Attachment 5.1(c)
Personal Assistance Services
Personal assistance services will be provided to individuals with visual disabilities throughout the vocational rehabilitation (VR) process. In order to maximize the utilization of personal assistance services, rehabilitation technology will be provided, as appropriate, during each stage of the rehabilitation process. The agency will also ensure that a broad range of such services are provided on a statewide basis.
The need for personal assistance services will be assessed on an individual basis, and a wide range of services will be available that are designed to assist individuals with visual disabilities to perform daily living activities on or off the job.
Individuals with visual disabilities needing personal assistance services to perform their daily living activities on or off the job will be referred by the VR program to the Rehabilitation Teaching (RT) program to evaluate their daily living needs. Rehabilitation teachers throughout the Commonwealth will meet most independent living needs of persons served by the VR program via individualized training programs. The VR program will purchase special aids and devices recommended by the rehabilitation teacher to enable the individual with a visual disability to perform daily living activities on or off the job.
During FY '98, if personal assistance services cannot be met via the RT program, the VR program will purchase personal assistance services from community service providers, when such services are needed to enable an individual with a visual disability to successfully complete his/her rehabilitation program.
The agency has employed two full-time rehabilitation technology specialists. During FY '98 the rehabilitation technology specialists will be available to evaluate and recommend adaptive aids and devices that will enable persons with visual disabilities to increase their ability to perform everyday activities on or off the job. The rehabilitation technology specialists are also an excellent resource for the Virginia Department for the Visually Handicapped staff regarding assistive technology and how the technology can be applied to enhance the independence of persons with visual disabilities on or off the job.
Staff training in the area of rehabilitation technology will be emphasized during FY '98. The training will emphasize incorporating rehabilitation technology into each stage of the rehabilitation process. Many resources may be utilized during FY '98 to provide training in the area of rehabilitation technology for agency staff and other appropriate individuals such as Client Assistance Program (CAP) personnel. These resources include, but are not necessarily limited to, the agency's rehabilitation technology specialists, the Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind , the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, various workshops, conferences, etc.
The agency has ensured that personal assistance services are available to all individuals with visual disabilities who need such services by including personal assistance services in the VR Policies and Procedures Manual as one of the mandated services to be considered, if needed, to enable an individual to achieve his/her long-range vocational objective.
