[Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update

Wed Dec 9 01:46:00 UTC 2015

On Friday when Debbie and I had our braille seminar a BSVI counselor
from the Dayton area came and is interested in learning braille.  I
share this because I hope this will be the case for more BSVI
counselors.

On 12/8/15, Eric Duffy via Ohio-talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 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.
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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053