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News & Press Releases Latest Wells Holds Accessible Hearing on DC's Rehabilitation Services Administration
News & Press Releases Latest Wells Holds Accessible Hearing on DC's Rehabilitation Services Administration | Wells Holds Accessible Hearing on DC's Rehabilitation Services Administration |
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| Written by Charles Allen | |
| Tuesday, 20 March 2007 | |
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On Monday, March 19, 2007, the Committee on Human Services, chaired by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, convened a public hearing at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, for the purpose of hearing testimony from persons with disabilities on services provided by the District's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). More than 80 members of the public were in attendance in the auditorium of the MLK library, and more than 25 provided testimony ranging from severe criticism to praise of the RSA - the agency charged with providing services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment potential and attain economic self-sufficiency. Representatives of the agency, including Interim Director Ted Daniels, were on hand to respond to the public concerns. "In the area of disability services, it is my belief that we should focus our efforts on the strengths, and not the weaknesses, of the people who are served," Chairman Wells said in his opening remarks. "The focus should be on expanding the capabilities of people, not on reinforcing their disabilities." Among the suggestions that emerged from the hearing were the establishment of a Commission of the Blind to focus on the specialized needs of blind cutsomers; interpretive services for deaf and hearing impaired people at all government meetings; and the creation of an ombudsman to provide quality assurance in the services provided by RSA counsellors. Extensive adaptive services, including American Sign Language interpreters, real time captioning, and braille versions of advance testimony were provided by the Adaptive Services Division of the District of Columbia Public Library. For more information about the hearing, contact Ram Y. Uppuluri, Committee Counsel, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , 724-8153. |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 25 March 2007 ) |
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