                         Sample Letters


                          May 16, 1995


The Honorable William Goodling, Chairman
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D. C. 20515-6100

Dear Chairman Goodling:

     This is in response to the "Dear Friend" letter from
yourself and Mr. McKeon, requesting comments/suggestions in
regard to the CAREERS legislation, now introduced as H. R. 1617. 
A subcommittee markup on this bill will be held on May 17, with
the full committee markup scheduled for May 24.  Although draft
language became available on May 4, the bill in its completed
form was not released until May 12, giving precious little time
for reaction prior to the markup.

     Your letter states that the motivation for this bill is to
improve employment and training prospects for people with
disabilities.  If that is so, I am unaware of any research
studies or policy analyses that would support the approach being
taken.  While I am not unmindful of the provisions for a
vocational rehabilitation block grant, the bill in its present
form would virtually eliminate the state/federal vocational
rehabilitation program as a distinct service component.

     Staffing, funding, and virtually all other resources of the
vocational rehabilitation program would be merged almost totally
into the generic job training and employment system.  Given what
we know about that system and the compelling needs of the
population to be served, the idea that vocational rehabilitation
for people with disabilities will be improved by a merger is
insupportable on its face.

     You have stated that 70 to 80 percent of people with
disabilities remain unemployed.  If this is a reason for
eliminating the specialized service delivery system, I do not
believe that the connection has been made.  As you know, there is
absolutely no assurance that the unemployment numbers will not be
increased significantly by diminishing specialized service
capabilities.

     Saving taxpayer dollars is certainly one of the most
important public policy goals of employment and training
programs.  It is predictable, however, that the consolidation of
vocational rehabilitation into the generic work force development
system will actually result in substantially greater, not less,
expense to the taxpayers.  This is particularly so with respect
to blind people.  In our case the declining emphasis on
specialized, blindness-related skills and adjustment training
will mean more and longer reliance upon income maintenance
programs such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income,
Medicare, Medicaid, and other subsistence support programs.

     Your letter states that you have been working with the
"disability community" to design the present legislation.  While
you can say this, the fact is that members of your staff have
talked with some service provider and government agency
representatives but with relatively few people who represent
consumer constituencies.  In the case of the National Federation
of the Blind, I have attempted to communicate (both by telephone
and in writing) our interest in being a part of the discussions
but to no avail, other than the provision of the CAREERS bill on
computer disk.  This is not "input," and it is not participatory
democracy.

     Mr. Goodling, we are unquestionably interested in being a
part of any effort that genuinely seeks to improve training and
employment services for blind people and others with
disabilities.  However, given the fact that an entire national
service delivery pattern could be sacrificed to fulfill unrelated
goals, it is hard for us to accept that the present legislation
is genuinely meant to be an improvement of the vocational
rehabilitation system.  This is especially true since the CAREERS
bill is being moved forward without one day of hearings on its
specific components.

     Please consider carefully the consequences of what you are
doing before it is too late.  The consolidation of job training
and employment services may be a very desirable undertaking in
order to eliminate waste and duplication.  HOWEVER, there is no
compelling need to merge vocational rehabilitation into the other
programs which have unrelated missions.


                              Very truly yours,


                              James Gashel
                              Director of Governmental Affairs
                              NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

                                


May 16, 1995


The Honorable Tom Petri
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D. C. 20515-4906

Dear Representative Petri:

     Please find enclosed a copy of a letter which I have sent
today to Mr. McKeon.  It presents a brief analysis of the CAREERS
bill from the viewpoint of its impact upon the vocational
rehabilitation system.

     In the letter I have indicated that consolidation of
vocational rehabilitation into the generic job training and
employment service system is being proposed without broad
participation by representatives of the consumer populations most
affected.  There has not even been one day of hearings on the
specifics of the consolidation bill.

     If the CAREERS bill is enacted in its present form, it will
mean the complete merger of vocational rehabilitation into a far
larger program which is designed for populations with
significantly different needs.  This is a step which should not
be taken without a great deal of understanding as to the
implications.  Therefore, please take seriously the consequences
of this legislation before it is too late.

     The consolidation of job training and employment services
may be a very desirable undertaking in order to eliminate waste
and duplication.  HOWEVER, there is no compelling need to merge
vocational rehabilitation into the other programs.  I hope that
you will take these facts into account during the markup. 
Removing the vocational rehabilitation program from the present
bill would be far preferable to sacrificing it as the bill now
proposes to do.


                              Very truly yours,


                              James Gashel
                              Director of Governmental Affairs
                              NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
