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
j. 1. B. Who are minorities;
Current Narrative:
Minority groups include Hispanic/Latino residents (specifically in the mid and southwestern section of Michigan); Black/African American, Native Americans in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan; and Asian or Pacific Islanders specifically Arab and Arab Americans and Hmong residents in the southeastern part of the state.
According to the 2015 American Community Survey*, 77% of non-institutionalized Michigan residents with disabilities are White, 17.5% Black/African American, 0.8% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.8% other racial group, and 2.7% multiracial. In addition, 3.4% are of Hispanic origin. Furthermore, the 2015 American Community Survey** reports 0.6% of U.S. population and 1.9% of Michigan residents identify their ancestry as Arab. Wayne County of Michigan is composed of 5.2% Arab residents and the city of Dearborn was 42.4%. According to the Arab American Institute (2014), Detroit is one of the top five metropolitan areas with Arab American populations. Unfortunately, no disability prevalence rate for Arab Americans is available.
When compared to the 2015 American Community Survey, which estimated that 17.5% of Michigan residents with disabilities were African American, this group is not currently considered underserved by BSBP. Conversely, the 2015 American Community Services report, estimated that 3.4% of Michigan residents with disabilities were Hispanic/Latino, while BSBP served a lower proportion of participants with Hispanic origin. Thus, the Hispanic/Latino ethnic group appears to be somewhat underserved.
The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) case management system references the following minority groups being served. American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Non-Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American. A small percentage of participants disclosed as being Hispanic, or Latino. A small percentage did not disclose any race or ethnicity. BSBP's service delivery ratios for persons who are not representative of minority populations and those who are not is reflective of the data noted above.