LEGISLATIVE ALERT
Many people who read this notice will be present, former, or
future clients of the vocational rehabilitation program. Just
imagine what it would be like if you were told to go down to the
"unemployment office" (or something like it) to ask for personal
adjustment training and other blindness-related services. What
kind of response do you think you would get from the caseworker
when an authorization for more than just a few thousand dollars
is requested to purchase training services and specialized
technology?
If bills now being considered in the House of
Representatives and the Senate are passed, blindness-related
services and all other rehabilitation services would only be
available from specified, local work force development offices.
It would be the responsibility of the people in these offices to
help anyone (disabled or not) who is looking for work. The state
vocational rehabilitation agency might still exist in name, but
it would not include a significant service program.
Remember the individualized written rehabilitation program
(IWRP)? It contains the commitments made by the state agency to
provide service. If the new legislation passes, the IWRP would
not exist, at least with the content presently required. Perhaps
it would not exist at all.
This suggests that a serious challenge is immediately before
us. The legislation in question is designed to consolidate job-
training, education, and employment service programs so that all
services must be sought at the local level through so-called
"one-stop" offices. The leading proponents are William Goodling
of Pennsylvania, in the House, and Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas, in
the Senate. The earliest versions of these bills in the present
Congress were H. R. 511, in the House, and S. 143, in the Senate.
Rewritten versions of both bills are now receiving serious
consideration in both bodies.
Under either bill Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
the basic state/federal program of vocational rehabilitation
services, would be absorbed completely into the generic job
training, education, and employment service programs which serve
anyone (disabled or not) who is out of work and in need of help.
The House bill, known as the "CAREERS" Act, is expected to be
considered first, as early as May 17, in a subcommittee "markup"
session.
We have prepared information on this situation and have placed it on
NFB NET, the BBS of the National Federation of the Blind. It is also
available on other BBS's and on-line services. Below are instructions on
how to obtain the Legislative Alert package.
The text of the House draft bill is the final item in the
Legislative Alert package. A fact sheet, describing the bill and its impact
upon the vocational rehabilitation program, is also included.
Agencies and organizations in the blindness field have issued a
"joint statement" in opposition to inclusion of the
Rehabilitation Act in the consolidation measure. The text of
this statement is also included in the archive.
The rehabilitation program is certainly not perfect, but the
consolidation bills are not intended to improve it. If saving
money is the goal, that will most definitely not occur for
several reasons. Our only and best option under the
circumstances is to seek the removal of vocational rehabilitation
from the consolidation measures.
All members of the House and Senate should be advised that
legislation which would virtually annihilate specialized
rehabilitation services is bound to cost more money because of
lost jobs and lost opportunities. Lists of the relevant Senate
and House committees, followed by the appropriate subcommittee in
each case, are included in the package. A sample letter is also
presented.
You can obtain the Legislative Alert package under the file
names "LEGALERT.TXT" and "LEGALERT.ZIP" from NFB NET. NFB NET
can be reached by calling (410) 752-5011. We accept modem speeds
from 300 baud up through and including 28.8K baud. You can
download the package on your first call. It is located in File
Area 1, (New Files.)
The archive is also available on CompuServe in the
Disabilities Forum, Library 7, (Rights/Legislation,) "go disfor."
It is also available on a number of other BBS's that serve the
blind and disabled.
We need your help, so please write!!!
David Andrews
David Andrews, director
International Braille and Technology Center
for the Blind
National Federation of the Blind
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Dec 02 2012 - 01:30:03 PST