APPROVED

MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND

FEBRUARY 17, 2004

HOLIDAY INN, GATEWAY CENTRE

FLINT, MICHIGAN

MINUTES

COMMISSIONERS PRESENT

Ms. Jo Ann Pilarski, Chairperson

Ms. Peeti Greene, Vice Chair

Mr. Robert Adler

Mr. J. J. Jackson

Ms. Barbara Thomas

COMMISSIONERS ABSENT

None

Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) STAFF PRESENT

Mr. Patrick Cannon

Ms. Tish Kingaby

Mr. Larry Best

Mr. Leamon Jones

Ms. Sherri Heibeck (DIT)

Ms. Carla Haynes

Ms. Elizabeth White

Ms. Debbie Wilson

Ms. Julia Burdgick

Mr. Bob Robertson

Mr. Fred Wurtzel

Ms. Melody Lindsey

GUESTS

Ms. Beth Steenwyk

Ms. Kathy Brown

Ms. Roseanne Renauer

Ms. Lynn Boza

Ms. Cheryl Osborn

Ms. Mary Wurtzel

Ms. Carol Piesko

Ms. Sara Lajaok

Mr. Casey Dutmer

Ms. Bonnie Weaver

Ms. Lisa Hoskins

Ms. Helen Mitchell

Ms. Sharon Cantrell

Ms. Rene McMann

Ms. Kathy Flowers

Ms. Sheila Luhan

Ms. Valarie Barnum-Yarger

Ms. Criss Kellogg

Ms. Georgia Kitchen

Ms. Leanne Ford

Ms. Lisa Marshall

Mr. Jeff Anderson

Mr. Joe Harcz

Mr. Curtis Whatley

Mr. Terry Payton

Ms. Monna Bennett

Mr. Carltoni George

Mr. Larry Posont

Mr. Victor Getter

Mr. Craige Coney

Ms. Marilee Alzner

Mr. Larry Klug

Mr. Mark Farrell

REGULAR MEETING

CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND DETERMINATION OF QUORUM

            The regular meeting was called to order at 8:40 a.m.   Roll call was taken and a quorum was present.

DIRECTOR’S EVALUATION

MS. THOMAS MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. JACKSON, TO CONDUCT THE DIRECTOR’S EVALUATION UNDER CLOSED SESSION, PER HIS WRITTEN REQUEST.  ROLL CALL WAS TAKEN AND THE MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

The Board closed the regular session at 8:45 a.m.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

The Committee of the Whole was opened by Chairperson Pilarski at 9:55 a.m. 

COMMISSIONER ACTIVITIES

Mr. J. J. Jackson attended the Services Delivery Design Team meeting in January at which topics included the college needs assessment update, and the BEP vendors’ assessment.  Doctoral student Song Jae Jo spoke in the afternoon regarding his follow-up study of students who have completed services from MCB.

Mr. Jackson also attended the Consumer Involvement Council (CIC) meeting on January 26, 2004. Mr. Larry Wanger was appointed as vice chair, and Ms. Beth White succeeded Ms. Michelle Visscher as the MCB liaison. A salute was given to Mr. Larry Best for his outstanding years of the service.

JUNE COMMISSION MEETING DATE

In response to consumer requests to hold a meeting on a Friday, the board discussed changing the June meeting from the 21^st to the 25^th and consensus was made to effect this change.

CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT COUNCIL BYLAWS

Following a brief discussion, it was the decision of the board that the Consumer Involvement Council (CIC) bylaws of August 3, 2003 would require some revisions and further review.  Ms. Pilarski pointed out that there should only be eleven members on the board, and not twelve as mentioned in the revised document.  Also, one member of the board was originally appointed by the Independent Living Program Manager, which position does not now exist, and language should be changed to reflect this.

Mr. Jackson said that discussion had been held to add a member to the CIC representing the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services. Mr. Cannon said that proposal would be subject to board approval.

  Ms. Pilarski suggested that the CIC prepare another document for submission to the board which reflected the above corrections and included a statement which explained the substantive changes from the previously approved bylaws of January 18, 2000.

REGULAR MEETING

            After a short break, the regular meeting was reconvened at 10:15 a.m.  Roll call was taken and a quorum was present.

MR. JACKSON MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. ADLER, TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 15, 2003 MEETING, AS PRESENTED.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

Ms. Pilarski announced that, following an annual evaluation review for the calendar year 2003, Director Cannon had received a most satisfactory rating of “exceeding expectations.”

MR. JACKSON MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. GREENE TO ACCEPT THE DIRECTOR’S PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES FOR 2004, AS PRESENTED.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

MS. GREENE MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. THOMAS, TO SEND A LETTER TO THE DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGARDING THE DIRECTOR’S EVALUATION REVIEW.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

MS. THOMAS MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. GREENE, IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FROM CONSUMERS, TO MOVE THE JUNE COMMISSION MEETING IN LANSING FROM A MONDAY TO A FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2004. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

PUBLIC COMMENT

            Ms. Kathy Flowers, of the Disability Network gave an overview of their organization and projects, including transition programs, ramp projects, referrals, assessments, evaluations and text printing at Mott Community College. Ms. Flowers distributed brochures.

            Ms. Georgia Kitchen, Newsline for the Blind of Michigan, described their newspaper service offered to anyone eligible for the services of the Library of Michigan Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Subscribers are given a toll free number and identification number and can request a variety of newspapers in their preferred format, print or Braille. Ms. Kitchen distributed brochures.

            Mr. Joe Harcz, Michigan Council of the Blind and Physically Handicapped and CIC said that as a member of CIC, he was not aware of any request to add a position on the Council for Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service representative, although he would welcome their attendance at the CIC meetings.  Mr. Harcz also urged attendance by MCB commissioners at the CIC meetings in order to receive messages from consumers.

Ms. Helen Mitchell, Blue Water Center for Independent Living (CIL), said their organization covers the Thumb area of Michigan, and is involved in many cooperative efforts including the redevelopment of the Wayne County CIL, job coaching, etc.

BOARD CORRESPONDENCE

            There was no Board Correspondence.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

            Mr. Cannon welcomed the many community partners, guests and consumers, thanking attendees for their participation in the meeting, and called attention to the written MCB Report included in the Commissioner packet and distributed via Newsline and the MCB listserv.

Mr. Cannon reported that the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which includes the Rehabilitation Act (Title IV) is still under consideration in Congress, as differences in House and Senate versions are being worked out.  Mr. Cannon said the Senate version is preferred by public agencies, as the House version allows governors to redirect dollars from the rehabilitation to the one-stop systems without any cap.  The Senate version caps this amount.

In regard to the one-stop centers, Mr. Cannon said the Government Accounting Office is undertaking a study to determine how accessible the centers are to people with disabilities.  In Michigan, it is felt that that progress is being made to make them accessible.

Mr. Cannon reported that opportunities for blind people to vote independently and privately are improving, particularly under the Help America Vote Act and that a recent Florida district court determined that a county in Florida is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because they are not providing accessible voting to blind individuals.

Mr. Cannon said it was his privilege to nominate Ms. Margaret Wolfe for the New York Times Librarian of the Year award which she was subsequently awarded.  Ms. Wolfe was the director of the state library for the blind, until she retired and moved to Ann Arbor, where she now works for the Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Disabled.   Ms. Wolfe was the first librarian from Michigan and the first serving the blind and physically handicapped to be given this prestigious award.

Mr. Cannon reported that 33 clients were served in the mini adjustment program held in Clare in January. Upcoming programs are scheduled in Ann Arbor the week of March 7 and in Farmington Hills the week of May 5.  Another is planned for Lapeer later in the year, along with two special programs for deafblind and youth.

Mr. Cannon said he attended the National Organization of Rehabilitation Partners meeting in Washington, January 26, at which the major topics were the WIA reauthorization and the difference in how rehabilitation agencies are treated when congress passes an across the board cost of living increase.  Mr. Cannon said there is great inequity in the way some states, including Michigan, are awarded these increases and discussion is being held to amend the formulas which determine them.

MR. ADLER MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. JACKSON TO ACCEPT THE DIRECTOR’S REPORT, AS PRESENTED.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

CONSUMER SERVICES REPORT

Mr. Leamon Jones, Director of Consumer Services, reported continuing efforts in outreach activities, including the continuing celebrations of the Commission’s 25^th anniversary.

Staff are continuing training in transition, especially for new staff, working with the developmental disability population and other collaborative efforts, and plan to attend and present at a conference in March.

The East Region is conducting employment readiness seminars focusing on individuals who are job ready and looking for employment. Career day and vision fair programs are also being scheduled for staff to work with young students and encourage mentoring activities for them. 

MS. GREENE MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. JACKSON, TO ACCEPT THE CONSUMER SERVICES REPORT, AS PRESENTED.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

REGIONAL REPORT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS REPORT

In response to several inquiries she had received, Ms. Beth White, Assistant Regional Supervisor, reported on supportive employment efforts, a program for people with more than one disability, including developmental disability or mental illness.  Community Mental Health is generally the lead on these efforts to provide long-term assistance, however, due to budget constraints, these efforts have been severely curtailed.  Ms. White said that several community partners have stepped in, including Goodwill and the Blue Water CIL which are providing support without fees.

Regarding the next Employment Readiness Seminar on March 11 in Ann Arbor, Ms. White said participating partners will include Michigan Works!, Workskills, Inc., Social Security and Eastern Michigan University.  Ms. Lisa (Cook) Marchione of MCB is coordinating this seminar.

Ms. White said other activities include exploring the possibility of job clubs, one in Flint and one in Saginaw; and hosting a 25^th anniversary celebration kiosk at the Genesee Valley Mall on April 19 and a yet to be determined date in Saginaw .

Regarding staff in Flint, Ms. White said staff person Janet McInnis is two classes away from completing her comprehensive system professional development training and becoming Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) eligible, at which time she can begin counseling duties. Ms. McInnis has been helping with teaching duties in the Lansing and Detroit offices, as well as covering Oakland County.  Ms. White described closures by Mr. Ray Kirklin.  Ms. Debbie Wilson is working on a mentoring program, and has consistently been on or near target for successful rehab closures for the year.

COMMUNITY PARTNER REPORTS

            Ms. Debbie Wilson introduced the community partners.

Community Connections – Ms. Cheryl Osborn gave an overview of their programs, including school to work transition, for students throughout Genesee County, funded with a cash match arrangement with the Intermediate School Districts and partnering with MCB, Michigan Rehabilitation Services and Community Mental Health. Other services include job coaching, other transition services, developing microenterprises, skill building, and supportive employment. Brochures were distributed.

Visually Impaired Center – Ms. Lisa Marshall is a nurse at the center, and other staff include a social worker, a rehab teacher, and an orientation and mobility specialist. Free home visits, support groups, cooking and craft classes, are offered by the center along with a store that stocks aids for visually impaired clients.  As a nurse, Ms. Marshall administers an important and unique program that deals with Diabetes management and education.  Ms. Marshall encouraged referrals to this program.

Career Alliance – Ms. Carol Piesko said the Genesee and Shiawassee Workforce Board received a five-year grant from the Department of Labor and Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). The purpose of the grant is to look at employment placements for people with significant disabilities, and what barriers and systems changes need to be made.  Ms. Piesko said the Alliance wants input for this community project, which targets people receiving Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance, youth in transition, individuals in shelter situations or shelter workshops.  Consultants are conducting a training program on customized employment and Ms. Piesko encouraged agencies to contact her if they are interested in participating.

MI Connections - Ms. Roseanne Renauer, Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), is the grant administrator for the Michigan High School-High Tech Project grant, now called the MI Connections project. This five-year grant received from the U.S. Department of Labor is to assist high school students with disabilities to participate in activities to assist them in seeking quality careers and employment.

This grant, the result of a collaborative effort among MRS, MCB, and schools in Kent County, is due in large part to the efforts of Ms. Shannon Berkin, who was involved in this program while in the state of Georgia before she moved back to Michigan and employment with MCB.  Ms. Renauer said the first quarter report is now being filed, following required administrative activities that include filing a supplemental appropriation through the legislature and staffing the project.   As Ms. Berkin was unable to take full-time responsibility for this project, a new project manager for the grant, Ms. Marcie Alling, has been selected, along with a support person, Ms. Melissa Emmer who will work out of Lansing.  Ms. Berkin will act as half time project consultant focusing on the west side of the state, and Ms. Lynn Boza, MRS, has been selected to perform similar duties on the east side of the state. Ms. Renauer said she will remain as grant administrator, however, Ms. Alling will be in charge of the project management.

The project’s first site will be Kent County and, through collaboration, the Michigan Department of Education has funded a full-time local coordinator position in Kent County which was filled by Mr. Ron Irvine in January. It is hoped that this initial phase will result in a model that can be used as a base to develop plans for future communities, such as Flint/Genesee County which has been identified as a second site.  Ms. Renauer encouraged input from any interested consumer or community partner.

Ms. Pilarski said she hoped that students who complete this program could relate their experiences and the effect of this grant on their lives, perhaps at future Commission meetings.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REPORT

Mr. Larry Best reported that the budget reflects about 30 percent expenditures at four months through the fiscal year.   The budget is still short approximately $200,000 of state General Fund/General Purpose (GF/GP) matching funds which was removed by the Family Independence Agency Budget Office and has not been replaced or reinstated for subsequent fiscal years.  This shortage of match will translate into an additional $8-900,000 federal dollars which MCB will lose, or transfer to MRS, unless this issue is resolved.

Mr. Best announced that, following many years of negotiation, he was privileged to watch the directors of MCB and MRS sign an interagency agreement whereby the percentage split of federal dollars between the two agencies, presently at a 12:88 ratio, will be changed to a 15:85 ratio to reflect the national average for states with two agencies.  Over the next four years, MCB’s share will increase at a rate of ¾ percent per year, from 12 to 15 percent.  Mr. Best estimates this will mean incremental increases per year which should translate into an additional $3-4 million at the end of the four years. The agreement must pass approval through the director of DLEG and the Governor, who ultimately will decide on the split; however, there is much optimism that this arrangement will hold.

Mr. Best pointed out that with the additional federal dollars anticipated in the percentage increase, it will be even more important to find the state cash match funds and he proposes requesting incremental increases from the state.  Reasons for the difficulty in raising the state matching funds include Business Enterprise Program (BEP) retirements, which have doubled in cost since 1997, and BEP rents which have increased by $250,000 with no corresponding increase in appropriation. Mr. Best said GF/GP dollars have increased by only $20,000 since FY 1997, compared to the $1.4 million federal dollars increase received for the same period. 

Mr. Best said that he would be meeting with Mr. Brian Kiesling, in the DLEG Budget office to try and outline these unresolved budget issues.

The other ongoing challenge is to improve the full time equivalent (FTE) employee headcount, as the Commission is becoming woefully short on staff who can work one on one with clients.  Mr. Best feels that both MCB and MRS must be more aggressive in solving state matching fund and staffing problems. 

Mr. Best said he plans to be available to help MCB as he takes his retirement, and is optimistic about the partnerships formed with MRS, the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) and other disability communities, and the transfer to DLEG.  He praised his staff and the relationships formed with the Commission board and other agencies.

MR. JACKSON MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. THOMAS, TO ACCEPT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REPORT, AS PRESENTED.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

Following his report, a short program of tribute to Mr. Best was delivered by the Commission, including a Special Tribute from the Michigan legislature and a letter from Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, congratulating Mr. Best on his outstanding career in public service and wishing him the best for his retirement.  Ms. Valarie Barnum-Yarger also presented Mr. Best with a plaque from SILC.

Recessed for lunch at 12:15 p.m.

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            Chairperson Pilarski reconvened the meeting at 1:20 p.m.

EDUCATION FOR BLIND YOUTH

Department of Education, Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services

Ms. Pilarski welcomed Ms. Beth Steenwyk, Assistant Director of Special Education and Early Intervention Services, Michigan Department of Education (MDOE), and Ms. Kathy Brown, Principal, Michigan School for the Blind, MDOE.

Ms. Steenwyk explained her responsibilities as chief administrator of the Flint campus which includes the Michigan School for the Deaf and outreach services for the blind and visually impaired at Michigan School for the Blind (MSB).  Ms. Steenwyk said major changes have been ongoing in MDOE over the past year, including internal organization and external support for school districts.  In the process of transition, Ms. Brown has assumed on an interim basis significant responsibilities of oversight of the actual campus. Ms. Steenwyk expects to move Ms. Brown’s duties away from central support duties back to full time commitment to services to children who are blind or visually impaired.

In describing her background, Ms. Steenwyk explained that while she does not have any specific training in the area of blind or visually impaired, or deaf education, she does have extensive experience in transition.

Regarding the general state of education of children with visual impairments, Ms. Steenwyk understands it is a mandate to report data to MCB regarding the census and where blind children are located in various districts in the K-12 system.  According to data from the December 1, 2003 count, Ms. Steenwyk said there were 997 students who qualify for services.  This does not include children with blindness who have other disabilities. Approximately 11.3 percent of students with visual impairments dropped out from fall 2002 to spring 2003. Other counts vary depending upon collection criteria.  According to the 2003 American Printing House for the Blind (APH) census, the number of blind students 14 and over who are legally blind is 1,237, and the number of alternate format requests show 70 are using Braille and 122 are using large print. 

Ms. Steenwyk said there is great concern with how the national “no child left behind” policy and other federal mandates impact service to students with disabilities.  On both department and campus level, MDOE staff has tremendous pressure on them to speed up the process to respond appropriately to the accommodations required.  Ms. Steenwyk said that as of October 1, 2003, a significant focus for Ms. Brown and her staff has been meeting the continuous demands of the print shop, recently moved from St. Johns to the Flint campus, and to improve services so that they will be better prepared to deliver text books, Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) tests and other curriculum resources in the appropriate format.  Additional duties include consultation services to the remote corners of the Upper Peninsular; and deaf or deafblind or multiply challenged students on campus who require direct service.

Ms. Steenwyk said great efforts have been made to encourage schools to input data in a uniform manner, however, all educational data is housed by the Center for Education Performance Indicators (CEPI) and MDOE not only has no control on how these statistics are kept, it must actually borrow the information back from CEPI.  No specific name and address information is provided to MDOE because of privacy issues. Ms. Steenwyk proposes that a workgroup be formed immediately from among Ms. Brown and her staff and MCB staff to determine the data, how it is defined, communication issues, and how to get a level of clearance for MCB to access data from CEPI. Ms. Steenwyk said she believed it would be beneficial to use the transition coordinators around the State of Michigan.  

Ms. Steenwyk said that she realized there was great concern and distress at the closure of the Michigan School for the Blind and the consequent lack of opportunities for blind children to convene, and that she and Ms. Brown wished to work constructively on providing the best service in the future to children with visual impairments, within the new framework of service within the resident school district.  In order for blind children to receive the skills of blindness training they need to function most effectively, Ms. Steenwyk said it was necessary for MSB to work with MCB to resolve the best methods to achieve this training, perhaps at the MCB Training Center or the facilities at the Flint campus.

Regarding Camp Tuhsmeheta (T), the same kinds of issues and concerns are raised. MSB staff cannot run this camp as their priority and resources are committed to providing textbooks.  MDOE looks forward to working with Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind (OUB) as they run a summer camp. Paperwork is imminent to finalize this collaboration.

In response to an inquiry from Ms. Pilarski, Ms. Steenwyk explained that their funding is provided through a grant from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) discretionary funding which is specifically targeted for low incidence outreach populations, such as children with visual impairments, deafness, autism, etc.  Services to children who are blind are provided in collaboration with the child’s school district, and include early intervention or mobility orientation, and resource information.  Large print and Braille materials ordered from the center are the responsibility of the schools to request, obtain and purchase. MSB acts as a broker to obtain these materials. If available, the American Printing House (APH) for the Blind will provide Braille or electronic materials at no cost, or if the item is available elsewhere at a cost, this information is given to the school.  A setback has recently been experienced regarding textbooks from educational publishers who used to send their material to APH, because the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act (IMAA) is presently pending legislation.

Ms. Steenwyk said there is much challenge in providing services for all special education populations on a timely basis to the 800+ school systems in the state, each with their own curriculum, with extremely few staff people and resources.  Despite federal and state legislation passed in electronic and Braille literacy and materials accessibility, many barriers have to do with lack of awareness and training because special education staff are not involved in decisions regarding a school’s curriculum and sufficient time is not given in which to get materials transcribed. 

Ms. Steenwyk said that currently, MSB is unable to provide residential services because school districts, which are responsible for arranging these services, did not request them, and the consequent non-demand resulted in current human resource shortages.  The demand in the field would have to be created to reinstate residential services at MSB.

Ms. Steenwyk encouraged MCB to do all they can to provide advocacy, along with MSB, and said that strategic planning is needed to accomplish this.  She suggested a focused 2-day collaborative meeting to study this strategy using representatives from MSB, MCB, schools, transition coordinators, etc.

National Federation of the Blind of Michigan

Ms. Mary Wurtzel said that as a consumer who has experienced many changes in education choices for the blind population in Michigan, including the move and subsequent closure of the Michigan School for the Blind despite the opposition expressed by many consumers, she feels it is crucial to look to the future and rebuild the system.  Ms. Wurtzel said NFB would do whatever they could, especially regarding Camp T, to help bring about the highest benefit for the education of blind children.

Ms. Wurtzel said that the grand opening of the NFB Jernigan Training and Research Institute had just taken place, and this institute stands ready to be a compass to provide direction for the education of blind children.

Michigan Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Mr. Casey Dutmer said that blind children in his youth had better educational opportunities, particularly in the Grand Rapids area.   Mr. Dutmer said that the whole system must be examined so that not only highly capable students are given opportunities, but also those that require rehabilitation services.  MCBVI is willing to help however they can.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Mr. Larry Posont spoke for Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind (OUB) and said they are completely dedicated in helping run the summer program at Camp T.  He said Camp T is a wonderful, well-maintained facility that is under-utilized and must be put to use before it, too, is closed due to lack of demand.  Presently a trust fund and volunteers keep it running, but more interest and resources must be found to sustain it.

Mr. Joe Harcz, Michigan Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired praised the education for blind youth topic of this Commission meeting, and said there were tremendous challenges to be met, including lobbying efforts to legislators, volunteerism, and collaboration with MCB and MDOE.

Mr. Larry Klug, spoke about his organization, Challenged Drivers Education, Inc., which includes training for people with visual impairments.

ADJOURNMENT

MR. JACKSON MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. ADLER, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

            The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.  The next meeting will be on Monday, April 19, 2004 at the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center in Kalamazoo.  The Committee of the Whole meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the regular meeting will start at 10:00 a.m.

Jo Ann Pilarski, Chairperson

Date