Senator CRANSTON. Thank you very much, Mr. Schloss. I would like to call on Mr. Nagle and Mr. McDaniel briefly now. If you could summarize the principal points I would appreciate it very much. I know both of you have associated yourselves with Mr. Schloss as he has already said verbally and in the prepared stafements. So if you can touch upon other points that would be most particularly important. Mr. Nagle? STATEMENT OF JOHN P. NAGLE, CHIEF OF THE WASHINGTON Mr. NAGLE. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. My name is John F. Nagle. I am chief of the Washington office of the National Federation of the Blind. My address is 1346 Connecticut Avenue NW., Washington, D.C. 20036. Mr. Chairman, in considering H.R. 8395, the Vocational Rehabilitation amending bill as passed by the House of Representatives, the National Federation of the Blind wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to Congressman Perkins and Congressman Brademas for the inspiring leadership they gave to the Committee on Education and Labor in developing the legal basis for a strengthened and improved Federal-State vocational rehabilitation program for the benefit of physically and mentally disabled persons. We feel, however, that H.R. 8395 in certain respects and particular provisions falls short of the fine and hope-rousing statements contained in H. Rept. 92-928 which accompanied committee action on H.R. 8395. The National Federation of the Blind is offering, therefore, some 21 substantial amendments to H.R. 8395 and urges their adoption and then, we believe, and only then, will the vocational rehabilitation program adequately meet the orientation and adjustment, vocational preparation and job placement, and rehabilitation needs of handicapped persons, and more especially, of severely handicapped persons. Although the National Federation of the Blind commends each of the amendments appearing at the conclusion of this statement to your attention and for your endorsement and approval, we will only discuss several of the major proposals in our testimony. Amendments 3, 4, and 6 require that severely disabled people be given prior and paramount consideration by vocational rehabilitation agencies in the use of available funds and personnel in order that those who need vocational rehabilitation services most by reason of the severity of their impairments may be assured of receiving such services. These proposals are intended to refocus the attention and efforts of vocational rehabilitation agencies upon the rehabilitative needs of blind persons and other persons with serious disabilities, persons now oftentimes neglected and not served because, to satisfy their needs would take extensive time and considerable money, and the pressure and practice is for quick, numerous, and inexpensive rehabilitation. closures obtained by serving the less severely disabled. Amendment 5 would make three changes in H.R. 8395: It would prohibit financial need as a requisite for the receipt of any vocational rehabilitation service, basing entitlement solely upon a client's physical or mental disabling condition rather than upon the economic condition of the client or his family. Since the entire community benefits when a handicapped person is restored to productivity and independence, the dollar cost of such restoration should properly be the obligation of the entire community. Amendment 5 would also establish a three-man formal hearing mechanism in the vocational rehabilitation program for the adjudication of the complaints and grievances of handicapped persons arising out of their dealings with vocational rehabilitation agencies. This arbitration board-different with each client and hearingshould assure that fair hearings are fair, and that the rights of disabled persons will be recognized, protected, and dealt with in a regularized and judicial manner. Amendment 5 would also require that, periodically, vocational rehabilitation agencies re-examine and re-evaluate disabled persons who have been "rehabilitated" into sheltered workshops, thus insuring that such persons who have or have developed a capacity for functioning successfully in competitive employment are not abandoned and needlessly remain for all of their working lives in protected and sheltered employment a situation that occurs now far too frequently. "On-the-job" training, a method of work preparation so successfully used in other public programs would be incorporated into the vocational rehabilitation program by amendment 8. By acquainting handicapped trainees with work conditions in shops, factories, and businesses, by training them on the job, more realistic and practical vocational preparation should result. Senator RANDOLPH. I wish to ask a question, Mr. Chairman. Senator RANDOLPH. Mr. Nagle, I wish you would enlarge on that statement that you have just made, "by acquainting handicapped trainees with work conditions in shops, factories, and businesses, by training them on the job, more realistic and practical vocational preparation should result." Please point out the deficiency at the present time. Mr. NAGLE. At the present time we believe, Senator, far too often people are not prepared to work in competitive employment. Senator RANDOLPH. Is that right, Mr. Nagle? Mr. NAGLE. That's right, Senator. Senator RANDOLPH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator CRANSTON. Thank you. I am delighted you asked that question. Mr. NAGLE. By demonstrating the capacities of the handicapped workers actually performing a job under normal work conditions and in an "open industry" facility; By arranging for handicapped persons to have the chance to do the work just as the work should be done in on-the-job training programs, vocational rehabilitation agencies would be able to obtain more worthwhile job opportunities for their clients from better informed and more firmly convinced employers. By mandating that vocational rehabilitation agencies use facilities in addition to sheltered workshops for job preparation for their dis abled clients that they use public or other vocational or technical training facilities or other appropriate resources in the communityamendment 11 would break the pattern too often practiced by vocational rehabilitation agencies, of using only sheltered workshops for job preparation, and require them to also consider for training and to use for training when possible schools and other professional and vocational facilities in the community and used by the community to prepare the physically fit for business, industry, and the professions. Since no persons in our society are more seriously disadvantaged than persons who are severely physically or mentally impaired; and Since these people are oftentimes subjected to unfair and unjustified discriminations based solely upon their impairments, and frequently are the victims of prejudices, exclusions, and denials solely by reason of their physical or mental disability and therefore are greatly in need of the services offered and provided by vocational rehabilitation agencies, The National Federation of the Blind strongly supports amendment 16 which required that, in providing services to the disadvantaged, vocational rehabilitation agencies must give first consideration and provide vocational rehabilitation services first to the disadvantaged who are physically or mentally impaired. Amendments 17, 18, and 21 authorize the provisions of rehabilitation services to older blind persons. This is most necessary and vitally important legislation for it would make available rehabilitation help to a substantial number of blind persons not now receiving help, and in too many instances, condemned to lives of emptiness and dependency as a result. The educable blind child, the employable blind youth or adult is, today, provided with assistance by a variety of public and private agency for the blind programs. But older blind persons-perhaps 300,000 of them-are either most inadequately helped or not helped at all to acquire attitudes, techniques, and skills of self-help so absolutely essential to them if they are to cope successfully with the changed conditions in their lives. brought about by the occurrence of blindness. Since vocational objectives cannot be established for many older blind people, for they are unemployable because of age, poor health, or additional physical impairments, they are not eligible for rehabilitation services. With the broad spectrum of services offered to them, through vocational rehabilitation agencies, and made available to them by enactment of amendments 17, 18, and 21, hopelessness will be supplanted by hope in the lives of older blind people, helplessness will be replaced by learned self-help, dependency will change into independence, despair will no longer be known by older blind persons who have learned to live again and to live comfortably and successfully although they are blind. The National Federation of the Blind especially urges you to approve amendments 17, 18, and 21, that older blind men and women may be able to receive rehabilitation services. And we particularly request that you retain the formula grant mechanism contained in these amendments for financing rehabilitation services to older blind persons. Only by use of this financing method can we be sure that older blind people in every State will be provided with rehabilitation help. To substitute for the formula grant financing an authorization to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to make contracts or grants at his discretion would greatly limit the scope of our proposal and deny much-needed rehabilitation assistance to large numbers of older blind people who are in desperate need of such help. Senator CRANSTON. Thank you very much, Mr. Nagle. (The prepared statement of Mr. Nagle with attachments follows:) Statement of John F. Nagle, Chief of the Washington Office, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: My name is John F. Nagle. I am Chief of the Washington Office of the National Federation of the Blind. My address is 1346 Connecticut Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036. Mr. Chairman, in considering H. R. 8395, the Vocational Rehabilitation Amending Bill as passed by the House of Representatives, the National Federation of the Blind wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to Congressman Perkins and Congressman Brademas for the inspiring leadership they gave to the Committee on Education and Labor in developing the legal basis for a strengthened and improved federal-state vocational rehabilitation program for the benefit of physically and mentally disabled persons. We feel, however, that H. R. 8395 in certain respects and particular provisions falls short of the fine and hope-arousing statements contained in House Report 92-928 which accompanied committee action on H. R. 8395. The National Federation of the Blind is offering, therefore, some twenty-one substantive amendments to H. R. 8395 and urges their adoption and then, we believe and only then, will the vocational rehabilitation program adequately meet the orientation and adjustment, vocational preparation and job placement, and rehabilitation needs of handicapped persons, and more especially, of severely handicapped persons. Although the National Federation of the Blind commends each of the amendments appearing at the conclusion of this statement to your attention and for your endorsement and approval, we will only discuss several of the major proposals in our testimony. Amendments Three, Four, and Six require that severely disabled people be given prior and paramount consideration by vocational rehabilitation agencies in the use of available funds and personnel in order that those who need vocational rehabilitation services most by reason of the severity of their impairments may be assured of receiving such services. These proposals are intended to re-focus the attention and efforts of vocational rehabilitation agencies upon the rehabilitative needs of blind persons and other persons with serious disabilities, persons now oftentimes neglected and not served because, to satisfy their needs would take extensive time and considerable money, and the pressure and practice is for quick, numerous, and inexpensive rehabilitation closures obtained by serving the less severely disabled. 79-885 - 72 pt. 1 - 41 |