(a)
Persons
to be served: Available funds shall be used to meet the needs of
deaf-blind persons twenty-one years of age or over who were included in the
pilot study authorized by SA 77-81 before any other deaf-blind adults are
served.
(b)
Definitions:
(1) Blindness: As
set forth in Connecticut General Statutes, sec.
10-294a.
(2) Visual Impairment: As set forth in
Connecticut General Statutes, sec.
10-294a.
(3) Deafness: A person is deaf if hearing is
non-functional for the purpose of understanding ordinary conversation with
optimum amplification.
(4)
Deaf-blind: Having combined vision and hearing losses which challenge a
person's ability to communicate and interact with others, to access information
and to move about safely.
(5)
Specialized Public or Private Facility: A facility located within the state of
Connecticut operated by a state agency or private agency licensed by the state
which provides residential as well as necessary specialized services to meet
the individual needs of a deaf-blind person.
(6) Programs: Identifiable services other
than residential and basic care as required by an individual training
plan-including, but not limited to, speech and hearing therapy; recreation; day
activity center; work activity center; sheltered workshop; physical therapy,
occupational therapy, etc.
(7) Day
Activity Center: A center providing a variety of different activities, with
highly structured supervision where there is emphasis on meaningful activity
and on preparation for more independent functioning. The population attending
such a day activity center shall require full-time supervision in order to
perform simple crafts or worklike activities and their involvement may be for
only a limited time span.
(8) Work
Activity Center: A workshop, or a physically separated department of a workshop
having an identifiable program, separate supervision and records, planned and
designed to provide therapeutic activities for handicapped workers whose
physical or mental impairment is so severe as to make their productive capacity
inconsequential.
(9) Sheltered
Workshop: A rehabilitation facility, or that part of a rehabilitation facility,
engaged in a production or service operation and which is operated for the
primary purpose of providing gainful employment or professional services to the
handicapped as an interim step in the rehabilitation process for those who
cannot readily be absorbed in the competitive labor market or during such time
as employment opportunities in the competitive labor market do not
exist.
(c)
Advisory committee: There shall be an advisory committee to assist
the board of education and services for the blind; and all major policy and
planning issues will be reviewed with the committee before implementation. The
committee shall hold at least four regular meetings annually with the provision
for special meetings if necessary.
Official membership on the committee shall include: from the
board of education and services for the blind-an administrator, a board member,
and the agency coordinator; a representative of Oak Hill School; from the
department of mental retardation-representatives from the central office,
Southbury and Mansfield; a representative from the commission on the deaf and
hearing impaired; a representative from the New England regional center; and
one-third of the members shall be parent representatives (including at least
one Southbury and one Oak Hill parent). Appropriate consultants will be invited
including the American Foundation for the Blind and the Helen Keller National
Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults.
(d)
Individual training plan (ITP)
team:
The ITP Team shall consist of:
The agency coordinator (chairperson).
The appropriate program coordinator.
The appropriate day program staff member.
The appropriate residential program staff member.
The student and/or guardian shall be invited.
Ancillary staff as appropriate will be included; i.e. medical
person, social worker, vocational counselor, behavior specialist, therapists,
consultants, etc.
(e)
Placement review team (PRT): The placement review team shall
consist of: the student and/or legal guardian, or independent advocate, board
of education and services for the blind coordinator, current facility
coordinator and accepting facility coordinator.
