[Tall-Corn] Letter to the governor re: IDB director

[Scott Van Gorp]

Good Evening Federation Family:

I was asked at a recent chapter meeting to send out the letter that the ICUB
president and I worked on to send to the governor regarding criteria we as
organizations would like to see in the next IDB director. Attached is the
letter, but I have also pasted the text below for your convenience. I can't
find the version that has both presidents' signatures at the moment, but I
do know that that was sent in August to the governor's office.

 

Dear Governor Reynolds:

               The Iowa Council of the United Blind and the National
Federation of the Blind of Iowa are jointly contacting you in light of the
recent resignation of Emily Wharton from her position as the director of the
Iowa Department for the Blind.  Our understanding of the Realignment Bill is
that the governor, not the commissioners, now has the authority to hire the
new director of the agency.  


 

As blind consumers, we wish to identify criteria that the next director
should exhibit . Our goal is to assist in finding applicants and a
successful hire who will further the mission of the Iowa Department for the
Blind, which is to "empower blind Iowans to be gainfully employed and live
independently."  

               First, , we believe that it is best for the director of the
Iowa Department for the Blind to be a blind person.  With the exception of
Nancy Norman, the director of the Iowa Department for the Blind has been a
blind person since 1958 when Kenneth Jernigan became the director of the
agency.  As you well know, under his leadership, the then Iowa Commission
for the Blind became the model for blindness agencies throughout the United
States.  Ensuring that the agency has a blind director reinforces the
conviction that has consistently guided the Iowa Department for the Blind,
that principle being that "the average blind person can, with the right
training and opportunity, do the average job in the average place of
business as well as his or her sighted peers."  

               Second, the director of the agency needs to have a knowledge
of blindness training in the areas of braille education, vocational
rehabilitation and independent living with a positive attitude toward
blindness.   This would be exhibited by several years of experience living
with blind people, studying, or managing services in these areas.

 

               Third, we believe that the director of the Iowa Department
for the Blind who will serve it best is one who will find ways to be
innovative.  Such a director will be cognizant of new technologies, for
example, as he or she furthers the vision of the Iowa Department for the
Blind to be the world's leader in blind rehabilitation services.  

We appreciate your consideration of these comments. We would also offer our
experiences living and working as blind people to assist in the hiring
process wherever and whenever you would allow.

 



 

Scott Van Gorp, President

National Federation of the Blind of Iowa

 

 

Scott Van Gorp, Second Vice-President
National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
Phone: 515-720-5282
 <mailto:svangorp at nfbi.org> Email

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Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is a community of members and
friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day
we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

 

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