MCB REPORT

August 11, 2006

NATIONAL DIVERSITY CONFERENCE HELD IN DETROIT

Nine MCB staff attended the National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns (NAMRC) Conference - Reinventing Rehabilitation in a Diverse World: Achieving Professional Excellence, held July 19-23 in Detroit. The conference included programming for rehabilitation professionals, students, educators, and consumers. Specific topics included transition, cultural competencies in educators, culture and ethics, internship opportunities, emergency preparedness and planning, and more. There was general agreement that the conference was an exceptionally good one, and many reported giving "all fives" (five being the highest mark) on the session evaluations.

ACCESSIBLE MOVIES NOW IN LANSING

Mainstream, first-run movies that are described and captioned for blind and deaf moviegoers are now available in Lansing. Celebration Cinema launched the new service, July 26, the 16th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new service is the result of an effective collaboration between Celebration Cinema management and MoPix of Mid Michigan, an advocacy group comprised of deaf and blind individuals formed to bring this new level of access to the area. The MoPix organization, co-chaired by J. J. Jackson and Lenore Coscareli, worked with Celebration Cinema management the past year to help raise funds to bring the technology to the theater and to help plan how the service would be implemented.

About 100 advocates and supporters of MoPix attended the kickoff ceremony at Celebration Cinema and provided a demonstration of the new technology to attendees and the Lansing area media. The MoPix technology enables blind movie goers to privately listen, utilizing a specially designed headset, to a narrator describing verbally what can be seen on the screen visually, while deaf individuals can read captioning provided with "rear window" technology by utilizing a reflector at their seat. Pat Cannon, MCB Director, and Chris Hunter, Director of the Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing, provided awareness training for all theater staff, July 15, to help prepare staff to serve all customers. The management of the theater will continue to work with advocates to ensure that the movie experience is accessible and satisfying.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE

The U. S. Access Board’s Courthouse Access Advisory Committee, which the Board organized in 2004 to promote accessible courthouse design, held its quarterly meeting July 19th, 20th and 21st in Boston. The committee reviewed materials, including best practice recommendations, developed by three subcommittees (Courthouse Access, Courtroom Access and Education) and continued work finalizing its report, which is expected to be presented to the full Board, November 15. Pat Cannon, Director of the Michigan Commission for the Blind, is a member of the committee. The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management, which oversees courthouses in the state, hosted the meeting at the Edward Brooke Courthouse in downtown Boston. Information on the work of the committee, including minutes from its meetings, is available on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/caac/index.htm. For further information, contact Dave Yanchulis at caac@access-board.gov.

MINI-ADJUSTMENT WORKSHOP SLATED FOR LANSING

The Michigan Commission for the Blind will conduct its fourth Mini-adjustment Program of the year in Lansing, August 27 through September 1, with nearly 40 individuals expected to attend. 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, serving approximately 180 persons who are new to sight loss. A special program is being planned for DeafBlind clients later this fall.

TRAVERSE CITY HOSTS ANNUAL MICHIGAN WORKS CONFERENCE

The 2006 Michigan Works! For People Conference will be held this year at the Grand Traverse Resort, September 10 through 12. This conference will attract over 700 private industry partners, state labor administrators, workforce board members, legislators, and workforce professionals. Highlights of the conference include expanded Super Sessions on topics such as "The View From Washington" by David Bradley; "Raise Motivation, Raise Employment and Work Consistency" by Bill Stierle; and "Integrating Employer Services Into The One-Stops" and "Hiring For Retention - A Workshop For Employers" by Jodie Sue Kelly. Keynote speaker Jimmy Cabrera presents, "What's In Your Backpack? Packing for Success in Life." Cabrera contends that individuals have a backpack full of values, either positive or negative that shape our future. Cabrera will teach participants steps to fill their backpacks with positives and commence change.

Director Pat Cannon will serve on a panel which includes Jaye Shamsiddeen, Director of Michigan Rehabilitation Services, on Monday, September 11, from 2:00-3:15 p.m. The topic will be the One-Stop Inclusion Workgroup Report which was published in April of this year. In addition, Director Cannon will be attending the Governor’s Council of Labor and Economic Growth meeting which follows the conclusion of the conference.

Further details of the conference, including the full agenda, may be found at the following website: http://www.michiganworks.org/.

SENATE BILL WOULD IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

U. S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced, July 24, legislation to establish accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment and create wellness grants to fund health programs that focus on the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities.

The Harkin proposal would set standards, ensure proper funding, and make certain that medical professionals receive the appropriate training so that they can provide the best quality care for all. Senator Harkin’s "Promoting Wellness for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2006" also creates a National Advisory Committee on Wellness for Individuals with Disabilities. The proposed board would set priorities, review grant proposals, make recommendations for funding, and evaluate the progress of the program.

In addition, the legislation requires medical and dental schools, along with their residency programs, to increase training to improve competency and clinical skills in providing care to patients with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities.

The wellness grant program established in the legislation would help fund programs for smoking cessation, weight control, nutrition and fitness that focus on the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities; preventative health screening programs; and athletic or sports programs that provide individuals with disabilities an opportunity to increase their physical activity.

FOUR MCB STAFF SELECTED AS GOVERNOR’S RUNNING MATES

Jim Baird, John Boes, Shelly Masion, and Bob Savage are running with Governor Granholm this year—no, not in November, but in the Labor Day run across the Mackinac Bridge!

Jim, John, Shelly, and Bob all run three miles daily, and they qualified for the bridge run with their participation in previous organized running events. All four MCB staff were selected by lottery to be among the 300 people from across the state who will run the five-mile bridge span with the governor, followed by 50,000-plus walkers.

John Boes, who runs with a guide, has designated his son Bryan to run with him. Bryan is on his high school’s track and cross country teams.

CONSUMER SERVICES REPORT

The staff of the Consumer Services program have participated in a number of events reflecting Michigan Commission for the Blind’s (MCB) collaboration with its community partners. The Independent Living staff will participate in the Low Vision fair in Monroe on September 27, 2006. At this event, various vendors will display low vision aids and equipment. The Independent Living staff also participated in a Senior Enrichment Day in Big Rapids. The program provided an opportunity for seniors to receive information regarding services that are available to individuals within the surrounding counties. Several low vision vendors were present as well as MCB’s information booth.

Summer Youth activities include the College Prep program which continues to be a viable way for youth to experience what college life is and what it means to attend college and what to expect when they are on the campus. It also provides students with information regarding financial aid and how to obtain electronic and recorded text books. It encourages students to become familiar with the Office of Disabled Students and how they can assist in their academic endeavors.

The Business Enterprise Program Summer Internship experience is in its second year with three students participating. Each summer, more refinement takes place to make the work experience more meaningful and effective. There were several referrals made for the summer internship; however, MCB experienced some barriers that had to be removed in order for the applicants to participate in this activity. Through collaboration with the vendors and BEP staff, they were able to develop processes that would reduce the waiting time for clearance at some locations. The VR staff will be working closely with the BEP staff throughout the year to improve and identify locations as early as possible so that the VR staff can discuss this work experience at Individual Educational Planning Conference (IEPC) and other events where youth are involved.

The Detroit Youth Summer program work experience expanded activities to include daily living skills, orientation and mobility, as well as pre-employment and soft skill activities. These activities prepared the participants with skills that allowed them to obtain work experience in various community agencies throughout the city. The participants worked twenty hours per week and were compensated for their work. There were twenty students who benefited from this summer program. There were other applicants that expressed interest in the work experience, although there were not work sites available. The staff will work collaboratively with the Detroit public schools and community agencies to expand the summer work opportunities for youth to meet this ever growing need.

The Summer in the City program was a success with sixteen participants. The summer program provided youth with personal adjustment skills and skills of daily living. The program will develop a pre-employment component that will lead to work experience in the summer of 2007.

Another work experience in which youth participated this summer was at Camp T. There were ten students that participated in a variety of occupations, such as camp counselors, mentors, and instructors. This work experience was developed through an agreement with MCB and Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind (OUB). The youth gain valuable work experience that will help to develop skills in the above mentioned areas.

In collaboration activities, the Consumer Services staff continues to work with intermediate school districts (ISD) to obtain agreements that will allow blind and visually impaired students to participate in pre-employment and/or soft skills training that will include job shadowing, mentoring and work opportunities. MCB will work with Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) and other community partners to involve blind and visually impaired students in existing cash match agreements with ISDs. This collaborative effort will maximize resources and provide opportunities to students in rural areas where student count is low.

Discussions are ongoing with Oakland County schools to develop an agreement with the ISD to provide expanded employment services. This agreement will focus on developing work opportunities for students during the summer and will provide students with opportunities to participate in job shadowing, mentoring and employment opportunities. The Oakland schools have a large number of blind and visually impaired students in several ISDs. The agreement will also focus on the need for a case aide to work specifically with blind and visually impaired students and various vendors in order that the students can benefit from the program.

MCB, MRS and Macomb ISD met to discuss ways to provide sensitivity training to vendors that work with blind and visually impaired students. At the July 25 meeting, it was determined that ten participants from various vendors will attend the MCBTC to gain awareness in skills of blindness. Tentative dates have been established for this two-day training. The district manager of the MRS Macomb office, Jenny Tunnell, stated that she would like to have some of her job placement staff attend the Center to obtain this training as well.

The West Region staff meeting was held at the Kent County ISD on August 7, 2006. There were two presenters, Dee Robertson who presented on C-Print, a new system for speech to text often used for classroom and meetings. Notes are taken by a captionist using a phonetic abbreviation that is expanded to full words by the C-Print program. The C-Print training program is six weeks with four additional weeks for personal growth. The C-Print program could offer an employment opportunity for some of MCB consumers. The second presenter was Chuck Saur, Kent County transition coordinator, who provided an update on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and transition information. He shared some changes in the IDEA legislation that will impact IEPCs.

There was discussion on transition and how to work more effectively with youth, transition coordinators and visually impaired coordinators. A recommendation was made to have a transition coordinator in each office to work with transition age students. Some of the staff inquired about creative ways (perhaps with cash match agreements) that MCB might obtain individuals as blended staff and/or counselor assistants to assist with transition activities and to work in the area of job development.

The third Small Business Awards banquet co-sponsored by MCB and MRS was held on August 10, 2006 at M-Tech. MCB presented an award for Entrepreneur of the Year to Christine Thomas, a client of Shannon McVoy from the Kalamazoo area, and a Counselor of the Year award to Debbie Wilson from the Flint office.

Roseann Ashby, James Sirmon and Ying Ying of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) visited with MCB staff on August 3 and 4, 2006. On August 2nd, the RSA staff met with the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), Centers for Independent Living, advocacy groups, members of MCB’s Independent Living program as well staff from MRS and Client Advocacy Program (CAP). MCB participated in this day-long orientation meeting with RSA staff who entertained questions from the various groups and expressed genuine concerns pertaining to issues that were raised. They also commended Michigan rehabilitation agencies for their excellent collaboration with their many partners. On Thursday, they met with MCB director Pat Cannon and later with the managers and staff with representation from the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo field offices. RSA listened to several issues regarding service delivery. They were interested in how MCB was involved in transition and employment activities and MCB’s Independent Living program. A great deal of discussion from the staff focused on the issues of transportation, transition, employment and additional staff. RSA visited the MCBTC on Thursday afternoon and on Friday morning, they visited the Detroit office to meet the staff and to understand some of the issues they face, including the programs and projects that they are a part of and employment activities. RSA staff stated that they were pleased with the response they received from the MCB staff.

TRAINING CENTER REPORT

The Quest for Success program occurred during the week of July 23 at Camp Tuhsmeheta in collaboration with Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind (OUB.) Thirteen students from around the state participated in this program and received instruction and guidance through classes such as: community communications, social awareness, Why work?, cane travel, technology, and personal management. The students also enjoyed a dance and talent show on two of the evenings. Jim Baird is to be commended for coordinating the activities during the week. Comments were heard at the camp about how this Quest for Success program was the best one so far. Other MCB staff who helped to make this program a success included: Shannon McVoy, Lisa Kisiel, Betty Lujan-Roberts, Dave Bowden, and Sherry Gordon.

After many months of negotiations with Civil Service, MCBTC finally received approval to hire a technology specialist to work with consumers on integrating technology into their work and home environments. Roger Yake, who has been a rehabilitation counselor and teacher at MCBTC for 33 years accepted the position and began transitioning into his new responsibilities on July 31. Hiring a technology specialist begins the process of enhancing the Training Center's capacity to provide technology training and assessments that will assist MCB customers in securing and maintaining employment opportunities. Roger anticipates working closely with Field staff to address the needs they observe of their customers.

On July 19, a reporter from Channel 3 News in Kalamazoo did a story on the mobility program at MCBTC. When the reporter called to request permission to do the story, he indicated that they see many MCB students during lessons every day, and it was believed that the public needed education on what was involved in learning to travel confidently and independently as a blind person. One of the students, Dominic Williams, did an outstanding job in communicating with the reporter how he travels as a blind person and what he is learning in the program.

This summer MCBTC will partner once again with Western Michigan University (WMU) to provide an immersion into blindness program for a student who will be entering the rehabilitation counseling program at WMU. This program is designed to give students the experience of learning the skills of blindness using no vision whatsoever. WMU will collect information to determine how the experience at MCBTC impacted the student's attitudes about blindness.

On August 3, representatives from RSA visited the Center to discuss the training available to blind consumers of Michigan. Lynne Hall explained the requirements for and components of the World of Work program administered by the occupational therapists at MCBTC. Jim Baird gave a tour, during which the representatives had the opportunity to interact with students. In addition, Jim gave an overview of the Mini Adjustment Program and showed the video in which Mini participants described how the program changed their attitudes about blindness.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REPORT

Costs and projections through July 2006 show that MCB has expended eighty percent of its budget eighty-three percent of the way through the year. There will need to be some adjustments in the Internal Operating Budget to realign the budget categories once cost allocations are received. One highlight for the budget last month was the receipt of $370,850 for Social Security Reimbursement (SSR) that combined with other SSR recouped this year brings the total to $564,196. That money has not yet been included in the operating budget as there is a two year expenditure term.

The high area of focus lately for Administrative Services is with the Department of Technology (DIT) and the implementation of the new web based Vocational Rehabilitation and Business Enterprise Program tracking systems. DIT has given an October 1st deadline to have MCB databases moved to a new server. This has to be coordinated with the new system implementation. Staff have begun to do load testing of the new software and are testing the voice to ensure that it will work for visually impaired staff, including testing/training of Lansing staff which is anticipated to be completed in the next few weeks. Once acceptance and voice testing is satisfactorily completed, staff training will begin in order to roll out the new systems. There are still a few bugs and details to work out but it is believed that the October 1st deadline is realistic.

The MCB general brochure, also known as the welcome brochure, is expected to be delivered later this month. Many suggestions for improvements were contributed by members of the Image and Identity Team as well as the Communications Committee during the various draft stages. This publication will serve as MCB's main printed publication.

Outreach to eye care professionals continues as Pat Cannon addressed the Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (MSEPS, formerly the Michigan Ophthalmological Society) at their annual state convention on August 10. Plans are also underway for some collaborative activities in October with MSEPS and Leader Dogs for the Blind during Blindness Prevention and Services Month in Michigan.

Recent media articles include an article on the front page and page three of the August 6 Lansing State Journal on Braille literacy. MCB was listed in this very comprehensive article as one of the three sources for training and information on Braille.

Upcoming events include the Governor's Symposium on Faith-Based Initiatives at Cobo Hall August 24, the Fall Job Expo at the Lansing Center September 26, and exhibits on the Capitol lawn September 28 during Hispanic Heritage Month. MCB will have a booth and distribute materials at each of these events.

MCB received the final report of the assessment done for both MCB and MRS by the staff at MSU’s Rehab Counseling Program. A brief summary of the report and comments from Dr Leahy and his colleagues at MSU on MCB specific items has been completed by Bob Robertson and anyone interested in receiving this should contact Tish Kingaby at kingabyp@michigan.gov.

MCB is in the process of setting up work groups to complete the application for the Navigator Award from the Michigan Quality Council (MQC). So far, approximately 22 staff and partners have volunteered to work on this project. It is planned to have the application into MQC by October. A meeting is scheduled for August 28 in Lansing to work on the application and anyone interested in being a part of this group, should contact Bob Robertson.

In personnel matters, MCB is currently in the process of setting up interviews for a Director at MCBTC and a maintenance supervisor at MCBTC and to continue steps with Civil Service and HR to fill the administrator of BEP position.

Two courses have recently been offered to staff as part of DLEG’s Leadership Academy. Additional classes will be set up over the coming months. All of these programs are intended for managers to improve their efficiency in those areas associated with the Vision and Values established by the Governor’s Office – Leading through Vision and Values, Building Trust, Communication, Facilitating Change, Coaching, and Developing a Successful Team. Managers are able to sign up for these classes as part of their professional development following the MI 360 process last fall.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM REPORT

In the wake of the retirement of Fred Wurtzel, much of the Administrative Services Manager’s time has been spent with the management of the Business Enterprise Program. Sherri Heibeck has received a true education in the day to day operations and problem resolution within the food service industry.

Vending Stand Training for new operators began July 10th and is in full swing. There are four new students who are working diligently toward their graduation date scheduled for September 15th. This training is headed up by John McEntee but each BEP staff member has provided expertise in this training class by providing specialized segments to the students.

BEP is planning a catering event on August 23rd at the Anderson Building (House of Representatives). This event is to field questions and concerns regarding catering within state and federal buildings by the operators. Catering has provided some operators with excellent financial supplements to their net profits.

The Richard H. Austin (formally the Treasury Building) snack bar reopened on July 19th. The newly remodeled facility provides several new food choices for the customers in that building.

On August 8th Connie Zanger provided Commissioner Dick Grant with an overview of the BEP program along with a tour of some of the facilities on the west side of the state.

The Elected Operators Committee held their quarterly meeting June 10 in Lansing. Tom Grady representing Dunkin Donuts presented an opportunity for the operators to enhance their businesses through a project that allows Dunkin Donuts to sublet space and provide the operator with a percentage of their gross sales. The operator at Cadillac Place is considering the offer. A copy of the contract that Dunkin Donuts uses has been sent to DBM to review.

On a sad note, condolences were sent to the family of Richard Panin who passed away on July 1st. He began his BEP career in 1993 and had been operating the US Post Office Troy Vending Route. He was an excellent operator and will be greatly missed.