Memorandum of Agreement to Provide Services to Individuals Who Are Deaf/Blind
The parties to this agreement are:
- New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, and the
- New York State Education Department, Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
Purpose
A joint policy statement between the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) and the State Education Department, Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) was initiated in 1985. At that time, the two State agencies agreed that only by working together could we address the needs of individuals who are deaf/blind. Through this 1999 agreement, CBVH and VESID are reaffirming our commitment to joint efforts to better serve this unique group of individuals. While there are proportionately few individuals who are deaf/blind, their needs are complex and are exacerbated, not resolved, by fragmented service delivery. Our mutual experience shows that where the expertise of both CBVH and VESID programs are delivered collaboratively, individuals who are deaf/blind experience significantly improved access to services and have much greater opportunities for success.
Our major purposes in this agreement are to assure that the quality of services is high, and that appropriate resources and expertise are available throughout the State. This interagency agreement will encourage the service delivery system to continuously improve. Through biannual reevaluation of the effects of the agreement, CBVH and VESID will identify the need for additional improvements and activities.
To this end, CBVH and VESID agree as follows:
Steps for Collaboration
The term "deaf/blindness" is intended to encompass the disability of a severe hearing impairment (deaf or hard of hearing) and the disability of a severe visual impairment (blind or visually impaired). The combination of these two sensory impairments results in effects upon life functioning that are more than the sum of the effects produced by each disability.
- For the purpose of this Memorandum of
Agreement, CBVH and VESID agree that "deaf/blindness" is
a condition in which a person has both a severe hearing impairment
and a severe visual impairment, as defined below, the combination
of which causes extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily
life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining
a vocation.
Severe visual impairment includes:- legal blindness - a visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less in the better eye, or
- a progressive visual loss having a prognosis leading to legal blindness, or
- vision impairment - a visual acuity of 20/70 or less in the better eye with best correction, or a visual field of 140 degrees or less in the better eye.
- deafness - inability to hear and understand speech through the ear alone with or without amplification, or
- hearing impairment - a hearing loss of at least 40 db in the better ear, aided or unaided, measured by Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) or Speech Reception Threshold (SRT), with either: (a) speech discrimination less than 50% or (b) progressive loss.
- CBVH and VESID will jointly provide training for their counselors who are currently working, or who may work with deaf/blind persons. This training will be conducted in collaboration with federally funded projects in New York State (New York Technical Assistance Project, Helen Keller National Center, the Resource Center, etc.) and will encourage expertise to be available at all regional locations. This training will be available at least every two years. CBVH and VESID will each pay the cost of their respective staff's participation in such training.
- Deaf/blind individuals will be referred
between CBVH and VESID based on the expertise most needed by the
consumer as determined through a joint meeting with the consumer
and representatives of CBVH and VESID. Joint counseling by counselors
from both agencies will be encouraged wherever needed by the consumer,
regardless of which agency has the responsibility to manage service
delivery.
VESID and CBVH agree that consumers of vocational rehabilitation services may choose to be served by CBVH if they have a progressive visual condition, expected to result in legal blindness, or which could be considered legal blindness under certain conditions.
The following chart provides guidelines to coordinate service delivery for individuals who are deaf/blind.
If an individual is: Then they will be served by: Legally blind and hearing impaired CBVH, with consultation from VESID Legally blind and deaf CBVH or VESID, as chosen by the consumer Visually impaired with a progressive condition expected to result in legal blindness (or functioning as legally blind under certain ordinary conditions) and deaf CBVH or VESID, as chosen by the consumer Visually impaired and deaf VESID, with consultation from CBVH Visually impaired and hearing impaired VESID, with consultation from CBVH - CBVH and VESID agree to issue, and periodically update, parallel policies related to the provision of vocational rehabilitation services to individuals who are deaf/blind.
- CBVH and VESID agree to jointly provide training to additional personnel such as school guidance and pupil personnel, special education personnel, and community agency personnel, so that they can be better informed about serving individuals who sensory impairments are progressing toward deaf/blindness.
- CBVH and VESID agree to conduct regional
planning on a joint basis so that services and expertise are available
to consumers in all regions of the State, including, but not limited
to:
- Devices to promote accessible communication between consumers and service professionals, including: TTY, Telebraille, Teletouch systems, modems for computer access;
- Sign language interpreters;
- Professionals in education and vocational rehabilitation with current awareness of deaf/blind services;
- Professionals with appropriate communication skills;
- Orientation and mobility instruction, low vision services, and rehabilitation teaching;
- Support service personnel, sighted guides;
- Resources for assessments of vision and hearing, educational, vocational and community living skills;
- Assistive technology services, including assistive learning devices, programmable hearing aids and others as listed in (a) above;
- Closed captioning of multi media education, training and orientation materials (e.g. videos and films);
- Printed material (e.g., textbooks, correspondence, handouts at meetings) in accessible formats, based on personal accommodation needs; and
- Access to service dogs.
- CBVH and VESID agree that biannually, regional offices will develop, maintain and exchange lists of resource people and services, including the contact persons in each office who are experts in vision and/or hearing impairments.
- CBVH and VESID will jointly develop and disseminate public information to consumers, families, health care professionals, educators, counselors, and service providers to inform them about deaf/blindness, including factors to consider in planning where to go for assistance and when.
Duration/Modification of Agreement
This agreement will become effective when signed by all parties to the agreement. This agreement may not be modified, amended, or otherwise be changed except by written statement signed by all parties to this agreement. This agreement will also remain in effect until modified.
Signed by:
Thomas A. Robertson
Associate Commissioner
Office of Children and Family Services
Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
October 25, 1999
Richard H. Cate
Chief Operating Officer
New York State Education Department
September 24, 1999
Edward J. Bartley
Executive Deputy Commissioner
Office of Children and Family Services
November 21, 1999
Copyright © NYS Education
Department - VESID
November 1999
