Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Blind)

Report of the Vermont State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired

SRC Involvement in Planning and Evaluating includes Statewide Focus Groups, Performance Data, and Customer Satisfaction Information. The SRC meets in-person every other month and holds executive meetings on the alternate months. The entire SRC and DBVI staff meet for an all-day combined meeting each June.

Highlights of SRC meetings from FFY 2018 and FFY 2019

FFY 2018 was an exciting and productive year for the work done in partnership with the SRC and DBVI. The SRC began the year in October 2017 by reviewing the new WIOA Performance Measures. The SRC learned how the new AWARE case management program will capture most of these data to meet the new reporting requirements. The DBVI AWARE system went “live” in September 2017. We also reviewed upcoming goals for the year including plans for the Town Meeting event and statewide consumer satisfaction survey.

In December the SRC meeting included a review and revision of DBVI Goals and Strategies. The membership had many ideas about connecting with partners including the Department of Labor and the Agency of Education. Ideas included continuation of DBVI initiated work experiences with employers. Current results include many individuals bridging from a work experience to employment. Other people learn new skills for their resume. It is also a great way to educate employers about the abilities and assistive technology used by people who are blind. There was also a strong recommendation to collaborate with the DOL work experience and on-the-job training programs. DBVI was also encouraged to find employers who are interested in job carving opportunities where a person can bring their strengths to the employer. The Agency of Education representative also offered many tools available to staff about personalized learning plans and graduation requirements. The Chair of the Policy Committee also updated the SRC about WIOA related DBVI policy revisions that are in process. The meeting ended with a recommendation to have fewer strategies and keep them focused on the key goals.

In February 2018 the SRC dedicated the meeting to updating the goals and strategies based on the Town Meetings, Statewide Consumer Survey, and the CSNA. The meeting began with a review of the WIOA performance measures. Then the SRC discussed each of the 14 DBVI current strategies. After a detailed discussion about each of the strategies the group made a list of top priorities.

Some highlights from the strategy discussion include ideas about a comprehensive outreach strategy. The SRC believes that DBVI should make efforts to inform key organizations about the services that are available. This includes outreach to businesses, minority groups, and DOL partner programs. They also had ideas about ways to share DBVI planning resources by using some of the channels at AOE like the WIKI Transition page. This resource is well used by school staff and is a good way to share information with LEAs.

In addition to outreach and sharing information the SRC supports DBVI’s ongoing efforts to create consumer-driven events and opportunities. The next event will be planned with consumer input and will be held in the fall. A new initiative is to create a listserv that connect clients to share ways they are using technology. There was also interest in creating podcasts that highlight some key technologies and examples of how people use technology to accomplish tasks at work or for independence.

There was an in-depth conversation about the best strategies to connect with the workforce system and American Job Centers and all DOL partners. The intent of the group is that there should be concrete steps and a plan to connect DBVI consumers to these programs and to have a referral process that keeps all partners involved rather than a hand-off to another organization.

One topic that is part of every CSNA is transportation. The SRC is very interested in a new initiative at the VT Department of Transportation that connects travelers with all the resources and potential rides in each area. This is in beta form and is being designed for accessibility. It was decided to invite VTRANS to the SRC meeting in April to discuss the tool. 

The meeting ended with a discussion about identifying the top strategies. They include:

• Partnering with all DOL—Implement a plan for staying connected.
• Pre-Employment Transition—Share the DBVI tools that can be used for student transition planning. 
• Outreach—Implement a comprehensive plan that includes businesses, eye doctors, and other human service organizations. 
• Technology—Create a listserv to connect DBVI consumers and the blind community.

In March 2018, with SRC approval, and public hearings DBVI submitted the Program Section of the Vermont Unified State Plan.

In April 2018, the SRC meeting included a guest speaker from the Vermont Transportation Department.  A Transportation Consultant from VT-Trans presented about several new programs recently launched on the “Go Vermont” website. This includes details about a new web-based trip planning website that allows travelers to enter their starting location and destination into a search engine. They then receive results with all the transportation options including fixed routes and on-demand services. There are also several new ride sharing vans and carpool options that can be accessed through the web portal of by calling a toll-free number to get information. They can assist with matching to find car and van pool options as well as fixed routes and paratransit. 

In June 2018 the SRC held a combined meeting with the full SRC and the DBVI staff. The meeting began with a presentation from DBVI staff with a review of recent SRC and DBVI projects the involved that Voice of the Customer. An example shared by DBVI staff was the Employment Guide that was created to create clear expectation for consumer about the Vocational Rehabilitation process and the focus on employment. Many drafts of the Employment Guide were shared with consumer and the SRC to understand and incorporate the Voice of the Customer in the final design. DBVI also reviewed a similar process that was used to create the outreach banners that feature DBVI consumers at their worksites. This agenda topic ended with a preview of the new initiative for using career assessments to help individuals better understand their career interests and strengths. A DBVI team will be working on this throughout the year and they will plan to involve consumers and the SRC for feedback as the process is developed.

The next topic was a discussion about creating a Public Service Announcement. Both organizations believe that this will help to get the word out about how DBVI can help people of all ages reach their employment goals. The idea is to have blind or visually impaired individuals share a some of their success story with the intent of letting the public know about these services. We want to make sure that everyone knows that DBVI services can help people reach their employment and independence goals. We then discussed the importance of strong collaboration wit the Department of Labor. We want to make sure that DBVI consumers have opportunities for internships and job training through DOL. 

The FFY 2019 began in October 2018 with an SRC meeting that included important partner updates. These included representatives from the Agency of Education, Department of Labor, Special Services Library, Parent Family Network, Client Assistance Program, and the Association for the Blind. These updates are intended to keep the partners connected and informed about important initiatives.

Some highlights from this meeting included a detailed explanation from the AOE representative about the major shift in Vermont High School graduation requirements from traditional credits to Personal Learning Plans. There was also a presentation from the students of the Learn, Earn, and Prosper (LEAP) summer work experience program. The students presented their Public Service Announcement that they created and shared some things they learned about themselves and their future employment goals. One significant idea generated by the SRC was a recommendation to explore if local special education funding could share in the cost for LEAP work experiences.

Several SRC members also participated in White Cane Safety Awareness events that took place across the state. Each event included a simulated walk and education about White Cane Safety. Many local officials also attended.

November 2018 was a busy month and the SRC participated in a couple events. It began with several members attending the Vermont Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind Statewide Conference held in Burlington. The agenda included several guest speakers including a Vermont Transit employee who explained new public transportation initiatives.

Several SRC members also attended the DBVI Great Expectations Consumer Driven Event held in Montpelier. The theme was “Resiliency” and the meeting was planned by DBVI consumers. It included several panel discussions to share experiences and encourage each other.

In November there was also an SRC Executive Council meeting. The Executive Committee meetings are held in the opposite months of Full SRC meetings and are in September, November, January, March, and May. The meetings typically focus on building the agenda for Full Council meetings and other business. There was no Full SRC meeting in December.

In February 2019, the SRC meeting included several partner updates. Some highlights included an update from the Client Assistance Program and their current outreach efforts. Several materials have been developed and they are beginning to visit VR offices and other outreach events. There was also an announcement of the upcoming Technology fair that will be held in Rutland by the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. This will include several technology vendors and equipment demo opportunities for consumers.

The DBVI Director reviewed the SRC 2018 Annual Report and discussed the data and highlights with the group. He also discussed the transition to the new Performance Measures and the ending of the previous Standards and Indicators. A DBVI counselor also presented an update about the Accessible Assessment Project. The DBVI assessment team has identified the core group of vocational related assessments and they are currently adapting them for accessibility. The workstation in Montpelier is complete and includes a computer, assistive software, Braille printer, and scanner.

In April 2019, DBVI staff had an all-day meeting with the staff of the Vermont Association for the Blind and staff of the Veterans Administration. The main purpose was to discuss ways to partner and best serve the needs of Vermont’s blind and visually impaired population. This was not specifically and SRC event, but the results and outcomes were shared with the group. One important highlight was the discussion about Low Vision doctors in Vermont. Many are retiring and there is a need to encourage and train new eye doctors to provide this service.

At the April SRC meeting, key partner updates included a recommendation from the AOE representative for members of the SRC and other service provider to sign up for the AOE Weekly Field Services Memo and the Training Modules for Personal Learning Plans. The representative from the Vermont Family Networks encouraged everyone to help promote the upcoming Youth Summit.

The agenda included an assistive technology demonstration and discussion from one of the SRC members. He presented about several of the apps that he uses and explained the situations when they are most helpful. Some of the apps highlighted were Voice Dream Reader and Seeing AI. The group also discussed several ideas for how to conduct focus groups for the needs assessment to be held in fall 2020.

In June 2019, the SRC held an all-day combined meeting with the DBVI staff. This is an annual event and the agenda for this year included the theme of “Partners in a Vision Rehabilitation Team.” The day was structured to invite all DBVI partners and have several workshops so partners could learn about the various roles of other Vision Rehabilitation Team members.

The first sessions included:

• Technology Evaluation and Training;
• Vermont Association of Business Industry and Rehabilitation and the Employment Consultants Role; and
• The Learn, Earn, and Prosper (LEAP) Summer Work Experience Program.

The second sessions included:

• Vocational Assessments presented by the DBVI Counselor Team;
• Questions and Answers with DBVI Blind Services Counselors; and
• Vermont Association for the Blind and the role of Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and Teachers of the Visually Impaired.

The afternoon included a discussion with the SRC that included:

• Outreach to Eye Doctors; and
• The use of social media and the “Front Page Forum” for Outreach.

One key idea was to ask the Outreach Committee to pursue these initiatives.

The public hearing was held on March 4, 2020 at the Waterbury State Office Complex (Ash Conference Room). No comments were submitted.