From: "Mich net" To: "Wurtzel Fred" ; "Wurtzel Fred" Subject: placement paper Date: Tuesday, September 10, 2002 10:22 PM BRINGING THE MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND BOLDLY INTO THE FUTURE A POSITION PAPER WHICH SUPPORTS MOVING THE MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND OUT OF THE FAMILY INDEPENDENCE AGENCY MCB STRUCTURE & PLACEMENT DESIGN TEAM September, 2002 INTRODUCTION The Structure and Placement Design Team was originally created by the Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) Board of Directors as an ad hoc committee. The committee's purpose was to make recommendations as to where MCB should be placed in the State Government. The Commission Board took this action because staff, members of the Commission Board, and consumers felt much frustration while attempting to work within the FIA bureaucracy because of philosophical, legal, and professional service issues. Because of biases and prejudices of the bureaucracy, there are violations of Public Act 260 and lack of integration of people who have vision problems throughout society. This is reflected by placing the Commission in a welfare agency rather than a vocational placement organization. Since the transfer from the former Department of Labor, feelings have increased that the purposes of FIA and MCB are very different. Specific issues include, but are not limited to: lengthy processes for purchasing equipment for clients to use for employment, computer software which is inaccessible to employees with vision problems, and lack of support of Commission programs both in and out of FIA. The original ad hoc committee structure was expanded to include members of the Vision 2020 planning team. The current team consists of representatives from the Commission staff, Consumer Involvement Council, Elected Operators Committee of the Business Enterprise Program, Michigan Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and National Federation of the Blind of Michigan. In order to more clearly understand the frustration, it should be remembered that Public Act 260, the law which established the Commission for the Blind, was created as a result of much hard work and advocacy done by blind and visually impaired consumers. HISTORY In July of 1976, the Services for the Blind Unit (as it was then known) was a part of the Department of Social Services. At that time it was proposed that the unit's field staff and immediate supervisors would be placed under the supervision of the County Directors of Social Services. The blind community immediately responded negatively and the proposal was dropped by September of that year. By January of 1977, the blind community became aware that the Director of the Department of Social Services had proposed transferring the blind program to the Department of Education. However, it quickly became apparent that if the transfer occurred, the blind program would be merged into one agency with the general agency, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, and the blind community flatly opposed such an idea. In June of 1977, the State House of Representatives became involved in the issue through two resolutions which opposed the transfer to the Department of Education and proposed the creation of a special standing committee of the House to study the needs of the blind and alternative methods of delivering services to the blind. Hearings of the special committee resulted in house Bill 5830. After due consideration and some amendments, the bill became Public Act 260 of 1978 when Governor Milliken signed the bill on June 28 of that year. The Act, which established the Commission for the Blind in the Department of Labor, continues in effect, essentially unchanged, to date. In March of 1996, however, the Governor issued Executive Order 1996-2 which transferred the Commission from the former Department of Labor to the Family Independence Agency. To everyone who was affected by this transfer, it felt like services for the blind had gone full circle and they were now back where they had originally started. CURRENT TRENDS According to the American Foundation for the Blind, there are already 10 million people who have problems seeing. As society ages this figure is changing at an alarming rate and by the year 2030 this figure will double. The American Foundation for the Blind also states that today there are four million working-age adults who report some form of uncorrectable vision loss. Among those working-age adults who are totally blind or have severe vision loss, 74% are unemployed (McNeil, 1993). To cut costs, more and more states are threatening to dissolve--or already have dissolved--their separate agencies for visually impaired people. This short-term budget decision results in a "one size fits all" approach to employment services that overlooks the proven benefits of specialized programs and services. Although large, all-purpose disability and health service organizations claim to serve blind people as successfully as blindness agencies do, many blind and visually impaired people fall through the cracks when they don't have access to specialized services. Ending these programs would deny consumers a right as assured by the U.S. Congress in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (34 CFR 361.52, The State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program; Final Rule). Specialized services that provide assistive technology--such as computers with speech or braille output and large-print displays--are consistently under funded, and yet these services have clearly demonstrated a positive impact on employment. Forty percent of severely visually impaired people who are employed use computers to do their jobs (Kirchner, Johnson, & Harkins, 1997). In light of the above, it is important that the Commission for the Blind be maintained as a separate agency. DESCRIPTION OF MCB SERVICES The mission of the Commission for the Blind is to provide opportunity to individuals with visual handicaps to achieve employability and, or function independently in society. Blindness is one of the most feared and misunderstood disabilities. The Commission for the Blind is able to provide specialized services to help people of all ages become independent which enables them to lead productive lives. It should be kept in mind that in many parts of the state, services provided by the Commission are the only services available to obtain the specialized training needed. Skills are taught by specially trained professionals in the areas of orientation and mobility, rehabilitation teaching (daily living skills), low-vision specialists, and experts in technology adapted for the visually impaired. Kinds of skills learned from Commission for the Blind staff throughout all programs include: Securing employment Reading and writing Braille Getting around safely in the environment (whether it be home or business district) Using computers with speech synthesizers, or braille or large print displays Learning to use magnification systems which are designed to maximizing use of remaining vision Taking care of homes and personal needs using specially designed techniques and devices In addition to the other services, MCB provides adjustment to vision loss counseling. RECOMMENDATIONS Many discussions took place regarding which department would be a closer fit for the Commission. The biggest fear expressed during the discussions was that the Commission would be swallowed up into the general rehabilitation agency, thus losing its ability to work effectively. As previously noted the Design Team adamantly opposes being merged with the general rehabilitation agency. In addition to staying a separate agency, the team came up with nine important factors which should be considered when determining the appropriate state department to host MCB. 1. Access to the Department Director by the Commission Board and Executive Director. 2. Ability to have MCB directly present its budget needs to the House/Senate Appropriations Committees and DMB budget staff. 3. Receptivity/support for compliance with accessibility issues. 4. Supportive services that truly support MCB operations and enhance and expedite service delivery. 5. A simple method of payment for procuring client services and equipment. 6. Sufficient autonomy in marketing and public relations efforts. 7. Encouragement for gathering and utilizing consumer input. 8. Support and facilitation of MCB's on-going efforts to improve. 9. Encouragement of intradepartmental program cooperation. In order for the Commission for the Blind to have the ability to keep up with the ever-changing service and employment trends, it is essential that the issues raised in this position paper be resolved soon. Members of the Design Team welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with anyone who is interested. Please contact Geer Wilcox at (517) 351-8122 or Charis Austin at (616) 458-1187.