February 23, 2000
Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Davis:
It is with profound sadness and regret that we learned of your administration's decision
that you would veto any legislation to establish a separate state agency of vocational
services for the blind and visually impaired. We understand that the policy underlying this
position is to give your new director of the Department of Rehabilitation, Catherine
Campisi, the opportunity to cure the existing, serious, and long standing problems with
vocational services for the blind in this state.
Please reconsider your decision. While we can appreciate the natural tendency to try and
solve the existing problems, we believe that the chances of success are so low that any
attempt to solve the problems within a generic disability agency are doomed to failure.
The official statistics we obtained from the federal oversight agency (the Rehabilitation
Services Administration, referred to hereafter as RSA) clearly established that separate
blind state agencies are much more effective at the bottom line goal of obtaining
competitive employment for people who are blind and visually impaired. In fact,
comparisons with other major states show the shocking result that a blind person in those
other states is almost six (6) times more likely to obtain competitive employment in those
other states than would a blind client of the California Department of Rehabilitation.
Furthermore, separate blind agencies do a much better job of recruiting clients from their
state's ethnic minority populations.
California has done an extremely poor job in this regard, having a client base of over eighty
percent (80%) whites, during a time when whites made up approximately fifty two percent
(52%) of the state's labor force.
It is no coincidence that those other states all have a separate agency for the blind and
visually impaired. This decades long record of success for separate blind agencies is why
the current head of the RSA has officially endorsed the creation of more separate state
vocational rehabilitation agencies for the blind, a model which has already been adopted by
twenty six (26) states.
We believe that Dr. Campisi will do what she can to better the situation. However, we also
believe that, despite her best efforts, history will indeed repeat itself, and she, along with
your administration, will be doomed to failure. If you stand by the current decision to try
and work within the existing generic agency structure, we would of course fully cooperate
with Dr. Campisi's efforts to improve the current dismal situation. However, in the likely
result that she proves to be unsuccessful, then we would be in the unfortunate situation of
having to show how your administration also failed to "beat the odds" by trying to provide
vocational services to the blind and visually impaired through a generic agency structure.
We find it difficult to understand why you would want to put Dr. Campisi and your
administration in such a high risk situation. We believe instead that you could take the
approach of denouncing the failed attempts of prior administrations and propose to initiate
a bold new agenda for California's blind and visually impaired citizens, who continue to
suffer under an unemployment rate of over seventy percent (70%).
Your thoughtful consideration of this proposal would be greatly appreciated. Please contact
us if you have any questions or desire more detailed information.
Sincerely,
The BARC Steering Committee
Catherine Skivers, President, California Council of the Blind
Jim Willows, President, National Federation of the Blind of California
Gil Johnson, Executive Director, American Foundation for the Blind - West (San Francisco)
Bob Ralls, Executive Director, Foundation for the Junior Blind (Los Angeles)
Anita Baldwin, Executive Director, Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind (San Francisco)
Dr. LaDonna Ringering, Executive Director, Center for Partially Sighted (Los Angeles)
cc: Tal Finney
Ellen Corbett
Dr. Catherine Campisi
CALIFORNIA'S ENTIRE BLINDNESS FIELD SUPPORTS A COMMISSION
The Blind Alliance for Rehabilitation Change (BARC) represents nearly every agency and
organization across California's blindness field. Together we annually spend more private
dollars to train California's blind citizens than does the entire Department of Rehabilitation.
In a historic alliance, we've come together to seek creation of, the only structural solution
significant enough to improve the rate of blind unemployment -- a California Commission
for the Blind.
Here, for the first time in years, we unanimously put our organizations on record to
demand prompt action to establish a separate Commission.
California Council of the Blind
National Federation of the Blind of California
List of organizations supporting a rehabilitation commission
American Foundation for the Blind - West (San Francisco)
Braille Institute (Los Angeles)
Center for Partially Sighted (Los Angeles)
Foundation for the Junior Blind (Los Angeles)
Lions Blind Center (Oakland)
Living Skills Center (San Pablo)
Peninsula Center for the Blind (Palo Alto)
Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind (San Francisco)
San Diego Center for the Blind (San Diego)
Sensory Access Foundation (Palo Alto)
Society for the Blind (Sacramento)
For more information contact:
Cathy Skivers, President, California Council of the Blind
578 B Street
Hayward, CA 94541
510-537-7877
Jim Willows, President
National Federation of the Blind of California
3934 Kern Court
Pleasanton, CA 94588
925-846-6086
Rev. 1/25/00