This is Chris Hunsinger the Co-Chair of the Rehab Issues Taskforce. This taskforce has been rather quiet for the past year, but we hope that we now have some ideas which will further our mission.

We now want to clarify our focus and get going for the 2022 2023 work year with a few ideas that Doug Powell and I have been thinking about.

We are inviting all interested in Rehab Issues to our meeting at 9:00 p.m. eastern time on Thursday evening Sept. 29.

We can all brainstorm, and you can let us know if you want to be a part of future activities of the taskforce.

IF you are not able to attend the meeting, but still want to be a part of our taskforce, email me at cs.hunsinger@... with any thoughts and concerns so that we can consider them as well.

We will have to firm up the time for future meetings, but the evenings of the fourth week of a month seem less crowded with other meetings to me. I propose that future meetings be at 9:00 p.m. eastern to make it more likely that west coast people won’t still be on the road home after work.  

The two topics that Doug and I have been thinking about for our consideration for this year are.

1. How the Rehab Taskforce can assist ACB with the national aspects of the Resolution 2021-04

Resolution Addressing Allegations of Sexual Assault, Harassment and Abuse at Blindness Training Centers and Other Rehabilitation Programs

We have been asked to assist the national ACB office when stakeholder input is being requested from other organizations. ACB wants additional buy-in from other stakeholders so that we can take our concerns to RSA and ask for information about its current policy on such issues with the confidence that others have similar concerns. Before we can ask RSA to take additional actions on our concerns, we want to know what policy is currently in effect at RSA to assist clients and state agencies when such issues are identified.  

2. Our second topic for work this year relates to older blind individuals or those losing their sight as they age. For a long time ACB has been wrestling with the issue of adequate services for the older blind community outside of the Vocational Rehabilitation system for those who need such services with no idea of future employment. We believe that there are strategies available within the medical system which could allow for such services. The Rehabilitation Taskforce and AAVL conducted a joint session at the ACB Convention in July touching on this issue. We want to collect and distribute to affiliates and members information about which of these strategies have worked and what kind of infrastructure must be set up to make them possible. This could involve community calls or more involved training for interested members and affiliates.

Join us if these topics sound like something you want to be involved with. I will be sending to the same lists a Zoom invitation in the next couple of days.   

Thank you for caring about these topics.