Whereas, The Department of
Services for the Blind provides an Orientation and Training Center (OTC) to
help blind clients learn adaptive techniques and living skills so that they can
successfully maintain an independent life; and
Whereas, Most of the students
in the OTC are either newly blinded or new to
Whereas, the OTC staff has
taken on the responsibility of ensuring that the students learn about all the
resources available to them including the consumer organizations that serve the
blind community; and
Whereas, Part of learning
about the two main consumer organizations in the state is to attend their
conventions where policy and philosophy is put into action; and
Whereas, the staff at the
OTC has stated on many occasions that the Department of Services for the Blind
is only able to pay for the client to attend one consumer organization's
convention; and
Whereas, prior to the end of
the fiscal year in 2003, the Department of Services for the Blind had paid for
the OTC students to attend both consumer organizations conventions; and
Whereas, A student may not
know enough about either consumer group to make a truly informed decision about
whether to participate or which one is best for them.
Now, therefore:
Be it resolved by the
National Federation of the Blind of Washington in convention assembled this second
day of November in the City of Everett, Washington,
that this organization
demand that the Department of Services for the Blind fund and encourage their
Orientation and Training Center Students to attend both major blind consumer
organizations conventions so that the students can witness for themselves the
philosophy and practices of both organizations and can make a truly meaningful life’s
choice.