Attachment 4.12(a)

Results of Comprehensive Statewide Assessment of the Rehabilitation Needs of Individuals with Disabilities and Need to Establish, Develop, or Improve Community Rehabilitation Programs

The Department for the Visually Handicapped (DVH) elects to provide services to groups of individuals with disabilities under the authority to establish, develop, or improve a community rehabilitation program.

DVH utilizes, on an as needed basis, more than 80 community rehabilitation programs that have been approved by the Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS). These community rehabilitation programs are primarily private non-profit operations. These programs provide services to persons with various disabilities, and in these facilities is sheltered employment below competitive wages. In FY 2001 DVH will continue to purchase services for customers from those programs on an individual basis. DVH will not utilize funds under the establishment authority to establish, develop, or improve these private non-profit community rehabilitation programs.

DVH will utilize funds under the authority to establish, develop, or improve a community rehabilitation program to expand training and/or employment opportunities in public programs operated by the agency. Rehabilitation funds will only be used in community rehabilitation programs to provide vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to applicants for or eligible recipients of VR services.

DVH operates the Virginia Industries for the Blind (VIB) with one facility located in Richmond, one located in Charlottesville, and satellite operations in other locations which have contracts with state, federal or private industries. The satellite operations provide competitive jobs in integrated settings at agencies or company sites. DVH also operates the Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VRCBVI) in Richmond. These programs operated by the agency provide assessments, training, and employment services for persons with severe visual disabilities.

VRCBVI provides vocational evaluations, adjustment and vocational training for eligible VR customers. Services received at VRCBVI are essential in the rehabilitation process leading to the achievement of employment outcomes for persons who are blind or visually impaired. Rehabilitation funds utilized at VRCBVI are specifically for the purpose of improving or expanding services for applicants and recipients of VR services.

During FY 99 VRCBVI served 222 customers, is on target to exceed that number for FY 2000, and is expected to exceed that number again in FY 2001. The greatest need identified by VRCBVI was the upgrading of adaptive technology and the purchase of new technology for evaluating and training VR customers. VRCBVI also identified the possible need for additional rehabilitation funds to increase the number of hours for the technology individual who is employed in a wage position.

The VIBs (Richmond and Charlottesville) and the satellite operations provide employment services at or above minimum wage for Virginians who are blind. Persons who are employed in the satellite operations work in integrated work settings and receive wages at or above the federal minimum wage.

Additional employment opportunities for persons who are blind is a need that has been identified in public meetings, needs assessments, and in findings resulting from state and national surveys. Statistics show that more than 70% of persons who are blind are unemployed. Rehabilitation funds spent at VIBs (Richmond or Charlottesville) and the satellite operations will be for the sole purpose of expanding employment opportunities for eligible VR customers. VIB has projected to increase, by 31, the number of new jobs for eligible VR customers during FY 2000. Fifteen of these new jobs will be in the satellite operations. VIB (Charlottesville) will increase by ten workers and VIB (Richmond) is projected to increase its blind work force by six. Efforts to expand job opportunities in all of these areas will continue during FY 2001.

Annually, VRCBVI and VIB identify the need for rehabilitation funds to assist in providing services to applicants for or recipients of VR services. If the need identified by VRCBVI and/or VIB is consistent with those needs identified by customers, rehabilitation funds may be provided under the establishment authority.

State general funds are also utilized to meet the needs identified by those facilities. For example, the 1998 General Assembly approved the Capital Outlay plan for the total renovation of the Virginia Industries for the Blind plant located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The project includes asbestos abatement and replacement and/or upgrades to electrical, plumbing, HVAC systems, and other systems that meet life-safety code, as well as improvements to the exterior of the building. The renovation will bring the plant in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, efficiencies will be realized in material movement and overall cost to operate the facility. The amount of state general funds allotted for this renovation project is five million dollars. This major renovation project will be completed in FY 2001.

During FY 2001 through FY 2005, the VR program will emphasize additional services provided to groups of individuals. The VR program director will be responsible for initiating these services, which are as follows:

1. Mobility canes will be purchased and distributed to those blind and visually impaired individuals who demonstrate a need for such aids. The long cane is an essential tool for independent travel and should be readily available to be given to those customers who are in need of it for safe and independent travel while participating in the rehabilitation program. The orientation and mobility instructors will also use the canes for evaluation and training.
2. The VR program will continue to purchase adaptive equipment and other materials when they are needed for evaluation, training or employment, and when the purchase is not being made for an individual.
3. Rehabilitation technology is another service that may be charged to groups of individuals when such service is necessary, and it will benefit more than one individual in a training or employment situation.
4. Training activities will be charged to groups of individuals when they benefit a group and cannot be charged to an individual. Such activities may include job seeking skills and career seminars.
5. Equipment will be purchased for the purpose of evaluating and adapting job sites by rehabilitation technology specialists.
6. Loaner equipment will also be bought for regional offices that will be available on a short-term loan basis to different customers to ensure that training and/or employment opportunities are not interrupted due to the delay in purchase of the equipment or equipment breakdown. During FY 95 DVH decentralized its purchasing process for computer and other equipment which made equipment available more quickly for customers who need it for vocational training and/or employment.
7. Services to groups of individuals will be used to provide printed materials in an alternative format for eligible VR customers who may need such material to participate in vocational training and/or employment.
8. Services to groups of individuals will be used to provide transportation for customers when more than one individual is being transported and the cost cannot be charged to an individual.
9. DVH will provide VR funds to help establish the Newsline reading service if on-going funding is committed from another source. This service provides immediate access to newspapers for persons who are blind via telephone.
10. VR funds will be made available to establish "Jobline" in Virginia, if the federal grant is jointly pursued by the Virginia Employment Commission, the Department of Rehabilitative Services, and DVH. This service would make "job search" more accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals.
11. VR funds will be utilized at VIB when the expenditure of those funds will result in additional employment opportunities for blind persons.