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. 3. Include an assessment of the needs of individuals with disabilities for transition career services and pre-employment transition services, and the extent to which such services are coordinated with transition services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Current Narrative:
Current (2020) data from the Idaho Educational School for the Deaf and Blind (IESDB) reveals that there are 111 students identified in Idaho who are blind or visually impaired (this number does not account for home schooled youth).
According to the 2020 CSNA, the most common themes that emerged in the needs of students include:
- Improve access to assistive technology and training.
- Supports for transition from high school to college.
- Independent living skills training.
- More work-based learning experiences.
Recommendations to improve Transition Services include:
- Provide multiple and a broad variety of work-based learning experiences.
- Increased cross-training and collaboration between agencies and organizations.
- Improve marketing efforts of ICBVI transition services.
- Engage students at a younger age.
To address these needs, the ICBVI Project Coordinator for Transition Services is collaborating with Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in all five administrative regions. This collaboration includes an assessment to determine what transition services were currently being provided by the LEA, and to determine the need for additional pre-employment transition services. The Transition Project Coordinator also provides technical assistance regarding service changes as a result of WIOA.
Using information provided by the LEAs and Regional ICBVI staff, the Project Coordinator for Transition Services will continue to develop statewide programs founded on the evidence-based practices that are aligned to the five authorized Pre-ETS categories. The Transition Project Coordinator also collaborates with LEAs, institutions of higher education, state and federal programs serving students, and employers to enhance pre-employment transition services provided around the state.
The Project Coordinator for Transition Services is also employing marketing strategies and developing materials to reach students and youth in transition and school district personnel to inform parents, educators, administrators, and others about the ICBVI Vocational Rehabilitation program.
ICBVI / IDVR and the SDE have developed a comprehensive formal interagency agreement which addresses collaborative service provision. In addition, ICBVI participates in the planning and coordination of an annual Transition Institute for VR program staff and educators across the state.
The current CSNA clearly articulates the need for both the required and authorized Pre-ETS activities. In responses to this, ICBVI has completed its fiscal forecasting for Pre-ETS, and it is included in the 2020 CSNA. ICVBI will review this forecasting on an annual basis.
PY 2022 Update:
In PY 2021, ICBVI started a Community of Practice that is led by the Commission's Transition Coordinator. Members of this community include: ICBVI counselors, Rehabilitation Teachers, and all statewide IESDB Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI's). The purpose of this COP is to identify unserved or underserved students who are blind or visually impaired, as well as improving transition services (including Pre-ETS) for students with disabilities who are blind or visually impaired.
Due to the pandemic, ICBVI experienced a significant decrease in the provision of work based learning experiences. Since most pre-employment transition services were delivered remotely, the Commission expanded the delivery of the other four required activities.
ICBVI is resuming it's 3 residential programs in the summer of 2022 help at Boise State University: Work Readiness Camp (14-15 year old's), College Days, and the Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP). The Commission has blended the College Days and SWEP into one program, and now offers participants to take a college level course while participating in a work based learning experience.
ICBVI continues to re-asses the needs of students with disabilities coming out of the COVID 19 pandemic. Resuming in-person learning opportunities has been communicated as a high priority from students, parents, and educators.