[Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update

[Eric Duffy]

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio Buckeye Update
December 8, 2015

We had an historic convention, and I have been very busy since then with both personal and NFB Ohio matters. I hope that you all had a good Thanksgiving, and I know we are all looking forward to the upcoming holidays. 

I say that we had an historic convention, because we adopted a policy related to rehabilitation services in Ohio that set us on a path we have not taken before. The policies of this organization are often expressed through  resolutions. Here is the text of Resolution 2015-02 
Regarding a Request that the State Legislature Convene an Ad Hoc Committee to Study Services for the Blind :





Resolution 2015-02 

Regarding a Request that the State Legislature Convene an Ad Hoc Committee to Study Services for the Blind 


	WHEREAS, a robust economy and healthy tax base require the inclusion of all Ohio citizens who are willing and able to work in order to  participate actively in civic life and to pay their fair share; and


	WHEREAS, the opportunity to take part in the social and economic fabric of our state is no less sought after by blind people than by any other group of citizens; and


	WHEREAS, our  Ohio culture requires equality of opportunity for all; and


	WHEREAS, such a requirement demands a variety of programs and services  to bring appropriate regulation and the fostering of entrepreneurship, education, training and rehabilitation, and job placement to a diverse group of Ohio citizens; and 


	WHEREAS, blind people  must have effective training in specialized skills  in order to be successfully employed and integrated into the economic fabric of the state and nation; and 


	WHEREAS, state vocational rehabilitation programs are mandated by federal and state law and designated and monitored by the United States Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration to provide such services; and


	WHEREAS, effective vocational rehabilitation requires that administrators, supervisors, and counselors providing these necessary services to the blind have an absolute belief in the capacity of the blind and possess a thorough understanding of the nonvisual and low-vision strategies and adaptive technologies necessary for successful rehabilitation of their clients; and


	WHEREAS, Ohio's Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired has far too few counselors serving blind clients and is  not a distinct and separately functioning entity from the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation providing services to blind Ohioans  and does not have supervisors specifically charged with providing services to the blind; and


	WHEREAS, the extensive services often necessary for blind clients are rarely understood by those serving as Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired supervisors and administrators,  despite federal and state requirements for individualized services, which leads to pernicious delays and unjust, incompetent, and illegal denial of legitimate services and or the exercise of federally mandated informed choice; and


	WHEREAS, the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities agency recently created new policies regarding time limits in which services must be provided without giving consideration  to blind clients  or the policy's impact on those blind clients when developing these arbitrary and capricious restrictions; and


	WHEREAS, the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities agency, which houses the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired, has time and time and time again submitted a budget which does not allow the state to take full advantage of significant federal 110 dollars, which can be drawn down in direct support of adjustment, training, and job placement for blind people; and  


	WHEREAS, the blind of Ohio can no longer stand by while inadequate services are delivered through the current administrative structure; and


	WHEREAS,  irrefutable evidence exists from the many states that have separate, identifiable services for the blind that better outcomes and reduced costs result from a separate state agency model: 

Now, therefore,


	BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in Convention assembled this twenty-second day of November, 2015, in the City of Independence, Ohio, that this organization call upon the President of the Ohio Senate and the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives to convene a special ad hoc committee of the General Assembly to consider how best to address the woefully inadequate  service delivery system of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; and


	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this committee be asked to create  a separate, dedicated unit within state government to provide the targeted expertise necessary to enhance quality of life and improve employment outcomes for Ohio's blind citizens.



This morning JW Smith and I met with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) Director Kevin Miller to discuss our intent to ask for a study of services and to request a separate commission for the blind. Director Miller was both professional and courteous throughout the meeting. This came as no surprise, because that is the kind of relationship we have had with him for the last five years or so. He was honest and said that quite frankly he was hurt by some of the language in the resolution. In particular he was bothered by our characterizing services provided to the blind by OOD as woefully inadequate. 



The three of us agreed that, although we are passionate in our views regarding services, we must be respectful of each other. I am sincere in acknowledging that, and I believe Kevin Miller is as well. That is why I did not want us discussing the resolution or our intention for legislative action publicly until we had the opportunity to meet with Director Miller. 



We are in a difficult position. We must express to our friends in the Ohio General Assembly that there are significant problems with services for the blind as we see the current state of things in Ohio. However, we must do it with as much courtesy, respect, and grace as we can muster. Although we don't see the state of services in the same way, we do have a real opportunity for partnership. We  can  look seriously at the quality and quantity of rehabilitation outcomes in Ohio. Notice that I deliberately mentioned quality first. Although numbers are important to us, quality is probably  more important. Since OOD is  a government agency, numbers are often looked at first when assessing  its performance. This can be true of both internal and external assessments. 



I do not believe that any one at the agency wishes us harm or has ill will toward us.  At every level we have professionals doing difficult jobs under pressure and in an environment that we are not a part of, so  we do not appreciate the problems or understand the difficulties. However, I also know that we understand blindness and the capacities of the blind in a way that OOD professionals do not because we live as blind people every day. We work with blind people who have experienced life in a variety of ways because of blindness. This is not to say that there are not blind people working in the agency, because we know there are. But we have come together to improve the quality of life for the blind, and we must do so even when the waters are troubled and the going is tough. 



We have talked about the idea of requesting a separate agency for the blind for a number of years, and for a variety of reasons we have chosen not to do so until now. This is one of the greatest challenges we have faced in the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. With every challenge comes opportunity. We must take the opportunity to work in genuine partnership to improve the current rehabilitation programs and services in Ohio. We  do have the right to expect change. We have the right to demand more and better services. We also have the responsibility to make our expectations clear to all involved in a courteous and respectful way. 



I believe that, despite his initial reaction to our resolution, OOD Director Miller is willing to continue to work with us to improve the current delivery of services. I believe that as a part of that we will be able to find ways to look at what is currently happening and what needs to happen to make things better for the blind of Ohio. In other words I hope that, upon reflection on our meeting today, both we and OOD will see this for the tremendous opportunity it really is. OOD does not have to agree that a separate commission is needed for us to make it happen. We cannot think that we will get all that we want  immediately, and we must not forget that it is ok for partners to disagree. some times that disagreement takes place with a lot of passion and emotion on both sides. But, if our mutual interest is to create better rehabilitation outcomes for blind Ohioans, we must find ways to do that in a partnership that begins and ends with mutual respect.



Please remember our Board of Directors meeting on the 10th of December at 7:30 PM. We will use our usual conference line number: (712) 775-7031. The access code is 900797801 followed by the pound sign. We have a lot to discuss. I look forward to talking with you then.