Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Blind)

The FDBS utilizes the strategies listed below to foster success for Floridians who are blind or visually impaired and assist the Division with its vision to create a barrier free environment for individuals with visual disabilities.

Goal 1.0 Highest Client Achievement 

Objective: Coordinate and secure high-quality training, education, work experiences, and partnerships that create opportunities for blind and visually impaired Floridians to obtain and maintain independence, post-secondary education credentials, and successful employment outcomes.

Strategy 1.1: Secure opportunities for students/youth with disabilities to practice and improve workplace skills.

Strategy 1.2: Ensure clients participating in training and education programs are benefiting. 

Strategy 1.3: Increase utilization of online job systems/portals to expose employers to job ready FDBS consumers. 

Strategy 1.4: Increase consumer participation in industry certifications, apprenticeships, and post-secondary outcomes/impacts.

Strategy 1.5: Develop and implement an Employment Skills Training Program at the Residential Rehabilitation Center. 

Goal 2.0 Seamless Articulation and Maximum Access

Objective: Create a comprehensive service delivery system that fosters accessibility and provides positive experiences for blind and visually impaired Floridians enabling them to matriculate from school/training to work. Improve outreach methods to reach more consumers, advocates, providers, employers and other stakeholders.

Strategy 2.1: Increase the provision of accessibility tools, awareness, and regular follow-up with consumers to ensure equality in educational experiences and vocational opportunities.

Strategy 2.2: Create and implement a comprehensive communications and outreach plan.

Strategy 2.3: Increase the number of individuals with significant and most significant disabilities receiving services.

Strategy 2.4: Increase outreach services to under-served and unserved populations. 

Goal 3.0 Skilled Workforce and Economic Development

Objective: Assist blind and visually impaired Floridians with obtaining, maintaining, and advancing in competitive integrated employment. 

Strategy 3.1: Develop and strengthen employer relationships by providing employer training, support, education, and resources. 

Strategy 3.2: Increase successful employment outcomes, including self-employment outcomes for transition age youth, adults, and seniors receiving services through FDBS. 

Strategy 3.3: Create successful job outcomes in the Business Enterprise Program.

Strategy 3.4: Support FDBS consumers in becoming self-supporting. 

Strategy 3.5:  Strengthen statewide collaborative partnerships with core partners. 

Strategy 3.6: Developing mechanisms to maximize job placement effectiveness among FDBS Employment Placement Specialists and contracted service providers.

Goal 4.0 Quality Efficient Services

Objective: Create an accountable and exemplary division workforce that ensures high quality services.

Strategy 4.1: Increase staff development and continuing education. 

Strategy 4.2: Incorporate elements of the common performance measures into employee expectations and evaluations. 

Strategy 4.3: Increase opportunities for data sharing and improve data validity and integrity. 

Strategy 4.4: Decrease federal and state audit findings. 

Strategy 4.5: Develop strong fiscal policies and procedures to promote responsible stewardship of available resources and addresses WIOA requirements. 

Strategy 4.6: Strengthen contract language to ensure increased contractor accountability, improve resource allocations, address WIOA regulations and encourage maximum achievement of consumer independence. 

Strategy 4.7: Strengthen contract monitoring activities and procedures/protocol to reflect new requirements. 

Strategy 4.8: Develop Return on Investment (ROI) methodology for DBS programs.

Strategy 4.9: Improve employee workplace environment.

Strategy 4.10: Improve library services by obtaining customer feedback.