MCB REPORT

October 7, 2005

INVESTING IN ABILITY MONTH IN MICHIGAN

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed October 2005 as Investing in Ability Month in Michigan, and in doing so, she encouraged everyone in Michigan "to recognize the great contributions made by people with disabilities." In her proclamation, Governor Granholm stated that the vitality and diversity of the people of Michigan have made this state a leader in business and employment opportunities by blending the talents and skills of all Michigan citizens, and by allowing each individual to achieve success in the workplace.

The Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns (MCDC) has coordinated Investing in Ability Week for the past 17 years, but 2005 is the first year for Investing in Ability Month, initiated by MCB, MCDC, and Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) as a collaborative effort. In addition, all three agencies collaborated to produce a poster and public service announcement (PSA) in recognition of Investing in Ability Month. The poster is being distributed to MCB offices and partner organizations statewide, and the PSA will be aired on DLEG’s cable television program, The Job Show, with limited additional distribution during October. The PSA was produced without a specific year designation so that it may be used in the future.

OUTREACH TO OPTOMETRIC & OPHTHALMOLOGICAL COMMUNITY

The Michigan Commission for the Blind has made some significant progress in its statewide outreach to optometrists and ophthalmologists. A letter from MCB State Director Pat Cannon describing MCB's services was mailed September 6, to 2000 Michigan eye care professionals, including all licensed Michigan optometrists and all members of the Michigan Ophthalmological Society (MOS). The letter included one signature guide as an enclosure, and eye care professionals were invited to call MCB's toll-free phone number to request more of these to distribute to their patients. In the first month following the mailing, eye care professionals requested and received approximately 1200 signature guides and 500 MCB brochures, and MCB staff have indicated that referrals are still coming in as a result of the letter.

In early September, Susan Turney, MCB Communications and Outreach Coordinator, met with MOS Executive Director Penny Englerth to discuss opportunities for the two organizations to partner in order to provide information on MCB services to eye doctors and their patients. An article by Pat Cannon on MCB's services will appear in the November MOS newsletter and MCB and MOS now have links to each other's websites (see http://www.mieyemd.org/ and http://www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154-28077_28313_33130-117495--,00.html).

Plans are also under way for Pat Cannon to be one of the plenary speakers at the 38th annual MOS conference on Mackinac Island August 10-12, 2006. Susan Turney has also contacted Michigan Optometric Association (MOA) Executive Vice-President William Dansby to request a meeting with him to discuss similar opportunities to partner with MOA.

CONSUMER CONVENTIONS IN WYOMING AND PONTIAC

Two major organizations of blind consumers will conduct their annual fall conventions in the state, with each expected to attract more than 100 participants. Many MCB commissioners and staff will also be attending the conventions.

The Michigan Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired (MCBVI), affiliated with the American Council of the Blind (ACB), will host its convention in Wyoming (located near Grand Rapids), October 6-9, at the Howard Johnsons Hotel. The Michigan affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) will conduct its convention, November 11-13, at the Marriott at Centerpoint, Pontiac.

COMMENTS INVITED ON STATE’S PLAN FOR ACCESSIBLE VOTING

The Michigan Department of State’s Elections Bureau is welcoming public comment on the revised State Plan drafted in compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

The public comment deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 27. The plan, required under HAVA and developed with input from an advisory committee appointed by the Secretary of State, sets a course of action for enhancing Michigan’s election process.

The federal funding available under HAVA allows Michigan to replace outdated voting equipment, ensure access for voters with disabilities, including individuals who are blind, and conduct voter education programs. The plan is being modified to reflect the current costs of programs and initiatives outlined in the original version. Updating the document also lets the state take advantage of technologies and programs that have become available since the original plan’s release.

The State Plan Advisory Committee met last month to review the revisions. The plan is being posted for 30 days on the Department of State Website at www.Michigan.gov/sos. A printed copy also will be forwarded to Michigan’s 83 county clerks. Comments may be e-mailed to the department at elections@michigan.gov. Comments sent by U.S. mail should be addressed to the Michigan Department of State, Bureau of Elections, Attn: HAVA Plan, P.O. Box 20126, Lansing, MI 48901-0726. After the public comment period, the plan will be revised as necessary and submitted to Washington, D.C., for publication in the Federal Register for 30 days. Anyone with questions may call the Bureau of Elections at (517) 373-2540.

ACCESSIBLE MAP OF THE WORLD AT TRAINING CENTER

Students at the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center in Kalamazoo are exploring a whole new world — and it’s hanging on the wall outside the cafeteria. Kalamazoo artist Michael Donenfeld has spent the last two and a half years creating a three-foot by five-foot, 170-pound, bronze topographical map of the world. It has Braille labels, raised latitude and longitude, a notched equator, and other tactile features. It also features technology which allows visitors to take an audio tour of the world. The map is a gift to the Center, sponsored with $24,000 in grants from the Michigan and Kalamazoo arts councils, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and four private foundations.

Donenfeld has been teaching sculpture, pottery and drawing classes at the Center nearly every Thursday evening since the 1980s. He got the idea for the project after watching several blind children, part of a group he hosted at his home, as they played with a plastic topographical map of the world. This is the second large-scale project he’s done for the Center. The first was an eight-foot-square ceramic map of the state of Michigan that includes the life-cast faces of 22 former students who volunteered to participate in the project.

The nearly-complete world map hangs on the wall outside the cafeteria, a gathering place for study groups and evening activities as well as meals. The map is already getting daily use as students scan the outlines and mountain ranges of the continents. The new map was the subject of a July 5 Detroit Free Press article by Susan Ager, which explains the sculpting, casting and finishing process in detail. See http://www.freep.com/features/living/ager5e_20050705.htm for the complete article.

On the evening of September 2, the Kalamazoo Arts Council hosted the unveiling of the tactile map of the world. There were approximately 75 guests at the unveiling including MCBTC staff and students and members of the Kalamazoo Arts Council.

MINI-ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM IN JACKSON AND BAY CITY

The Michigan Commission for the Blind conducted its fourth Mini-adjustment Program of the year, August 28 through September 2, at the Holiday Inn in Jackson, with 38 clients participating. It’s estimated that another 40 or more MCB clients will participate in the next workshop which will be held in Bay City, October 16-22, at the Doubletree Hotel. MCB clients attending the Mini-Adjustment Program workshops are introduced to a variety of skills of blindness, such as cane travel, Braille, managing time and money, adaptive kitchen skills and other skills to enhance independence. MCB will conduct five, week-long Mini-Adjustment Programs in 2006, with the first workshop of the new year set for Grand Rapids, January 8-13.

CONSUMER SERVICES REPORT

Consumer Services director Leamon Jones met with Mr. David Adams from Rehabilitation Counseling Educational Program (RCEP) to discuss Resilience training for managers. This training will be provided in conjunction with the Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) managers and is tentatively scheduled for January 2006. The counselors have already participated in this training. MCB is also discussing with RCEP the possibility of providing a joint job placement training program with new staff from MCB and Minnesota Commission for the Blind. It is anticipated that this training will take place early December or sometime after the first of the year.

The supervisors met and identified four locations for the mini adjustments programs for 2006 and also a special mini regarding deaf-blind consumers. The Employment Readiness Seminars (ERS) are an intricate part of the mini adjustment programs. In the upcoming year MCB anticipates involving more community partners and especially employers in this program. During the past year, the Consumer Services programs participated in a number of employment fairs, health-a-ramas and community and disability awareness events. These activities helped to promote MCB’s programs and services.

MCB continues to collaborate with MRS and community partners to present Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow Michigan Partnership Forums. The next forum will be held at Lansing Community College’s M-Tec Center on October 20, 2005 and MCB and MRS are collaborating to seek employers to participate on an employer panel.

Pat Cannon, Leamon Jones, Melody Lindsey and Sherri Heibeck met with Rob Essenberg, President of Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind (OUB) and board members Gwen Botting and Sunny Jones, to discuss summer programs concluded at Camp Tuhsmeheta. The meeting focused on services MCB clients received at the camp this year, as well as laying the groundwork for MCB’s continued participation in the Camp T programs. OUB and MCB will work collaboratively to identify Commission clients who can serve as camp staff as part of a work experience initiative supported by the Commission.

In FY 2005, which concluded September 30, the Consumer Services division provided services to 2,723 individuals. The Independent Living program successfully assisted 857 people, enabling them to sustain themselves within their own home environment. The Youth Low Vision program provided services to approximately 500 youth and the Vocational Rehabilitation program provided services to 1,610 individuals. The staff was successful in assisting 718 individuals to achieve their vocational goals.

Additionally, Consumer Services staff are continuing to participate in various activities in the East and West Regions.

East Region

The Detroit Office will be participating in providing services for the New Orleans evacuees. They have partnered with a local low vision clinic to provide diagnostic eye exams for eligibility and rehabilitation services as needed.

Plans are underway for the new fiscal year cash-match agreement with the Macomb Intermediate School District as well as preparing the Summary report for the last year. Twenty students benefited from the cash match agreement. Two students participated in art classes and several others participated in job shadowing and mentoring activities. A meeting is planned this month with the Detroit Public Schools visually impaired consultants and administrators to forge closer ties and to continue the activities that occurred during the summer months. Approximately 18 youth participated in the summer program and ten students attended the computer camp. This program provided the students an opportunity to gain valuable work experience. Each student worked four hours each day and the remainder of the day they participated in classes that focused on the development of soft skills and skills of blindness as well as orientation and mobility. MCB participates as an active member of the Detroit Youth Council, that will open up more training and employment opportunities for the youth served by MCB, and is also a member of the Disability and the Customized Employment task forces in the City of Detroit.

The East Region participated in the Disability Expo held at the Novi Expo Center. This Expo provided MCB with the opportunity to share information among many participants regarding agency services. The Detroit Office Independent Living staff participated in a mini-mini on September 19-21, 2005 at the Douglas Library to establish contact with clients on the waiting list and to introduce them to the services that the Independent Living Program provides.

The Detroit Office is also participating in mentoring activities on October 20, 2005 in Dearborn at the Ford Performance and Community Arts Center. The Ford Motor Company provides opportunities for consumers to establish mentoring with employers. They also provide job shadowing opportunities as well. It is anticipated these activities will be ongoing throughout the year.

MCB is in dialogue with the Wells Fargo Financial Bank and have conducted a job site survey that will be opening up loan officer employment opportunities.

At the Small Business Awards Banquet, Joann Woodward’s consumer, Michael Lahote, was awarded the "Small Business Award" for his classic car business and Ray Kirklin was honored as "Counselor of the Year."

In Saginaw, the Independent Living and Youth Low Vision programs sponsored an Open House with outreach to seniors and youth throughout the area. This was an excellent activity where information was distributed to the community regarding these programs.

The mini adjustment program in Jackson provided an opportunity for job ready consumers to receive information on conducting job searches from the Michigan Works! staff. Each individual participated in a mock interview conducted by community partners and staff. As a result of the mock interviews, one consumer received an interview from a participating employer the following day. The Lenawee Michigan Works! presented at the Employment Readiness Seminar and MCB shared with them information regarding its programs and ways in which to work collaboratively.

West Region

The West Region is moving forward with many initiatives, among them being cash match agreements. A task force was developed with MCB and community partners in Kent County: the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Kent Intermediate School District, the Centers for Independent Living in both Muskegon and Ottawa Counties and their respective Intermediate School Districts. Staff from Gaylord will be participating in an Open House at the Traverse Area Regional Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Also, the Gaylord Office and a support group from Indian River will participate in a White Cane Awareness Education Expo. Susan Turney of the Central Office staff has been assisting in these two community initiatives.

Two consumer entrepreneurs, one from the Upper Peninsula and one from Northern Michigan, will at the Michigan Rehabilitation Conference Micro Enterprise Showcase in November to highlight their products for conference attendees.

Staff will also participate in a Disability Voice town meeting in Shelby, Michigan this month with the focus on providing people with disabilities, as well as their families, the opportunity to identify local concerns and to become involved in planning and advocating in relation to the following topics: transportation, employment, housing and an array of other community services.

MCB TRAINING CENTER REPORT

On September 16, the reports and referrals team, comprised of Field staff and MCBTC staff, met to discuss ways to improve the current reports and referrals system. Initially, all Field and Center staff were going to meet to discuss this topic, but after many requests from Field and Center staff, a team was created instead. The team is in the process of developing a separate referral form for the Training Center. Also, they talked about creating an electronic form for MCBTC teachers to submit their reports to one location so that reports are transmitted in one electronic form to System Six. The group is planning to meet again to discuss other ways to make reports and referrals more effective and efficient.

On October 12-16, the American Printing House for the Blind will host the annual meeting for ex-officio trustees in Louisville, Kentucky. Because the Center receives Quota funds from APH, MCBTC Director Melody Lindsey is designated as an ex-officio trustee. The annual meeting gives APH the opportunity to unveil new products and to discuss possibilities for products in the future. In addition to the general sessions, there will be meetings for the National Agenda (dealing specifically with the education of blind children), meetings for university teacher preparation program personnel, meetings for administrators of schools for the blind, etc.

The following outreach activities were provided by MCBTC staff to assist Field staff in providing employment opportunities and community orientation for consumers: mobility instruction for a deaf-blind consumer in the Detroit area; orientation to a new job site for one of Bob Arnold's consumers who is a dishwasher; orientation to the community and bus route to work at MacDonald's in Mount Pleasant for one of Ray Kirklin's consumers; creation of jigs and fixtures for competitive employment in a Coldwater factory for one of Lisa Kisiel's consumers; orientation for one of Janis Benstead's consumers participating in a work evaluation at Peckham Industries in Lansing. Also, job modification recommendations were made to make employment opportunities available for blind individuals at Peckham as they have indicated that they are interested in hiring several blind workers.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REPORT

MCB is busy winding down from Fiscal Year 2005 and gearing up for Fiscal Year 2006. Finances for 2005 appear to be in good shape. The final state budget for FY 2006 which began October 1 will be a challenge for the Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) with an anticipated shortfall of $4 million. DLEG is addressing this shortage with a variety of spending reductions which will include a reduction in labor force. While details are not yet available on how these actions will affect MCB, DLEG officials have indicated that 20-30 staff positions throughout the department may be affected.

MCB will be pilot testing System7 on October 13th and 14th at the Victor Office Building in Lansing. This testing along with remote access using Secure ID cards moves the agency closer to being able access its systems outside of MCB offices. This has been a long term and ongoing request by staff.

The MI 360 Evaluation process is getting underway this month. The MI 360 is a development tool for all levels of management. Each MI 360 leader will receive feedback using a survey developed specifically for the State of Michigan. Each leader will receive feedback from his/her supervisor, direct reports, peers, and others such as customers or vendors. The questions are linked to the values of Integrity, Inclusion, Excellence, and Teamwork. Upon completion of the survey, the leader will receive his/her results and be encouraged to create a professional development plan based on the feedback received. MCB managers are being scheduled for orientations beginning the second week in October.

The Department of Labor and Economic Growth is currently involved in a dependent audit being done by Civil Service to ensure that only eligible dependents are being covered on insurance plans. Letters were sent out in late September to all employees explaining what sorts of documentation are required to keep someone as a dependent.

MCB has requested permission from the department to fill the Secretary 8 vacancy created by the departure of Judi Dillinger in Lansing. A new position description is being developed for this position and as soon as possible it will be filled from the Civil Service register.

MCB is in the process of scheduling several programs with the Region V RCEP at Southern Illinois University (SIU). In addition to the latest version of Building Trust Relationships Job Placement, RCEP is also planning to follow-up on the Empowerment program conducted this past summer by providing training in Team Building. Two or three sessions are being considered at various sites around the state. Specific dates have not been set for any of these activities but hopefully some will begin in December or January.

The Michigan Rehabilitation Conference is scheduled for November 8-10 at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids. This is the largest conference in the state for rehabilitation professionals. Many MCB employees will attend this event.

MCB has been approached by Doug Boone to consider the possibility of providing additional Discovery Learning training during 2006. It is hoped to schedule two or three sessions next summer for new staff or those who missed out previously, and an "advanced" class is being considered for a group of those who’ve participated in earlier sessions. More details will be made available as soon as possible.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

BEP is pleased to report that another blind person was placed in a job as the licensed manager of the Kent County Department of Human Services (formerly FIA). BEP continues to fulfill its mission to provide jobs and increase the economic independence of blind people. Anecdotal information suggests that the sales have been flat or a little lower, yet, despite difficult economic conditions, BEP expects to hold its ground relative to operator profits for FY 2005.

Work is proceeding on two major projects to provide foodservice to Constitution Hall and to the new Capitol View building (formerly known as the Boji Building). It is expected that construction work will commence this month on Constitution Hall while the Capitol View work is underway.

A meeting was held to discuss plans for the Cadillac Place building. Discussions included the idea of outside tables along Grand Boulevard for customers to enjoy ice cream and other treats. Cadillac Place, along with the 1 Division Building in Grand Rapids will be two of BEP's major projects for FY 2006. The 1 Division Building is a new state building in Grand Rapids that also houses the Federal Bankruptcy Court. BEP expects to do a very good business in this space.

BEP will be presenting a Highway Vending Conference to be held October 18, 19 and 20 in Lansing at the Holiday Inn West. This conference will include all highway vending operators and partners from the Michigan Department of Transportation, Travel Michigan and private sector partners who provide equipment and products. The primary goal is to review the 2005 travel season and consider plans for 2006. A secondary goal is to build formal and informal networks to assist MCB in providing the best possible service to Michigan's traveling public.