[Arizona-students] Fw: Plea to Save Vocational Rehabilitation Services for You and Me!

[Arielle Silverman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "AB7HW Dick Lee Chrisman" <ab7hw at cox.net>
To: "Dick L Chrisman" <dickc at nfbarizona.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2005 4:37 AM
Subject: Plea to Save Vocational Rehabilitation Services for You and Me!


> Submitted by
>
> Mary Hartle-Smith
>
> hartle at extremezone.com
>
> 480-733-5266
>
>
>
> Subject: Support of Vocational Rehabilitation Follow-up
>
>
>
> Fellow Federationists:
>
>
>
> Thank you all for participating in the rally to save Vocational
>
> Rehabilitation on May 26.  Although the contributions of the 1,200 
> attendees
>
> are certainly appreciated, thanks also to those who could not join us, but
>
> nevertheless showed their commitment to our cause in numerous ways.  We
>
> succeeded in letting education officials know that we oppose dismantling 
> of
>
> the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).  People with 
> disabilities
>
> will not stand by and permit the Department of Education to destroy our
>
> rehabilitation programs.
>
>
>
> Now, our attention must turn to the United States Senate.  The Senate is
>
> still considering legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act,
>
> S. 1021, and we can positively affect the outcome.
>
>
>
> To do this, please contact your senators, and ask that they urge Senators
>
> Enzi, Republican of Wyoming and Chairman of the Health Education Labor and
>
> Pensions Committee, and Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts and the ranking
>
> minority member of the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, to
>
> amend Section 3 of the Rehabilitation Act to maintain RSA in essentially 
> its
>
> present form.  The specific language must direct the Administration to:
>
>
>
> ü Preserve adequate staffing and a regional office structure for the
>
> Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA); and
>
> ü Maintain the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired within the 
> RSA.
>
> In addition, urge your senators to join the House in opposing the
>
> Administration's WIA Plus consolidation initiatives.
>
>
>
> Talking Points:
>
>
>
> Concerning the regional structure and staff, the Administration proposes 
> to
>
> close the Regional Offices and cut RSA staff by approximately half.  These
>
> staff members are the primary links between the RSA and the States, 
> persons
>
> with disabilities who receive rehabilitation services under this program,
>
> independent living centers, and other recipients of rehabilitation grant
>
> funds.   They make technical assistance and monitoring available to ensure
>
> that states provide quality services as the Rehabilitation Act requires. 
> It
>
> should also be noted that other employment and training programs under the
>
> Workforce Investment Act are administered by the Department of Labor 
> through
>
> a regional structure.  Therefore, to ensure that people with disabilities
>
> receive services at least comparable to the rest of the Workforce system,
>
> the RSA needs a regional structure equivalent to that of the Employment 
> and
>
> Training Administration within the Department of Labor.
>
>
>
> Regarding the Division for the Blind, the Administration proposes to
>
> eliminate it, and to distribute the services it provides throughout the 
> RSA.
>
> For the blind, the importance of the programs this Division administers,
>
> including implementation of the federal Randolph-Sheppard Act, services to
>
> seniors losing sight under the Independent Living for Older Blind program 
> of
>
> Chapter 2 Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Helen Keller 
> National
>
> Center for Deaf-blind Youths and Adults Act cannot be overstated.  These
>
> programs have specific legislative obligations which must be met by
>
> personnel who have the specialized training and experience required.  If
>
> this division is eliminated and its services spread throughout the RSA, 
> the
>
> programs it supports will inevitably suffer.
>
>
>
> Although Congress appears unlikely to enact the Administration's WIA Plus
>
> proposal to consolidate funds, including VR funds in one single grant that
>
> Governors can use primarily as they see fit, we cannot claim victory until
>
> the final legislation is signed by President Bush.  Of the programs 
> included
>
> in the WIA Plus proposal, the Rehabilitation Act Title I funds constitute
>
> the largest single sum of money of the employment and training programs to
>
> be merged, (most of which are being significantly reduced) making these
>
> funds a prime target of interest for many governors.  A consolidation
>
> proposal like WIA Plus would lead to one-size-fits-all services rather 
> than
>
> the unique individualized services people with disabilities now receive to
>
> achieve independence and employment through the Vocational Rehabilitation
>
> program.  Therefore, the Senate must join the House and continue to resist
>
> Administration calls for block granting of funding like WIA Plus.
>
>
>
> With the backing of Congress, we will reverse the dissolution of the RSA
>
> proposed by the Department of Education.  To accomplish this, everyone 
> must
>
> contact our senators and ask that they advocate for specific amendments to
>
> maintain RSA.  The Capitol switchboard can be reached at (202) 224-3121.
>
> When you call your senator, you should acquire the name and email address 
> of
>
> the person who handles Workforce or rehabilitation issues so that you can
>
> send an email expressing your concerns to that person.
>
>
>
> At this time, Senate support is vital to our effort.  However, we cannot
>
> rely on a single strategy as we battle to save Vocational Rehabilitation.
>
> Therefore, Write letters to Secretary Spellings and to your members of
>
> Congress.  Share ways the department is destroying services for people 
> with
>
> disabilities with Senators to encourage them to write Secretary Spellings.
>
> Reach out to local media to seek coverage of this story.  And, continue 
> the
>
> drafting and signing of petitions denouncing the department's plans. These
>
> actions remain critically important.
>
>
>
> Don't be complacent.  The time has come that we must act to save 
> Vocational
>
> Rehabilitation.  It is critical that the Senate amend its Workforce
>
> legislation to preserve RSA staff and maintain the Division for the Blind.
>
> I thank you all for your efforts.  Let us join together to save Vocational
>
> Rehabilitation.
>
>
>
> James McCarthy
>
> Director of Governmental Affairs
>
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
> 1800 Johnson Street
>
> Baltimore, Maryland 21230
>
> Phone:  (410) 659-9314 Extension 2240
>
> <<Thank you and Next Steps to Save VR_.doc>>
>
>
>