NCSAB Mission, Objectives, Position and Services

MISSION

The mission of the NCSAB is to promote through advocacy, coordination, and education the delivery of specialized services that enable individuals who are blind and visually impaired to achieve personal and vocational independence.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives through which the NCSAB will accomplish its mission are:

(A) A FORUM FOR STATE AGENCIES:

To provide a specialized forum for administrators of member agencies to study, deliberate, and act upon matters affecting rehabilitation and other services for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

(B) EXPRESSION OF COLLECTIVE VIEWS

To provide a resource for the formulation and expression of the collective points of view of member agencies on all issues affecting the provision of rehabilitation and other services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

To serve as an advisory body to and establish and maintain liaison with the U.S. Department of Education/Rehabilitation Services Administration, and all other federal agencies, as they develop policies and administer programs affecting services for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

(D) A FORUM FOR ISSUE DEFINITION AND RESOLUTION:

To work cooperatively with organizations of and for the blind on matters pertaining to rehabilitation and other services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

(E) COORDINATION AND FACILITATION OF COMMUNICATIONS:

To promote and facilitate communications, joint action, and cooperation between the NCSAB and the U.S. Department of Education/Rehabilitation Services Administration, human service organizations or agencies, as well as other organizations whose responsibilities may impact upon the provision of services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

(F) RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION TO IMPROVE PROGRAMS:

To encourage, sponsor, or conduct research and/or demonstrations, which can reasonably be expected to lead to improvement in programs and services to individuals who or blind or visually impaired.

(G) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION:

To inform the public of: 1) the ability and capacity of individuals who are blind or visually impaired, 2) the benefits to society derived through the provision of rehabilitation and other services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired and, 3) to otherwise promote the vocational and personal independence of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

The officers, members of the Executive Committee, and committee chairs may act on behalf of the council to inform the membership of products and/or services of interest to the members but may not endorse any product or service on behalf of NCSAB without the majority vote of the membership at a regular NCSAB business meeting. In sharing product and/or service information with the membership, the council expects each member state to determine for itself whether or not it wishes to purchase such products or services.

(H) ADVOCACY:

To advocate, on a planned basis, for the improvement of programs and services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

POSITION:

It is the position of NCSAB that the most effective and comprehensive services available to blind individuals are those delivered by separate service agencies for the blind.

If the majority of unemployed blind individuals are to receive the training and skills they need to reach their highest level of employability, maximum results are required in every state rehabilitation program. A blind person requires an appropriate service system common to no other disability. Among the programs where specialization has proven essential are:

Vocational rehabilitation
Orientation and Mobility
Vision Rehabilitation Teaching
Randolph-Sheppard Program
Library Services
Pre-School Activities
Prevention of Blindness
Technical Assistance

The Cost effectiveness of converting tens of thousands of blind individuals to taxpayers from tax recipients is obvious, and independent research conducted nationwide during the past decade indicates a higher percentage of successful rehabilitations through separate agencies for the blind.

*Condensed from the formal position paper adopted by NCSAB at its April meeting, 1983. Available in full from the Washington office.

SERVICES:

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) provides services to help persons with disabilities prepare for, start, and maintain competitive employment, thus becoming productive and independent citizens in their communities. These services provide the opportunity to learn skills that will help a person secure and maintain employment.

When a person enters a VR program, his/her needs, interests and abilities are assessed. Following this, a suitable plan of action (named an Individualized Plan for Employment) is mutually developed and agreed upon, based on the client’s needs. That client may receive an evaluation, counseling, guidance and training necessary to gain the skills needed to begin employment. Depending on the employment outcome chosen by the client, services may include training in job seeking skills, college, university, vocational and technical instruction, work adjustment and on the job training, assistive work technology, orientation and mobility and adjustment to blindness skills, including vision rehabilitation, communication skills (Braille), job placement or post-employment services. Job coaching and consultation is made available to employers for client’s whose job maybe in jeopardy through the exploration of employment alternatives and sensitizing employers to client needs.