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THE VENDOR'S VOICE
FALL, 2007
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4
"PROUDLY SERVING RANDOLPH-SHEPPARD MANAGERS AND THEIR
FAMILIES"
RSVAI
53 WEST JACKSON, SUITE 522
CHICAGO, IL 60604
PH.: (312) 663-0288
FAX: (312) 663-0289
E-MAIL: rsvai@sbcglobal.net
THE VENDOR'S VOICE provides a forum for issues of
interest concerning the Business Enterprise Program for the Blind and the
Randolph-Sheppard Act. Editorials, columns and articles appearing in this
publication are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
positions of RSVAI's board of directors.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairperson
Janet Wetmore
847-456-4193 cell
janschuler@sbcglobal.net
Vice Chairperson
John Gordon
312-491-0752
blindvendor@aol.com
Secretary/Treasurer
Ed Birmingham
312-886-2455
ejfever@hotmail.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
*1 FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
*2 UPDATE ON MAJOR ISSUES
*3 PEPSI CONTRACT
*4 REMEMBERING BOB CHRIST
*5 VENDORS ON THE GO
*6 1-866-663-3007
*7 GFCI POWER CORDS ON NEW MACHINES
*8 EQUIPMENT COMMITTEE NOTES
*9 FERMI FACT VS. FERMI FICTION
*10 SELECTION PREFERENCE FOR VACANCT FACILITIES
*11 TECH TICKLERS UPDATE
*12 ASSEMBLE IN ONE HOUR OR LESS—RIGHT
*13 HAVE YOU BEEN AUDITED RECENTLY?
*14 CHICAGO CHRISTMAS PARTY BLURB
*15 DOWNSTATE CHRISTMAS PARTY
*16 JEREMY HOLDERFIELD: DEFINITELY SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
*17 JUST A LITTLE HINT
*18 HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
*1 FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
By: Janet Wetmore
I hope everyone has enjoyed a great summer. For those
of us who spent the summer following our favorite baseball team, I'm sorry the
season is over--some teams sooner than others. Anyway, football season is here
and basketball season is right around the corner so keep the faith--the boys of
summer will be back next April for another run.
I hope everyone had a chance to read the ACB/RSVA Convention article that
was published in the summer issue of the national newsletter the Vendorscope.
Those of us who attended from Illinois had a wonderful time. The weather was
beautiful in Minneapolis in July and we were able to walk around the
downtown area to dine at numerous restaurants. Every restaurant we dined at:
Irish, German, Mexican and Italian, served awesome food. The social events at
the convention included an auction followed by Karaoke as well as a casino
night. I have also saved the best for last. Illinois' own Dan Dwyer received the
prestigious Don Cameron award. It is quite an honor that Dan has joined the
list of Vendors from Illinois that have been recognized nationally by the
Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America. We are sure proud of Dan. He is very
deserving of this award.
Please everyone do not miss out on the opportunity to get together with
blind vendors across the United States at the Sagebrush Training Conference.
This training conference is going to be held in Las Vegas at the Golden Nugget
Hotel from February 4th thru February 8th 2008. Please refer to summer issue of
the Vendorscope for detailed information regarding the Sagebrush Training
Conference. I have been fortunate enough to secure Mr. Jay Randolph (the son of
Senator Jennings Randolph) as the Keynote Speaker for the luncheon on Friday so
please register and be sure to make your hotel reservations early. You do not
want to miss this one!
The BEPB/ICBV Training Conference is quickly approaching. RSVAI has invited
Blind Vendors from Boston, Massachusetts to attend the festivities as well as
the RSVA President Mr. Charlie Glaser. Let us all be sure to show our guests
some of that good old Illinois hospitality. RSVAI is presently
investigating sponsoring a breakfast or luncheon at this conference for
members only.
If you have been calling the information line recently, then you are aware
of the recent difficulties and challenges that the family of BEPB Business
Consultant Mr. Mark Lewis have been facing. Mark's 4 year old daughter Serena
was diagnosed as having a brain tumor. This tumor has been removed and it has
been determined that the tumor is not malignant. Everyone's prayers have been
answered and this little Lamb of God will be making a full recovery. Our
thoughts and prayers will continue to be with Serena and the entire Lewis
family. Return to TOC
*2 UPDATE ON MAJOR ISSUES
By: John Gordon
The many years of bickering back and forth with
the Governor's office over the proposed State-wide beverage contract appears to
be over - or at least somewhat over. Pepsi America was awarded the contract a
few short months ago; however, Coca-Cola bottling is not going down without a
fight. In fact, they recently filed a formal appeal in the awarding of this
State-wide beverage contract. This contract includes vending machines on
all State property; however, there are some universities that are not yet a part
of this contract because they have pending contracts with other bottlers. At
this time I am not sure how this will affect you and your business, but as it
stands today we have made it clear that we are not a part of this contract. It
comes as no surprise to us, but the State of Illinois has not been able to live
up to promises made to our blind vendors in regards to this contract.
We were of course promised better pricing, but when reviewing the contract
with Pepsi, 20 oz. drinks coming in at approximately $14.75 a case and Aquafina
20 oz. water coming in at $10.00 a case hardly looks like a bargain. Until the
State of Illinois is able to come back to the table and renegotiate in good
faith and make sure our blind vendors receive what they were promised, all bets
are off. As long as all of us stand together and show a united front we will win
this war, but divided we will face the consequences. The State of Illinois can
hardly say these promises were never made as most of you remember Senator
Michael Jacobs, an advocate for our blind vendors, attended the meeting in which
these promises were made.
Most of you have seen newspaper reports that
claim the State of Illinois will reap tremendous amounts of money from
this contract and that part is true, unfortunately though, when blind vendors
are being up-charged for products they purchase they can then turn around and
give the money back to the State of Illinois. This amounts to nothing less than
a new taxation placed on blind vendors by the Governor's office, and that we
cannot stand for. So if the Pepsi bottler in your area comes out to
your facility and inquires when they can start placing their new equipment you
might inform them that at this time we have no agreement with the State of
Illinois. As we receive new information we will be sure to pass it on to you,
but as of right now this is how it stands.
We have been negotiating with the State of Illinois for approximately 12
months on the establishment of a Nominee Agency. This Agency would be set up to
take over the day to day functions of the Business Enterprise Program for the
Blind. The three most important components as we see it at this point would
be training, operations, facility development and marketing. We have explained
many times we are not heartless over this subject and are very concerned with
the current staff people employed in the Business Enterprise Program for the
Blind. We have been assured that nobody would be displaced and there would be
other jobs that these men and women could perform within the Department of
Human Services. Many things have happened in the past several years which led up
to this decision. Mr. Paul Drake, who was our Administrator for many years,
brought a level of integrity to this program which it has been lacking for 18
months now. Although interviews for this position have taken place and a
name has been submitted to the Governor's office over 6 months ago, it has yet
to be acted on. Ms. Regina Cook-Glanton is a small glimpse of what we might have
in store; fasten your seatbelts everybody it is going to be a long ride. I am
quite sure many people in the Agency found it quite funny when they placed
this dictator in the Acting Administrator's position, but most of us on the
committee were very sure that we would in fact prevail in the end. When we
prevail, you prevail, and please do not forget that.
The committee and I are elected by you to make decisions that would be in
your best interests and we make a great attempt to do this with most of our
decisions. Other attributing factors leading up to the proposed Nominee Agency
concept would include the fact that there has been little to no growth in the
program in many, many years. We have asked Bureau Chief Betty Odem-Davis why we
continue to train men and women when there are no facilities to place them in.
We are informed that it is a funding mechanism in Washington D.C. that could
possibly be jeopardized by not training these people. We feel that by having a
Nominee Agency take over these three components of the Business Enterprise
Program for the Blind we will only be able to complement this program and bring
it to the level that it needs to be.
The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind is the agency that the elected
committee chose to be a part of this future partnership. We did this knowing
full well that the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind has many corporate partners
and this would be a great way to project us into the private sector. As many
Government facilities are down sizing in building population the private sector
seems to be excelling, so why wouldn't we take part in such an exciting future?
Our neighbors to the north, the blind vendors in Wisconsin, have now been with a
Nominee Agency for a couple of years with tremendous success. I have attended
many meetings over the last year discussing the Nominee Agency and while we
continue to talk about the potential for growth and new facilities in the
program, the BBS staff continues to talk about the staff people who will
possibly be displaced. Regardless about the way I personally feel on the issue
of a Nominee Agency I do sincerely believe that once we have one in place, this
program will finally move forward. Return to TOC
*3 PEPSI CONTRACT
By: The little old blind lady in the Revenue Building, Betty Wilkerson
I wish that Pepsi would let us blind vendors sell any Pepsi or all Pepsi
products that we choose, cans and bottles.
It will not work just selling
bottles only. Not everyone can afford or likes drinking bottled sodas. I sell a
lot more canned soda than I do bottled. I have both in each machine; I
don't think it is fair that they can tell us what we can or cannot sell. There
are other products that Pepsi offers besides canned soda, bottled soda, and Aquafina water. There is Klarrbrunn water, bottled teas, and bottled juices- I
sell a lot of these products also.
I have a lot of Pepsi and E9 drink machines; I can sell Mt. Dew in one
machine but they will not touch it in a machine 50 feet away, and when I mention
to them that a certain product is in the machine 50 feet away they tell me that
it is too far to walk.
In my opinion, if you think that people are going to drink products that
you are giving a limited selection of, you are wrong. They will bring their own
soda from home and go to the closest ice machine or they will walk to the
nearest restaurant. There are 5 gallon water containers at every coffee station
in my location and they sell it for $.25 a glass.
There is one building that is allowed to sell only can products. The
manager of the building will not let any vending manager in this building sell
any plastic or glass bottle products, yet there are recycling containers for
aluminum and plastic. Also, the workers are allowed to bring in glass, aluminum
and plastic drinks and dispose of them in the recycling containers. The building
manager does not want us to sell any glass or plastic drinks because they claim
that they don't make any money from recycling glass or plastic but they do make
money from the aluminum cans.
We, blind vendors, know what our customers want. We are the ones that have
been at these locations for many years and we deal with our customers everyday
and know what they like and do not like. We have already heard plenty of
complaints and concerns about this Pepsi Contract. If the state thinks that this
is going to work I have bad news for them. They are going to be putting a lot of
us blind vendors out of business or on a low income so that we, and a lot of our
employees, will be forced to depend on state aid and then wouldn't that make the
governor happy with that situation. What is the governor doing with this extra
money? I feel that it would have been a better deal if the state would have
charged us a certain percentage each month and would still let us sell whatever
products we wanted to. There go our Pepsi rebates that the blind vendors receive
every year from Pepsi.
I do not feel that it is fair that the workers in these buildings can go to
Sam's Club and buy soda and snacks, and sell them cheaper than we do, so that
they can make a profit to fund some party that they want to have. Plus I am sure
that they do not have to register with the Department of Revenue and pay
sales taxes like we blind vendors do. If you think that our sales are down due
to them being allowed to perform this task just wait and see when you are
forcing them to buy certain products. Return to TOC
*4 REMEMBERING BOB CHRIST
By: Larry and Pat Jones
Bob Christ passed away on July 14, 2007, but it is not his passing we
should remember. It is how he lived his life that should be remembered and for
those of us that knew him well it is an example to follow.
When Bob was 10
years old he was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. It is this disease that
eventually robbed Bob of not only his eyesight, but his life as well.
At 30 Bob's health took a turn for the worse and he received a life-saving
kidney transplant. Showing his true determination he went to his sister's
wedding a few days after his transplant. He would not let a major surgery stop
him from taking part in an important family event. He also never forgot that his
gift of life was due to the loss of another life. He felt as if this man was his
guardian angel, and it could be possible. By all accounts that kidney was only
supposed to last 8 years - it lasted 18.
Bob had diabetic retinopathy and when he was 25 he began to attend a school
for the blind in Chicago. Bob lost his eyesight on his 26th birthday while
riding the "L" in Chicago. For a while he struggled to find an area where he
could find fulfilling employment. Bob had been a workaholic since the age of
18--he needed to find something, and he did. In 1993 he found the Illinois
Program for the Blind. In many ways it saved his life. He found focus and once
again gained mastery of a business. He always sought out the counsel of vendors
who had been in the program for considerable lengths of time as he felt they
had probably seen just about everything. Bob was always willing to learn and
through his questioning he made several close friends, which to him was an added
bonus.
Bob took great pride in his work and always wanted to better himself. He
checked his gross profit every month and compared it to the same month for the
previous year. He always wanted that gross profit to improve, and usually it
did. Bob also felt a responsibility to give back to the program. Every month a
check was made out for the lobbyist. He knew how important this was to keeping a
viable program in the State of Illinois. He also loved being on Dave Crawford's
public relations committee. He thoroughly enjoyed the downstate Christmas
parties. He always wanted to do as much as possible to make them successful and
he had a great time doing the work. He was looking forward to the downstate
picnic that occurred the day he passed away. He had been upset that he would
miss it, but perhaps he didn't. He had a great time at the Cardinal/Cubs game
last year. He enjoyed the camaraderie with the other vendors.
Bob loved Cardinal baseball, his family and friends, and this vending
program, though not in that specific order. The work that he was doing in the
program is what kept him going the last few months of his life. He had just been
awarded Rend Lake Rest Area and he was already thinking of what he could do with
the site. The night before he passed away he had been up all night telling his
brother about all of his plans for the rest area. His focus was always on the
future. It is unfortunate he wasn't given enough time to see all of his plans
become reality.
Bob was courageous, determined, driven, compassionate and kind-hearted. He
had a tremendous sense of humor and great will-power. Bob always fought to
succeed in life. His determination and fighting spirit kept him alive longer
than any of his doctors had estimated and that determination and will-power are
examples for all of us.
Those of us who knew Bob will continue to miss him and we know that
whenever we gather for that next Cardinal/Cubs game or that next Christmas party
Bob will be there--he wouldn't miss it for the world.
Bob, Kim, Larry, and I enjoyed a friendship that grew through the years.
Being in the same business gave us a lot to talk about, but in actuality we
spent very little personal time together. Please don't let this happen in your
relationships. Return to TOC
*5 VENDORS ON THE GO
By: Annette Nowakowski
The following two articles describe what vendors have
been doing for fun around town lately. AHOY FROM THE MYSTIC BLUE
The cloud cover turned the lake to a turquoise blue. You could gaze out and
see the skyline of Chicago. Or, you could close your eyes and imagine yourself
on a tropical island. To me there is no greater feeling than standing on a
gently rocking boat, favorite drink in hand, feeling a soft lake
breeze, surrounded by the comradeship of friends, and listening to live guitar
music playing in the background. Let your senses drink it in. The spirits were
flowing. The people were glowing.
Such was the atmosphere on Thursday, August 16, 2007, as 35 BEPB sea-faring
managers boarded the Mystic Blue at Navy Pier, Chicago, for a two hour boat
cruise on Lake Michigan. Many guests and friends of the managers were on board
as well.
As soon as the boat left the dock we dove into the food. We dined on spicy
buffalo wings, seasoned waffle fries, ham and Swiss mini sandwiches, chicken
ravioli, jalapeno taquitos, and an assortment of desserts.
After filling our stomachs we climbed to the observation decks to fill our
senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of the lake on a warm summer
afternoon.
The cruise ended all too quickly. No one wanted to get off when it was time
to leave. And so we bid a fond farewell until the next time. We hope this will
become an annual event. Hope to see you old salts back next year. To those who
have not yet voyaged with us, "shake a leg" And join up next time.
I'LL DRINK
TO THAT
On September 13, 2007, about ten managers and their friends and families
visited the Lynfred Winery in Roselle, Illinois. This winery produces about
sixty varieties of wine each year. While we were there a major bottling project
of cranberry wine was occurring for the holidays.
It was a gorgeous late summer afternoon as we sat in the gazebo sampling
the wines. We sampled seven varieties of wine: three white, three red, and one
peach.
While tasting, we learned how grapes are selected and shipped from
vineyards across the country as well as from right here in Illinois. We learned
about the fermenting process. For example, we learned that stainless steel kegs
are used to produce white wines while wooden kegs are used to produce the red
wines.
We learned the dos and don'ts of storing and tasting wines. For instance,
wine should be served at room temperature while champagne should be chilled
before serving. Red wine should be served with red meat or red sauces while
white wine should be served with seafood or white sauces. The proper way to
taste wine is to hold the glass by the stem, sniff the contents of the glass,
and take a generous sip coating the entire tongue.
Needless to say after seven wine tastings, we were all a little buzzed. In
addition, we visited the gift shop where libations were purchased to take home.
All in all it was a very fruitful experience. For more information contact: http://www.lynfredwinery.com
Return to TOC
*6 1-866-663-3007
By: Dave Crawford
Hello. This is John Gordon and you have reached the
Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors' Information Line. Senate Bill 2330 flew
through the Senate and House and was rushed to the Governor's desk putting into
law that blind vendors get every state facility in Illinois. With only two
amendments, he immediately signed it. "I LOVE the blind people of Illinois,"
the Governor remarked. The first amendment stated that blind members must sell
their product for $2 a bottle. Furthermore, the corporate sponsorship will sell
the product to the vendors for $5 a case and all commissions will go directly to
the blind managers. The second amendment states that for state employees
to receive raises, employees must purchase at least three bottles per day. This
includes water, water, water. I then woke up and had to go to the bathroom.
Another good dream flushed away.
Although John may never get to report anything as good as my dream, he does
a great job in keeping us updated on legislative news, social events, and other
hot topics surrounding our program. This is the lifeline for news in our
program, updated every Wednesday by 9:00 a.m. But, he needs your help!
You can supply information such as birthdays, illnesses, people in the
hospital, that new grandbaby in the family, awards given to managers, special
anniversaries, or any other special event that would interest managers in this
program.
Please give John a call with your news before the end of the day on
Tuesday. You can call him at 312-663-3007. He'd like to hear from YOU!
Return to TOC
*7 GFCI POWER CORDS ON NEW MACHINES
By: Lee Chota
The Federal government changed the National Electrical
Code. It requires that all new vending machines be manufactured with a Ground
Fault Circuit Interrupter on the machine's power cord no more than 12 inches
away from the wall outlet. We are starting to see some new machines coming in
with GFCI included on the cords. At some point in the future you will see it on
a machine at your location.
Having the GFCI on the power cord is a safety feature to eliminate the
remote possibility that the machine could become "live" and hurt someone. So in
the future, identify what machines at your location have GFCI when they are
delivered. If you lose all power to the machine you'll know to look at the GFCI.
Don't forget to first check that the machine is turned on and the circuit
breaker on the electrical panel in the building has not tripped.
Think of your GFCI circuits at home in your bathroom or kitchen. They are
there for your protection, and how often do you have a problem with them?
Return to TOC
*8 EQUIPMENT COMMITTEE NOTES
By: Ed Birmingham
Recently in a June equipment meeting we discussed
the process of the yearly equipment inventory. In the past, I have heard
complaints from managers that this process would require several visits by their
Business Consultants in order to complete the inventory. In our meeting we were
able to get the procedure explained to us once and for all. It should go as
follows:
Your business consultant should contact you and set up a date that is
convenient for both of you. Then, the manager or their designee must go around
with the B.C. to all locations where equipment is located to complete the
inventory. Depending on how much equipment you have and how spread out it is,
this process may take more than one day. Once the inventory is completed the
manager's commitment is complete. If your B.C. contacts you at a later date with
further inventory questions, it is optional for the manager to take the time to
assist the B.C. in locating equipment that was not accounted for during
the initial inventory. Obviously it makes things easier if the manager
cooperates in this process; however, the bottom line is after the initial
inventory is completed, you have fulfilled your commitment.
We have also learned that there is still enough money in the equipment
budget for new equipment. Those of you who have older equipment that may require
a lot of repairs should seriously consider giving your location an equipment
make over.
I can also report to you that we recently were able to take a tour of our
warehouse in Springfield and it is well stocked with both new and refurbished
equipment, including 30 new junior snack machines. I encourage all of you in
need of equipment to contact your business consultant and get that request in.
Make sure to have the repair history of each piece of equipment that you would
like replaced. If for any reason you are denied by your business consultant,
contact me or any member of the equipment committee immediately and we will try
our best to rectify any differences that may occur.
Also, for those few of you who operate cafeterias the warehouse is loaded
with miscellaneous pots, pans, utensils, etc. If you have a need for any small
untagged piece of cafeteria equipment, contact Divida Fannel and make an
appointment to go to the warehouse and you can shop until you drop! They would
be more than happy to get rid of a lot of those items.
With all the talk of replacing equipment, I would like to stress to all of
you that when the equipment is replaced you will receive a portion of the
701-equipment form. Under no circumstances do you relinquish this form to
anyone. You must keep your copy in a file at your location! If anyone
requests that information you can make him or her a copy. You should never give
up the original!
The last thing that I would like to discuss is a reminder that I will be
contacting those of you who received refurbished equipment to ask you a few
questions about the equipment and the condition in which it arrived. If for any
reason upon delivery of a piece of refurbished equipment it is not clean and in
good operating order, contact me immediately and we will make sure the problem
is taken care of. As always, all of us who serve on the equipment committee
appreciate your cooperation. Return to TOC
*9 FERMI FACT VS. FERMI FICTION AND
OTHER MEDITATIONS ON ARBITRATIONS
By: Donnie Anderson
While it's true that SLA's around the country have
the obligation under the R-S Act to hold federal property managers to the
provisions of the act, as we all know that does not necessarily make it so.
Different branches of our SLA's see their mission in very different ways.
Historically, the SLA's around the nation have been slow or refuse to realize
the necessity of utilizing federal arbitration to sort out violations of the
Act by the feds. In fact it is the only means available to the SLA to honor
their obligation to the blind managers of this state and RSA after other efforts
come up empty. My suspicion is that the SLA's at times do not have the skill,
desire, or resources to develop and maintain solid relationships with federal
property managers to avoid arbitrations in the first place. In several other
cases the federal property managers simply will not engage the SLA in
negotiations nor will they follow the Act's provisions. In most cases the blame
for this failure to expand into all federal properties and operate fairly
without competition from private food-service providers, falls on both sides.
In Illinois when the BEPB does finally bring a situation to their DHS legal
department the issue may never move up to the chain to the AG's office. If it
does, there is no one left in our program except the managers and the ICBV to
show the AG's office or DHS legal how the program and R-S Act actually works. I
am not talking here about the many situations where DHS legal has to represent
BEPB staff in a situation against a manager.
The managers in Illinois have one exception to that rule and owe a debt of
thanks to Pat Trueblood for her persistence and work with the AG's office to
keep arbitration moving forward at Fermilab. The federal government has in the
past and is today paying a subsidy to the private foodservice contractor,
Southern Foodservice, to run a cafeteria and vending machines that directly
inhibit the blind manager's ability to earn a fair income at that facility. The
BEPB administration contends that the property management will not even allow us
onto the property for discussion concerning the violations. Bring on the Calvary
I guess
It was in late February of this year that I began a four-month, $442.00
investigation ($442.00 fee to Fermilab for research and copies--thank you very
little). Considering the fact that I am a volunteer and work for nothing I
believe the state got a real bargain for this information. Under the Freedom
of Information Act (this title is so misleading it's painful) I finally received
copies of invoices for the total subsidies that Southern Foodservices' Cafe at
Fermilab received for 2005 and 2006. It was stunning:
2005: $54,357
2006: $48,470
2007: $15,191 (January only)
This information came to me with a great deal of help in crafting a FOIA
request that the ICBV could afford. When I started my request process the
Department of Energy was quoting $15,000 to $20,000 for "research and copies."
All I wanted was maybe 150 pages or so including a copy of the contract with
the private firm. The Department of Energy made it clear to me, and its own FOIA
officer, that it does not want the citizenry to know any specifics concerning
its relationships with private contractors. I always feel so much more American
when I'm kept in the dark, don't you? Shame on them. That is your government
and your president's administration hard at work protecting us from ourselves
and the awful truth right? Well they know better than we do--worthless swine.
This culture of secrecy by the federal government always brings out the Woodward
and Bernstein in me.
In another arbitration situation last winter I was
requested to assist the SLA in research and issue vetting for the AG's office
concerning the use of federal arbitration for violations of the R-S Act by the USPS at the main PO in downtown Chicago. I worked with Ms. Yolanda Ricks and
researched case law for the AG's office that applied in this case. As we all
know, violations happen every day at our USPS facilities and the SLA does
nothing about it. It was ridiculous and disgraceful that the blind manager
affected by the USPS violations, Mike Gillick, had to force the SLA through the
grievance process into moving on those violations. It is common practice for the
SLA administration to behave this way in many states, not just Illinois. While
I enjoyed assisting the SLA and the AG's office it would be a good idea for the
SLA to task these duties to someone on our staff. Win or lose that federal
arbitration against the USPS, the SLA must pursue the rights of blind managers
on federal property. When the BEPB fails to get the support of DHS legal that is
where the BEPB Administration needs to double its efforts and push harder to
show administration their obligations. The blind managers and the ICBV can make
a difference here as well by applying pressure if need be to the DHS
administration. The AG's office seems to mean well but probably just does not
see blind vendors as a priority. However, DHS legal thinks it owes us nothing
and that is exactly what we get.
Look, I realize that the staff and the BEPB cannot do these arbitrations alone and that they must feel as if their
hands are tied. They need the support of the blind managers and the ICBV and our
ability to work outside the box. The BEPB gets our help each and every time to
be sure. I believe, however, that the BEPB administration needs to make fewer
excuses and take Pat Trueblood's lead to work for results from within DHS and
the AG's office. We need a better-educated BEPB administration for
future actions and advocacy, and we need it to work harder when it comes to
fighting that internal battle with DHS's culture of constantly pooping on the
customer if we are to be successful and stable contractors at all federal
facilities.Return to TOC
*10 SELECTION PREFERENCE FOR VACANCT
FACILITIES
By: Janet Wetmore
The following paragraph has been taken from the
September 20th ICBV meeting minutes. The statement regarding
selection preference to unemployed blind vendors was made by Bettye Odem-Davis
according to her interpretation of comments made to her by someone from RSA.
Following Bettye's statement is Mr. Robert Humphreys' Legal Opinion on the same
subject. I thought that everyone should be aware of this.
"The way that the panel, and which RSA has described it, when an audit is
done, and if we come into any state (and taking Illinois out of it), if there
are locations to be bid, if you are already employed and there are two or three
people bidding who are unemployed, the preference then should be to the person
who is unemployed. This isn't my language here; rather it is what has been said
to me. The preference is with the unemployed person and not with the person that
might be working at low income or a person who might want the transfer for
whatever reason. The preference, according to the law, goes to the person that
is unemployed, and that's how they audit."
Robert R. Humphreys
Attorney at
Law
4319 Reno Road, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel. (202) 363-2200
Fax (202)
363-7464
September 24, 2007
Mr. John Gordon, Chair Illinois Committee of Blind
Vendors
53 Jackson Street, Suite 522
Chicago, IL 60604
Dear John:
You have asked me to provide my legal opinion regarding the following
question: Do newly or recently licensed blind vendors who are not currently
employed as blind vendors have priority over senior blind vendors under the
Randolph-Sheppard Act?
For many years, many (though not all) State licensing agencies, through
their applicable laws, policies, and regulations, have determined that seniority
is the sole or major factor in determining the assignment of blind vendors to
vending facility opportunities. If the sole priority determinant for assignment
to a blind vending facility were unemployed new vendors, there would be little
need for vendor selection processes: a newly licensed vendor would have an
absolute right to operate an available vending facility, regardless of
the complexity of the facility or the capability or experience of the new
vendor. Such an interpretation confounds common sense and would be completely
unworkable in the real world.
The Randolph-Sheppard provision at issue, 20 U. S. C. S,107a(b), in part
reads as follows: (b) The State licensing agency shall, in issuing each
such license for the operation of a vending facility, give preference to blind
persons who are in need of employment ... (emphasis added).
The meaning of this provision, with particular attention to the emphasized
portion recited above, is that the State licensing agency is required to prefer
unemployed blind persons when issuing licenses. Thus, the provision does not
relate in any respect to the vendor selection process, but only to the
issuance of licenses. The following hypothetical explains the
distinction. Assume there are two blind individuals who are candidates
for licensure as blind vendors by a State licensing agency. One is currently
employed and the other is unemployed. The State licensing agency must prefer the
unemployed individual in granting a license, although a preference is not a
priority. There may be instances in which the employed individual would
be provided a license ahead of the unemployed individual, as for example if the
unemployed individual has substantial financial resources, and the employed
individual is serving in a minimum wage position.
In any case, this provision is not likely to be applied because a State
licensing agency would in most, if not all, cases license both an employed and
an unemployed blind person if such persons were qualified to obtain licenses.
The Act's quoted provision, and the foregoing interpretation, are supported
by the implementing Federal regulations. The regulatory provision is 34 C.F. R.
S395.7(a), which says in pertinent part "The State licensing agency
shall establish in writing and maintain objective criteria for licensing
qualified applicants, including a provision for giving preference to blind
persons who are in need of employment ..." Subsections (a) and (b) of section
395.7 deal with licensing of blind persons and not assignment to a particular
vending facility. Both the Act and the regulations are silent as to whether a
preference should be provided to an already licensed vendor who is unemployed.
The State or the selection committee, whichever process has been established in
a particular State, thus has flexibility in considering a number of factors in
the assignment of a blind vendor to a facility.
I hope the foregoing is responsive to your request. Please let me know if I
can provide additional information, or answer any questions on this issue.
Sincerely,
Robert R. Humphreys Return to TOC
*11 TECH TICKLERS UPDATE
By: Annette Nowakowski
In the last issue, this article mentioned two web
sites which are no longer operating as described before. First, the FTP server
for the descriptive video service is being shut down because Sir Laurence is
moving. Second, the Computer Users Group run by Dave Porter in Chicago has a new
online home. It is no longer accessed through talkingcommunities.com Instead, go
to Dave's web site: www.comp-unique.com
Go to the online Webinar room and follow the instructions to download the
software and plugins. The computer users group discusses various computer topics
the third Saturday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Here are some new web sites for
your perusal:
www.stagnito.com
This site discusses the latest trends in the beverage,
candy and food industry generally.
www.meetup.com This is a fun way to meet people who share common
interests and hobbies. Groups center on various topics such as entrepreneurship,
sports, travel, music, books, dating etc. If no group exists in your area or
interest, you may start your own group. Need funding to expand your business'
Check out these web sites:
www.propsper.com
Borrowers request a loan. Lenders bid on the loan.
The parties agree on an interest rate. It is all done anonymously. www.angelcapitalassociation.org
This site lists angel investor groups in Chicago and the Midwest. It
describes who angel investors are and what businesses are right for these
investors. www.abilitiesfund.org
This site provides loans for disabled entrepreneurs.
www.startup.com
This site provides discussion groups for various
business topics such as business startups and those seeking to grow
their businesses. Return to TOC
*12 ASSEMBLE IN ONE HOUR OR LESS—RIGHT
By: Brenda Barnes
When someone dies or there is a divorce, you are more
or less given a list of things you will need to survive on your own. You know,
keep the tax stuff for a hundred years, keep copies of everything, remember when
payments are due, etc. Why doesn't someone say you will need tools? Yeah we all
know hammers and screwdrivers, although no one ever said there were so many
sizes and you always had someone else who knew this. And, God forbid, did you
ever hear of needing a rubber mallet to put a bookcase together? I have
purchased several things over the last year, like a bookcase, a computer desk,
shelving, and other things of that nature. I generally get started on putting
them together and discover that I don't have that one thing I need. I usually
wait until Lee and Robert come over and LET them finish the job.
I bought a couple of cubes for storing papers and things I hoped the cats
wouldn't appropriate for themselves. Well, no sooner did I get started when
voila! I needed a rubber mallet. Ok, mallet, a thing you play croquet with. What
does that have to do with putting something together? I went with my son to
the store and guess what? There are about 10 sizes of these. Everything from
small craft mallets to mallets that look like sledge hammers! I picked a middle
of the road size and returned home. It was easier to use to put the wooden pegs
in (easier than the heel of a shoe I had tried earlier) and I finally got
the thing put together. I only had one screw left over. I did as I usually do
when I put something together. I put any leftover parts in a plastic bag with
the directions to whatever it went to and then, when a repairman is needed, I
can usually give them the exact part to fix the problem. Now I know why men have
all those bins of stuff in the garage. It is much easier to go and buy that one
odd size screw or bolt than to go through all those drawers and little bags!
Return to TOC
*13 HAVE YOU BEEN AUDITED RECENTLY?
By: Ted Stice
I have a question. Well I have a lot of questions, but
I'm short on answers. Let me start out with question number one. If less than 1
percent of all employers or business owners (large and small) received a random
audit, and we have thousands of taxpayers in business, yet only about 90, in
round numbers, are blind vendors, why are so many blind vendors being audited?
Have you received a notice stating that you will be audited? Have you been,
or are you being, audited for Income tax, FUTA, Social Security, Federal
Withholding or by the Illinois Department of Revenue for Sales Tax, IDES, or
State Income Tax recently? The ratio of blind vendors being randomly
audited compared to other business owners being audited seems to be greatly off
balance. What about you? Has anything strange happened recently regarding tax
issues? This does make you think, doesn't it?
If I believed in conspiracies, this would be a good time to bring it forth.
But then again, this is merely a coincidence. Of course I have been plagued with
a lot of current tax events. So I just paid them because it is easier to pay
them off than to fight them, regardless of whether they are right, wrong or
indifferent. Have you paid off the tax collector recently, just to get them off
your back?
Here is another question: why does it appear that blind vendors are being
targeted? Of course it is a coincidence because after all, who would have
personal information, business information and information on all of our
employees? And who would be so despicable as to make "anonymous" calls to the
IRS or IL Dept of Revenue? Think about that one. Have you had any tax issues
that just seem to come out of the clear blue sky recently?
I would
certainly hope that you would share this information with the ICBV. If you have
something to say, now is the time to speak up. Blind vendors are becoming an
endangered species.
PS: This is not a question. It is an answer or a
statement of fact (although some personnel do not seem to be aware of this). My
statement is: for a blind person to become a vendor in the state of Illinois you
do not have to give up your constitutional rights. Return to
TOC
*14 CHICAGO CHRISTMAS PARTY BLURB
By: Ed Birmingham
Due to popular demand, the Chicago area Christmas
party will once again have a return engagement at Boni Vino's restaurant located
at 111 W. Van Buren. Stay tuned to the information line and look for your
personal invitation in the mail. No doubt plans will be finalized on a cocktail
napkin sometime in the very near future. Return to TOC
*15 DOWNSTATE CHRISTMAS PARTY
By: Dave Crawford
Mark your calendar for the annual RSVAI Downstate
Christmas Party on December 5, 2007. This year's party will have a country and
western flavor--bigger and better than ever. The party will be held at a new
location this year, at the Camelot Recreation Hall on the southwest edge of
Springfield, 1550 Recreation Drive. The meal will be catered by Poe's Catering
which is guaranteed to be delicious.
Entertainment will be by Tex Dunham. There will also be a special
performance by the students from the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired.
You'll be given the opportunity to open your heart to these students as well, by
providing gifts for them. Anyone adopting a student for $25 will receive a
badge. A Christmas Cowboy Hat will be given to anyone adopting two or
more students at $25 each.
The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. and will end at 9:30 p.m. The menu for
the evening will be fried chicken, roast beef, honey cured ham, au gratin
potatoes, green beans with bacon, glazed carrots, fresh vegetable tray with dill
dip, roll & butter, and assorted cheesecakes. The cost for the evening's meal
and entertainment is $15 a person.
Managers, staff, families and employees
are all invited to this Christmas event. This is a great way to treat your
employees and families to a fun evening. Door prizes will be awarded at 9:00
p.m. Reservations can be made by sending your check to the RSVAI office at 53
West Jackson, Suite #522, Chicago, IL 60604. If you have any questions or
concerns, call Dave Crawford at 618- 283-0828. Return to TOC
*16 JEREMY HOLDERFIELD: DEFINITELY
SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
By: Ed Birmingham
Oh my Lord! Where do I start? Jeremy Holderfield is 31
years old and has been a vendor in our program for the past five years. He
currently operates the Rend Lake Rest Area Southbound Side. Jeremy is married to
his lovely wife Carla and they have three children. His oldest daughter's name
is Riley and she is 11. He also has 2 sons, Cole age 9 and Ryan who is 8. The
Holderfields live about 60 miles from his location in a town named Dongola, Illinois.
For those of you who are geographically challenged like myself, the nearest big
city is Mayberry. I'm only kidding.
Before Glaucoma robbed Jeremy of his eyesight about seven years ago he
worked as a first mate on a tugboat that allowed him to travel all over the
Midwest. He would work for 28 straight days and then be off for 28 days. Jeremy
admits he does miss that job from time to time.
There is no doubt that blindness has not slowed Jeremy down at all. He is
an avid deer hunter in which he uses both a shotgun and a crossbow. His wife,
Carla, helps him hit his target by telling him what adjustments he needs to
make. This successful formula has netted Jeremy four deer.
Some of Jeremy's other hobbies include kick boxing, camping, and riding
through the mud on the back of his kids' all-terrain vehicles. This year Jeremy
received a phone call telling him that his son's football team didn't have a
coach, and asked him if he would be interested in the job. Jeremy explained that
even though he was blind he would do the best that he could since they had
no one else. Jeremy is now the head coach of a team that consists of 3rd and 4th
graders. The early scouting report on his team is they have a strong defensive
line and their offense is coming along. They are looking forward to their first
game on Oct. 6th. We wish them well.
In his free time Jeremy, with the help of his
brother-in- law, is currently in the process of remodeling his entire house. And
if he doesn't have enough going on, for the first time ever Jeremy has decided
to give wine making a shot. His first attempt will include a honey wine and a
watermelon wine.
I had to save the best for last. If you really want to
bring a smile to Jeremy's face ask him about his pet snakes. Before Jeremy lost
his sight he had 2 Burmese Pythons. One of the pythons was 19 feet long and the
other was 13 feet long. As it was explained to me, the 19-foot-long python only
ate once a month, however, it is what he ate that amazed me. Once a month Jeremy
would feed this python a 40 pound pig, or if a pig was not available, he would
feed it 4 ten-pound rabbits. The 13-foot python had a much daintier appetite. He
would only eat one ten-pound rabbit a month. The Holderfield family currently
owns a Ball Python that is 6 feet long and I'll spare you the details of his
dining pleasures.
Despite his efforts to battle several health issues, Jeremy stated that he
enjoys his work on the Elected Committee and hopes that some day soon there will
be ample self-employment opportunities for blind men and women who are in our
program.
As you can see, Jeremy Holderfield is certainly someone who has not let his
blindness get in the way of how he wants to live his life, and he is definitely
someone you should know! Return to TOC
*17 JUST A LITTLE HINT
By: Betty Wilkerson
This is just a little hint from Betty Wilkerson, at
Betty's Corner. If the plastic on the top edge of your delivery door that runs
along the glass at the bottom of your Bev Max machines starts breaking and it is
puncturing holes in your cans, go to an auto store and buy door guard trim. This
works great over the plastic and it prevents you from cleaning up a mess, plus
you do not have to buy a whole new delivery door. It doesn't quite reach from
one end to the other, so you might have to use one and then part of another one.
Return to TOC
*18 HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
By: Rich Zabelski, IPVI President
IPVI members, supporters and friends ... it is with
great pleasure that we share with you the results of our long and arduous
efforts at creating a "task force" to investigate, evaluate and recommend
changes to the way that Illinois' 4,000 plus children with visual impairments
are being educated. On July 26, 2007, the Illinois Senate passed Senate Joint
Resolution 54 ("SRJ 0054"). It creates a "Joint Task Force on Blind and Visually
Impaired Educational Options". Currently, it is to be voted on by the Illinois
General Assembly; Illinois General Assembly Representative Jim Watson is the
co-sponsor. He needs to hear from you.
Opponents of Senate Joint Resolution SRJ0054 are claiming that the Illinois
Association of Parents for Children with Visual Impairments (IPVI) want to close
the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired--NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE
TRUTH! The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired must become the "Statewide
Center of Excellence"--serving the needs of 4,000 plus mainstreamed Illinois
children with visual impairments!
Over the past 18 months IPVI has chronicled the barriers that exist in
today's education delivery systems - read our IPVI Resolution in the November,
2006 issue of IPVI Insights. With the advent of main streaming and inclusion,
specialized services have become decentralized and in some cases eliminated. The
numbers of teachers of the visually impaired, orientation and
mobility specialists and teachers of Braille have dramatically dwindled. Experts
in technology specifically designed to accommodate individuals with visual
impairments are scarce. Consider the need--ten times as many people are deaf or
hard of hearing than are visually impaired. Blindness is the lowest incidence of
the "low incident" disabilities - half of one percent of the population is
legally blind.
In comparison with "schools for the blind" in the 50 other states, the
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI) is only one of two "schools for
the blind" run under the rehabilitation model. ISVI is characterized as an
institution and is funded and evaluated as such. ISVI has nearly twice as
many staff than students. Academics and expectations are low. With an enrollment
of less than 90 students, ISVI is not an attractive educational option for the
4,000 plus mainstreamed Illinois children with visual impairments. Currently,
ISVI has the culture of a local rehabilitation facility. It does not operate
within the Federal guidelines and mandates of IDEA, NCLB, Illinois Learning
Standards, and the Illinois State Board of Education.
The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired must become the "Statewide
Center of Excellence"--embodied with a pluralistic, open and accountable process
of policy and budget making. The school needs to be empowered to analyze,
research local and national trends, evaluate, problem solve and decide
the strategies and programs that will most effectively meet the technological
challenges and support of our children's efforts at obtaining employment.
Why a task force? Creating a "task force" is the General Assembly's
approach to problem solving. It is standard operating procedure for information
gathering, evaluating and recommending improvements to existing programs. Many
years ago Public Act 93-0647 created the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commission. Nearly two years ago, HRJ 00084 created a "Joint Task Force on Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Education Options" and on May 18, 2007, only three months
ago, it was re-codified within HJR0001. The "task force" for the deaf parallels
the task force for the blind. Senator Deanna Demuzio, who sponsored the bill in
the Senate, stated:
"We have too great a facility in ISVI not to share it with the rest of the
state. The task force will enable us to provide the expertise that we have
through a statewide center for teacher training and specialized curriculum
development. Although unemployment in the nation continues to decrease, people
with visual impairments have an unemployment rate that is over 70 percent. The
task force will give us more direction regarding transitional services for
visually impaired students who are entering vocational rehabilitation services
and seeking employment.
Friends, neighbors, families and teachers, contact the governor and your
Illinois Representative and let them know that we need co-sponsors of SRJ0054.
Emphasize that we support SRJ0054 and that we expect that they will too. A
sample letter explaining the need is given below.
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich should be immediately contacted by telephone:
217-782-0244, email:
www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm or mail:
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Also, contact your Illinois Representative. If you are not sure who
represents you this information can be found on the Illinois State Board of
Election website, www.elections.il.gov Click on "Voting Information" and
then "Find Districts/Officials." Please do this today to improve the education
of our kids. Sample Letter:
Dear (Governor or Representative):
I am contacting you regarding the urgent need to create The Joint Task
Force on Blind and Visually Impaired Educational Options to undertake a
comprehensive and thorough review of the education of and services available to
the blind and visually impaired children in this State. On July 26, 2007, the
Illinois Senate unanimously passed SJR0054. Rep. Jim Watson is the Chief House
Sponsor. This resolution is similar to HJR0001 which was adopted by both houses
on May 18, 2007 and formed a Joint Task Force on Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Education Options.
While unemployment in the nation continues to drop, the unemployment rate
for people with visual impairments is over 70 percent. This means that only one
out of every four Illinois students with a visual impairment will find a job.
With the advent of mainstreaming and inclusion, specialized services have become
decentralized, and in some cases eliminated. The numbers of teachers of the
visually impaired, orientation and mobility specialists and teachers of Braille
have dramatically dwindled. Experts in technology specifically designed to
accommodate individuals with visual impairments are scarce. We must see what can
be done to reverse this trend.
The intent of this task force is to make recommendations that would
recognize the need for delivering full educational services to a blind or
visually impaired student, ensure that schools have the most updated and
adequate equipment to provide services to blind and visually impaired students
and recognize the need for teachers trained in the unique needs of blind
and visually impaired students, recommending research-based methods and
procedures to develop curricula for blind and visually impaired students, and
providing a comprehensive review of the needs and operation of all educational
entities providing services to students who are blind or visually impaired
including the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired.
The 4,000 plus Illinois students with visual impairments need your support.
Please vote in favor of SJR0054 and consider becoming a co-sponsor.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Telephone
Email Address
The following Resolution, coded SJR0054, creates the Joint Task Force on
Blind and Visually Impaired Educational Options to undertake a comprehensive and
thorough review of the education of and services available to the blind and
visually impaired children in this State. The resolution still needs to be
passed in the House and signed by the Governor. WE ARE ASKING FOR
YOUR SUPPORT. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 54 (As Amended by Senate Amendments
No. 1 & 2)
WHEREAS, The provision of a free, appropriate public education for a
student with a visual impairment can occur only with the proper concentrated
services, equipment, appropriately certified staff, and access to education; and
WHEREAS, Children and youth who are visually impaired face unique and
significant barriers related to their instruction that profoundly affect most
aspects of the educational process, including the impact of ever changing
technology and the world it encompasses; and
WHEREAS, Blindness and visual impairments are often considered secondary
disabilities, thus the specialized educational needs of the blind and visually
impaired are rarely fully addressed; and
WHEREAS, Children and youth with visual impairments are guaranteed an
education in the least restrictive setting, determined on an individual basis,
meaning that they are entitled to be integrated as fully as possible into the
regular classroom, as appropriate; and
WHEREAS, Full access to education depends upon an educational environment
that utilizes the appropriate materials and properly and fully trained staff and
provides for direct communication between staff, students, parents, and peers;
and
WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired should become the
go-to facility for best teaching practices regarding programs for children with
visual impairments and the statewide center for training, technical assistance,
outreach, and specialized curriculum development; and
WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired should include
on-going training and technical assistance for itinerant, mainstream, and
private school educators; and
WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired should include
specific programming on visual impairments for teaching and rehabilitation
professionals from both the State Board of Education and the Department of Human
Services; and
WHEREAS, While unemployment in the nation continues to drop, the
unemployment rate for people with visual impairments is over 70 percent; and
WHEREAS, There should be greater access to transitional services for
students who are blind or visually impaired entering vocational rehabilitation
services and employment; and
WHEREAS, Successful transitional programs may result in better services and
jobs, knowledgeable self-advocates, and achievement of competitive outcomes;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE
OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is
created the Joint Task Force on Blind and Visually Impaired Educational Options,
consisting of the following members, appointed as follows:
1. The President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives shall each appoint one member
2. The Governor shall appoint a parent representative from the Illinois
School for the Visually Impaired and 3 regional parent representatives, one each
from northern, central, and southern Illinois;
3. The following entities shall each appoint one member: the State Board of
Education, the Department of Human Services, the Illinois School for the
Visually Impaired, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of
Schools, the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Illinois School
for the Visually Impaired Alumni Association, the National Federation of the
Blind of Illinois, the Illinois Council of the Blind, Early Intervention, the
Illinois Association for Education and Rehabilitation, the Illinois Vision
Leadership Council, the Philip J. Rock Center, the Helen Keller National Center,
the Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors, Illinois Parents of the Visually
Impaired, the Blind Services Planning Council, the Illinois School for the
Visually Impaired's Advisory Board, the Visual Disabilities education program at
Northern Illinois University, and the Specialist in Low Vision and
Blindness education program at Illinois State University; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the State representative and State senator who represent the
districts that are home to the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired shall
serve as co-chairpersons of the Task Force, and be it further
RESOLVED, That all members of the Task Force shall serve without
compensation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the duty of the Task Force is to undertake a comprehensive
and thorough review of the education of and services available to the blind and
visually impaired children of this State with the intent of making
recommendations that would recognize the need for delivering full educational
services to a blind or visually impaired student, ensure that schools have
the most updated and adequate equipment to provide services to blind and
visually impaired students, and recognize the need for teachers trained in the
unique needs of blind and visually impaired students; recommending
research-based methods and procedures to develop curricula for blind and
visually impaired students; and providing a comprehensive review of the needs
and operation of all educational entities providing services to students who are
blind or visually impaired, including the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force should look towards states that have
successful, independent, and adequate educational models for students with
visual impairments, such as the Washington State School for the Blind; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education and the Department of Human
Services shall together administer and prepare all reports deemed necessary in
conjunction with the Task Force's activities; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from any entity
necessary or useful for the performance of the Task Force's duties; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its recommendations to the
General Assembly on or before December 31, 2008; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the
Governor, the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, the
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, the Illinois Association of
Regional Superintendents of Schools, the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually
Impaired, the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired Alumni Association, the
National Federation of the Blind of Illinois, the Illinois Council of the Blind,
Early Intervention, the Illinois Association for Education and Rehabilitation,
the Illinois Vision Leadership Council, the Philip J. Rock Center, the Helen
Keller National Center, the Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors, Illinois
Parents of the Visually Impaired, the Blind Services Planning Council, the
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired's Advisory Board, the Visual
Disabilities education program at Northern Illinois University, and the
Specialist in Low Vision and Blindness education program at Illinois
State University. Return to TOC
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