WHEREAS, despite expenditures of several million dollars each year, the Maryland Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provides almost no service to the blind clients it was established to serve; and
WHEREAS, the principal objective of rehabilitation ought to be competitive remunerative employment; however, this beneficial mission of rehabilitation has become subverted by a psycho-social philosophy of evaluation and testing, the result being that relatively few blind people actually benefit by obtaining competitive jobs through the assistance of rehabilitation; and
WHEREAS, the existence of this program and its public pronouncements falsely lead the public to believe that the needs of blind people are being met; and
WHEREAS, the Maryland Division of Vocational Rehabilitation officiously interferes with the lives of blind people, using as a club its power to withdraw rehabilitation support if blind clients do not take the "advice" of rehabilitation personnel; and
WHEREAS, this practice inhibits aspirations and stifles the progress of blind people; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Convention assembled this second day of November 1985, in the City of Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization take all steps necessary, through the legislative process and otherwise, to dismantle programs for the blind within the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Department of Education; and .
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization calls upon the Maryland Legislature to adopt legislation establishing a program within the Department of Employment and Training which would provide all blind Marylanders whose employment or prospects for employment it would enhance the following services: 1) financial assistance for post-secondary education, including payments of tuition, fees, books, room, board, transportation, equipment, maintenance, and reader service; 2) financial assistance to obtain orientation and adjustment services from an institution (inside or outside Maryland) chosen by the blind client; 3) financial assistance to obtain and maintain employment, including the purchase of equipment or the provision of reader service; 4) administration of the vending facilities program established to provide employment to blind persons.