[bksvol-discuss] Fw: [AERNet] RSA Commissioner Joanne Wilson Resigns--Upheaval in VR May Be in Progress

"Robert Jaquiss" <rjaquiss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Tue, 8 Feb 2005 18:36:33 -0600

Hello Friends:
    I know this is off topic, but thought it important enough to post.
Regards,
Robert Jaquiss
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark" <4justice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

To: <aer-waves@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <aer-chapters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
<aer-divisions@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <aernet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
<aer-board@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 5:07 PM

Subject: [AERNet] RSA Commissioner Joanne Wilson Resigns--Upheaval in VR May
Be in Progress
***ALERT***
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired (AER)
For further information, contact--
Mark Richert
Executive Director, AER
markr@xxxxxxxxxx
February 8, 2005
=====
RSA Commissioner Joanne Wilson Resigns--Upheaval in VR May Be in Progress
=====
Today, Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA) Commissioner Joanne
Wilson announced her intention to resign her position effective March 1,
2005. Although such a change in senior leadership at the beginning of a
second Presidential term is not uncommon and rumors of this possible
departure have been circulating for months, speculation about the future
of the incumbent in the office of RSA Commissioner was today put to rest.
Every expectation is that another candidate for the post would not be
permanently appointed until the conclusion of congressional work to
reauthorize the Rehabilitation Act, work that has lingered for years.
Moreover, it is not clear that the position will remain a
Presidentially-appointed post given that the US House of Representatives
and the Administration have consistently advocated the demotion of the
position from a Commissioner to a Director, effectively diminishing the
office's political standing and resulting overall clout and potential
effectiveness.
Commissioner Wilson's announcement comes on the heels of a haphazardly
announced plan by the Administration to eliminate some five-dozen
positions within RSA nationwide, effectively shutting down the regional
RSA Commissioners' offices and substantially reducing the overall
bureaucratic capacity to provide effective monitoring of the federal/state
vocational rehabilitation program across the country. The Administration's
position is that such monitoring may be equally, if not more, effective
through a centralization of this function in the national RSA office.
Although there are federal employees union considerations to be taken into
account, the tenure of these many staff is quite uncertain.
These developments are made all the more interesting in light of the
ongoing legislative and federal budgetary efforts now in play which
threaten to result in a significant consolidation of VR with other job
training and related programs on a scale not previously undertaken.
Although the trend toward this result has been building for some time, the
determination with which the Administration is pursuing an integrated
agenda to fundamentally reshape the delivery of VR services on several
fronts simultaneously should be of grave concern to all professionals in,
and advocates for, the public VR system.
It is no secret that, throughout her term as RSA Commissioner, Joanne
Wilson has instigated and/or continued an array of actions and inactions
which have been consistently rejected as fundamentally flawed by an
overwhelming consensus in our field. AER and other organizations of and
for individuals who are blind or visually impaired have actively
communicated our concerns about such threats to true consumer choice,
quality services, professional credentials and the impact of certain
practices on the civil rights of people with disabilities served in
federally-funded state VR programs. It is quite clear that these
expressions of concern have been heard and understood. We can only hope
that, as the process moves forward to seek a successor to the office of
RSA Commissioner, or for a Director as the case may be, that the
Administration will look to candidates who are prepared to honor the
individuality of consumer needs and choices and who will affirm, rather
than undermine, quality professional services meeting those unique needs.
To be sure, AER will continue to advocate for the maintenance of the
current appointment status of the RSA Commissioner--during the previous
Congress, AER led the field in this regard through three separate Capitol
Hill activities that brought over 350 AER members, chapter and division
leaders and our colleagues to Washington to seek the concurrence of
Congress on this critical issue.
However, the confluence of these recent announcements strongly implies
that the future viability of the federal VR program as we know it may be
in serious jeopardy. As has been reported widely in recent days, the
Administration's latest proposal for the Department of Labor includes a
Workforce Investment Act Consolidated Grant Program which would give
Governors the flexibility to meet local needs by combining any one of nine
programs, including VR, into a consolidated state plan. Since work to
reauthorize the Rehab Act is still very much in play, advocates will need
to be prepared to respond when called upon to support the future integrity
of VR dollars and the quality of services. As always, AER will continue to
work with this Administration to communicate our concerns, and strategies
are now being developed among our partner organizations and related
groups, including vR program administrators, to respond most effectively.
Further information will be provided here as it becomes available.
=====

_______________________________________________

AERNet mailing list

AERNet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/aernet

Other related posts: