and the terms and conditions of
VR services themselves.

While this massive legislative package announced today requires further
analysis, advocates will be most interested to learn that the bill will
not, repeat, will not move management of the VR system to the U.S.
Department of Labor as had been previously proposed but will leave its
management to the Department of Education. Likewise, management of the
Independent Living Services for Older Individuals who are Blind (Chapter
2/Older Blind) program remains at Education. However, to satisfy the
demands of the independent living community, other independent living
services, along with NIDRR (the rehab research agency) and Assistive
Technology Act project management, will transfer to the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.

The compromise announced today does not eliminate the ability of certain
employers to pay their employees with the most significant disabilities
subminimum wages but nevertheless does try to somewhat delineate more
precise conditions that must be met, such as the specific type of
training and information that need to be offered to such employees,
before wages below the federal minimum can be paid.

One relatively small but yet very significant piece of the compromise
announced today has to do with supporting the preparation of
professionals meeting the unique needs of VR clients who are blind or
visually impaired. As early as 2002 when discussions about the Rehab
Act's reauthorization by Congress officially began, AFB persuaded
congressional champions at that time to include legislative language in
Rehab reauthorization to raise the profile of, and thereby increase
federal investment in, preparation of vision rehab professionals by the
Education Department. This language was later updated by AFB in 2011 and
again in 2013 to specifically increase the priority of and explicit
support for professionals in the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy,
Orientation and Mobility, and Low Vision Therapy disciplines per se. AFB
is pleased to see that this important language has survived the Rehab
reauthorization rollercoaster, and once the compromise legislation
announced today becomes law, we encourage our field to actively make the
most of these new provisions to ensure that grater federal investment is
made in the preparation of our professionals so that VR clients with
vision loss receive more and better services.

One final note about the Chapter 2 program: the compromise legislation
announced today would direct a small but useful fraction of federal
dollars appropriated to pay for independent living services offered to
older individuals with vision loss to technical assistance and related
initiatives for both public and private service providers. This is a new
provision, though of course long advocated throughout the length of this
Rehab reauthorization process, which will hopefully result in higher
quality services and better preparedness on the part of professionals
and agencies.

As of now, there is no action required or urged of advocates. Staff on
Capitol Hill are asking that this newly-minted compromise be allowed to
work its way through the remainder of this heretofore frustrating
legislative labyrinth and to let the ink dry on this extensive piece of
proposed legislation. Both policy makers and staff on the Hill are
hoping for prompt action in both houses of Congress so that the
President can sign this comprehensive bill this year. With luck and what
remains of the disability community's patience, we may very well finally
reach "case closure" on amendment and approval of the Rehabilitation
Act!



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