[nfbwatlk] Rehab jobs in state of washington

[Carl Jarvis]

Right.  But it's only a disincentive  when the Department determines that 
blind rehab teachers are not really central to the rehab process.  If, 
however, the Department were to determine that presenting a positive program 
built on a foundation of competent blind employees was the most effective 
method of rehabilitating people, then drivers would be merely one more cost 
on the way to actually serving clients.

Carl Jarvis



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alco Canfield" <amcanfield at comcast.net>
To: "'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 10:52 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Rehab jobs in state of washington


> And, another thing:  I suspect that the cost of having someone drive is 
> also
> a disincentive for the agency to hire blind r.t.s.
>
> Alco
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 6:14 PM
> To: wcb
> Cc: nfbw
> Subject: [nfbwatlk] Rehab jobs in state of washington
>
> Hello All.
> The combining of O&M and RT duties goes back to Paul DzieDzic's
> administration.
> I don't recall the exact number, but under Ken Hopkin's direction the
> Department had increased the field RT's to around 8.  These were primarily
> blind individuals and were strictly Rehab Teachers.
> Hopkins left in mid 1981 and Bill James became director.  During Bill's 
> one
> year stay, 1981-1982, Washington state's economy took a serious dip.  DSB
> reduced it's staff from around 71 or so, to fewer than 50.  Maybe as few 
> as
> 47 staff.  Many of the RT's had been recent hires and were first to go. 
> We
> called it, "Reduction In Force", so it wouldn't hurt as much as telling 
> them
>
> they were not going to be able to pay their rent next month.
> Anyway, Paul DzieDzic believed that there was a demand in the blind
> population for O&M services out in the communities.  So with the few field
> RT positions remaining, I think it was only 3 or 4, he began filling them
> with certified O&M's who were also supposed to provide Rehab Teaching
> services.  The positions became O&M/RT's.  But in practice they became
> O&M/no RT.  Each time a rehab teacher position came open I would argue 
> with
> Paul that we needed to keep it as a RT position.  My reasoning was that 
> the
> O&M's did not want to do rehab teaching, and furthermore by changing the
> qualifications, blind rehab teachers would be excluded from applying.
> But Paul felt he had to provide the most services as possible with the
> reduced number of staff he had remaining after the RIF.
> We continued to protest this practice during Shirley Smith's 
> administration.
>
> Same reply.
> While I want to make certain it is understood that I don't believe that 
> the
> Department should be obligated to hire people simply because they are 
> blind,
> I do believe that
> proffessional Rehab Teachers who are themselves blind, are very effective 
> in
>
> the field as the first contact for newly blinded people.
> But before anyone jumps to the wrong conclusion, I assure you that I hold
> sighted rehab teachers in the highest regard.  But I know from personal
> experience and from discussions with many newly blinded people, that the
> fact that the rehab teacher was blind made a difference in their minds.
>
> If I had my, "Perfect of all worlds", Each Vocational Rehab Councilor 
> would
> carry a case load of no more than 50 clients, and each vocational rehab
> councilor would have one full time, preferably blind, rehab teacher 
> working
> with them.
> But these social service programs are costly, and they don't bring in 200 
> or
>
> 300 times the return for our investment, like building war wepoens.
>
> Carl Jarvis
>
>
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