Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Blind)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- b. Request for Waiver of Statewideness
When requesting a waiver of the statewideness requirement, the designated State unit must identify the types of services to be provided by the program on a non-statewide basis. The waiver request must also include written assurances that:
- b. Request for Waiver of Statewideness
b. 1. A local public agency will provide the non-Federal share of costs associated with the services to be provided in accordance with the waiver request;
Current Narrative:
The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) is requesting a waiver of state wideness. BSBP develops Interagency Cash Transfer Agreements (ICTA) in various parts of the state as determined necessary by BSBP and Intermediate School District staff. These ICTA's are not available in all parts of the state. Currently, BSBP has established Interagency Cash Transfer Agreements with Macomb, Muskegon, and Ottawa county intermediate school districts. These programs provide Pre-Employment Transition services to students in their service area from the five required categories.
The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons and the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) will work in partnership to provide career exploration, pre-employment training skills and transition services for school-to-work or higher education for students who are legally blind and continuing until meeting requirements for receiving a diploma or certificate of completion. These services are to provide the additional supports necessary for blind and visually impaired students to access and receive maximum benefit from the transition services offered to their sighted peers. Transition services are to enhance opportunities for legally blind and visually impaired students to experience positive employment options allowing them to continue toward gainful employment or further education after high school.
Through the Muskegon Intermediate School District's Successful Teens Exploring Positive Skills (STEPS) transition program, will work with teens ages 14 through 26 on developing daily living and job readiness skills in a fun and interactive environment. The program builds on skills explored during SITC and expands them into a year-round program. Summer in the City (SITC) is an eight-day long youth training program taught in a group setting; to reinforce job readiness skills and daily living skills including, but not limited to, budgeting, job shadowing, non-verbal communication skills, personal grooming, and orientation and mobility skills. The goal is to serve between 3-5 students this fiscal year in Muskegon County.
The services that will be provided under the Ottawa Interagency agreement includes 1) career exploration counseling; 2) work-based learning experiences, 3) post-secondary counseling; 4) workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent living; and 5) instruction in self-advocacy. Students will also participate in the STEPS transition and SITC programs mentioned above.