Minutes of the VICUG-NYC
General Membership Meeting
Monday, April 14, 1997

Present: Peter Altschul, Anisio Correia, Michael Davis, Tom Dekker, Tina Dunmore, Crista Earl, Francisco Estrada, Valerie Estrada, Karen Gourgey, John Hernandez, Rick Holborow, Bud Krause, Jay Leventhal, Lucia Marett, Scott Marshall, Steve Mendelsohn, Zoraida Morrison, Laurie Parris, Patricia Ross, Ruth-Ellen Simmonds, Braulio Thorne, Mary Watson, Judy Wilkinson, Morris Wirth, and Vita Zavoli.

Steve Mendelsohn made a presentation entitled "The CBVH--How To Make It Work for You". Highlights are summarized below:

1. About the VR system:
   
   
   1. Founded as a result of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
   2. Primarily federally-funded with some state input
   3. Each state can choose to serve persons with disabilities via one agency or two
   4. New York State opted for the latter option:
      
      1. CBVH for persons who are blind or visually-impaired
      2. VESID for other persons with disabilities
   
   
2. In order to receive funding, VR agencies must:
   
   
   1. Set goals/objectives, and a plan to meet them
   2. Pledge not to discriminate
   3. VR agencies have some degree of discretion
   4. Overseen by Rehabilitation Services Agency (RSA)
   
   
   
3. VR counselors responses to requests for service can be classified into three categories:
   
   
   1. Yes
   2. No, the law won't allow me to...
   3. No, I won't...

PART TWO: THE VR PROCESS

1. THRESHOLD for service (are you eligible for services?)
   
   
   1. person presumed to be eligible
   2. eligibility must generally be determined within 60 days
   3. post-employment services (case can be reopened without going through entire application process)
   
   
2. Determining appropriate services
   
   
   1. Customer and counselor must mutually develop contract (IWRP)
      1. Important to assure that needed services are included
      2. Can demand that evaluation includes technology assessment
      
      
   2. Customers should identify their goals/needs prior to meeting with their counselor
      
      
   3. Approximately 20 types of services covered by IWRP, including:
      
      1. Rehabilitation services (adaptive technology)
      2. Training
      3. Additional education
      
      
   4. IWRP must identify:
      
      1. Skills needed to be learned
      2. The need for technology
      3. Who will do the technology assessment
      4. When will assessment take place
      5. Who will provide assessment (customer has the right to choose)
      
      
   5. Carefully review IWRP before signing it
      
      
   6. Can request a change of counselor if current counselor unsatisfactory
   
   
3. Once IWRP is signed, customer should try to determine:
   
   
   1. How long before final approval
   2. How best to "track the process"
   3. Where the problems are likely to emerge
   
   
4. Comparable benefit and services
   1. If another agency will buy it, CBVH doesn't have to
   2. Not applicable to adaptive technology
   
   
5. The appeals process
   
   
   1. Appeals often successful
   2. Impartial officer to determine if decision in question violated the law or if discretion was abused (was original decision right or wrong? Was it based on the wrong facts?)
   3. Sometimes, decision overruled, or sent back for further consideration
   
   
6. So, you've had difficulty with the system...what have you done about it?:
   
   
   1. Can serve on their advisory committee designed to make services more consumer responsive

Steve Mendelsohn then marketed his book detailing the tax law as it applies to persons who are blind, as well as his newsletter "Financing Adaptive Technology." Interested individuals can either e-mail him at mendelsohn@delphi.com, or call him at (212) 222-0312.

Scott Marshall alerted participants to the availability of "Getting to Yes" on disc through National Braille Press and on cassette through RFB&D.

Tom Dekker suggested a Special-Interest Group (SIG) to deal with negotiating the VR system.

It was suggested that the invitation to Joe Blaine, a former CBVH employee, to attend a VICUG-NYC meeting be resent.

Tom Dekker apologized for the national flavor and clutter of the listserve, and that members can e-mail him at dekker@concentric.net or Gregory Rosmaita, at oedipus@hicom.net to request removal from VICUG-L and for addition to a VICUG-NYC only distribution list, reserved solely for VICUG-NYC business and announcements.

Meeting adjourned.

Submitted by Peter Altschul, April 15, 1997
Revised and encoded into hypertext by Gregory J. Rosmaita

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this page created May 18, 1997
updated May 23, 1997