And the Beat Goes On-Schools for the Blind at Risk

And the Beat Goes On-Schools for the Blind at Risk

Phil Hatlen

I don't really have anything new to report, except that the future administrative structure of the Governor Morehead School in North Carolina seems at risk again. I was recently interviewed by a representative of Price-Waterhouse, who it seems has been commissioned to study the entire structure of services for blind and visually impaired persons in North Carolina. The questions from this completely uninformed person were the ones you'd expect: "In this era of inclusion, why should there even be a school for the blind?" "Why are schools for the blind so expensive, and why should taxpayers continue to support them?" "Do you have any evidence that what you provide to students really makes any difference in their lives?" "How can they possibly re-enter socially and occupationally into their own community after being at your school?"

Nothing new ... we've all been asked these questions in one form or another. I'm looking forward to the ongoing work of Gene, Yvonne, and Bob as they help us justify costs and measure outcomes. At my school, Nancy Levack is hard at work on identifying performance indicators that will help us prove that we make a difference with children.

Also from North Carolina, I was interviewed recently by a reporter from NPR, who is preparing a radio program on the current and future status of schools for the blind. Her questions were strikingly, but not surprisingly, similar to those of the Price-Waterhouse representative. This program is scheduled to air sometime in mid-February. I was promised a tape before it plays on the radio and am looking forward very much to the outcome of her interview.

What has happened in Nebraska is a tremendous victory, and the process the school has taken in the past two years might be a model for other schools for the blind in sparsely populated, rural states. Sally Giittinger, the new superintendent (officially the "Campus Administrator") has taken over and is guiding the school into a new era. If the legislature agrees, soon the school will be called The Nebraska Center for the Education of the Visually Impaired. Soon the school (or Center) will have an impact on every blind and visually impaired child in Nebraska. Soon the school will be transformed into a multi-service center, will retain its residential school function, and will be solidly positioned for the 21st century.

On January 25, Susan Spungin from the American Foundation for the Blind, Mike Bina, and I all testified before the legislative task force in Wisconsin that is charged with recommending to the legislature the future of the School for the Visually Handicapped. The three of us presented very similar testimony, stressing the critical need to continue the school and to broaden its responsibilities. There was much discussion about the concept of the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped becoming the "hub" of educational services for the state. I can't tell you how my testimony was received, but I was so proud of my profession as I listened to Susan and Mike. All of us stood a little taller while those two talked.

I want to add something that some of you may not know about. The American Foundation for the Blind has had, for the past several years, a Task Force on General and Specialized Services. This group meets via conference calls, and much of its attention in recent years has been on the "trouble spots" in the country, where specialized services are threatened. Most recently, they organized forces nationally to support the continuation of the Texas Commission for the Blind as a separate agency. That battle has been won, largely because of literally hundreds of consumers who rallied in support of TCB, and also because AFB has taken a strong proactive stance in defending specialized services. They were there when Nebraska needed them, and their presence was strongly felt in Wisconsin. Next time you see someone from AFB, you might want to say "Thank you" for their strong support for schools for the blind and other specialized services.

Vol 5 No. 1 February 1999 contents

Agency Contact Information | Texas State Homepage | Texas State Wide Search

Please complete the comment form or send comments and suggestions to: Jim Allan (Webmaster-Jim Allan)