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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 042 007 VT 011 028 TITLE Helping All the Handicapped; The Report of the Massachusetts Vocational Rehabilitation Planning Commission. INSTITUTION Medical Foundation, Inc., Boston, Mass. SPONS AGENCY Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, Div. of Vocational, Adult, and Community Coll. Education.; Rehabilitation Services Administration (DREW), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 31 Oct 68 NOTE 222p. EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MP-S1.00 HC-S11.20 DESCRIPTORS Disadvantaged Groups, *Handicapped, Job Placement, *Program Planning, State Federal Aid, *State Programs, *Vocational Rehabilitation IDENTIFIERS Massachusetts ABSTRACT This report by the Planning Commission culminates 2 years of public hearings and the investigations of 10 task forces on vocational rehabilitation. A broader definition of the disabled,one which includes the disadvantaged, is gaining acceptance, resulting in the need for expanded rehabilitation programs. This study provides the necessary guidelines for that expansion. Principal recommendations among the 200 made by the Commission include: (1) administrative reorganization at both state and community level, (2) increased services on a regional level through cooperation of qualified agencies, (3) improved placement efforts, including sheltered employment, (4) extension of the architectural barriers board to cover all buildings open to the public, (5) expanded services for the public offender, (6) adjustment to technological change, (7) strengthened research units, and (8) increased male recruitment and training of personnel. (BH) /IN HELPING ALL THE HANDICAPPED THE REPORT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PLANNING COMMISSION ,k. *4- ' iR ci6e, 1,7 LOOM003 THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PLANNING COMMISSION BOSTON, MASS. 02116 His Excellency John A. Volpe October 31, 1968 Governor of the Commonwealth State House Boston, Massachusetts Dear Governor Volpe: On behalf of the members of the Vocational Rehabilitation Planning Commission, appointed in accordance with your Executive Order No. 50, dated May 4, 1966, it is an honor for me to ',recent the Planning Commission's report. During the past two years, the Planning Commission held public hearings in six major cities of the Commonwealth. More than 300 witnesses presented personal testimony or submitted statements. Public officials, state legislators, public and private agency directors, clergymen, professionals, representatives of labor and industry and members of self help groups were heard. Presentations made by, or on behalf of, the more severely physically disabled, public offenders, the mentally impaired, ghetto residents and the rural underprivileged were especially poignant. In addition, the Planning Commission appointed ten task forces to consider major issues in voca- tional rehabilitation and to prepare recommendations. Hundreds of concerned citizens from all parts of the Commonwealth contributed a great deal of their time and energy to he exploration of all aspects of this complex problem. Project staff reviewed the available literature on rehabilitation and consulted with professional and lay persons who added to their total knowledge and guided their efforts-Material from the Rehabil- itation Services Administration, Social and Rehabilitation Service, Department of Health, Educa- tion and Welfare in Washington and the guidance of their regional office in Boston proved most helpful. We are on the verge of a greatly expanded definition of the handicapped to include the disadvan- taged as well as the traditionally disabled. New combinations of human services and facilities, located in city neighborhoods and rural areas of greatest need will offer an opportunity for human resource agencies in state government to combine efforts, to poolfunds and to coordinate programs for more realistic delivery of service. Consumers of services will become increasingly involved in the planning and delivery of services. This new dimension of rehabilitation, this vast expansion of services, will require expanded fuding, more trained personnel, more facilities and an immense amount of dedicated effort. I would like to convey to you the Planning Commission's gratitude for your own personal interest in our work. In addition, the opportunity to work closely with the Executive Office of Administra- tion and Finance and its Office of Planning and Program Coordination in laying out the ground- work for administrative implementation of a continuing planning effort should serve to translate the Planning Commission goals and proposals into meaningful programs to help our handicapped citizens. Respectfully submitted, W. Scott Allan Chairman II PAUL E. AFFLECK WESTON HOWLAND W. SCOT T ALLAN§t KATHARINE D. KANEt OTTILIE M. BANKS GREGORY B. KHACHADOORIAN VINCENT BARNABA, M.D. LEWIS B. KLEBANOFF, PH.D. KARL T. BENEDICT, M.D. MATTHEW 0. KULUNGIAN, JR. ROSALIND POLL BROOKER RICHARD A. LAPIERRE EDWIN D. CAMPBELL JOHN S. LEVISt4 SISTER MARY CARL JOHN W. LUND REVEREND THOMAS J. CARROLLt STEPHEN D. MERRICK PHILLIP CASHMAN, ED.D.1 JOHN F. MUNGOVAN ARTHUR CIAMPA VALENTINE P. MURPHY HELEN P. CLEARY WILLIAM A. PHILBRICK, JR.5 GERALD E. CUBELLIt DONALD S. PIERCE, M.D.t DAVID CUTLER IRVING RABBtt LESLIE B. CUTLER LOUIS ROBERTS VERNON R. FARNSWORTH REVEREND EMERSON WESLEY SMITH VIRGINIA GODEK2 GWENDOLEN C. SMITH R. GORDON GRANGER PAUL SONNABEND HARRIET GRISWOLD WILLIAM F. STEARNSt FRANCIS A. HARDING3 HAROLD M. STERLING, M.D. DAVID E. HARRISON THOMAS N. WARD LUKE S. HAYDEN ARTHUR G. WEAVER HENRY E. HELMS HENRY W. WEBSTER6 MYER HERMAN, M.D. M. JANE WELSH 'Until December 1966. §Chairman 2Until May 13, 1967. $Treasurer 3Until 'January 31, 1967. tMember, Executive Committee 4From February 1, 1967. 5From December, 1966. 6Deceased III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hundreds of citizens of the Commonwealth concerned with theproblems of handicapped people and eager to help these individuals reach their full potential contributed innumerable hours to thework and report of the Vocational Rehabilitation Planning Commission. In acknowledging the participation and cooperation ofall these participants, I do so as spokesman for the Planning Commission staff. Our special emphasis concentrated upon delineating the potentialfor the unique contribution of rehabilitation philosophy and practices for disabled and other disadvantaged persons withinthe broader context of the spectrum of human services. Responsibility for policy decisions and recommendations remainedwith the Planning Commission and its Executive Committee. Planning Commission members worked assiduously for common purposes,continually submerging special inter- ests while striving for a unified approach. GovernorVolpe's appointment of W. Scott Allan as Chairman of thePlanning Commission assured statesmanlike and informed guidance to the project.Commissioner of Rehabilitation, John S. Levis and Commissioner for the Blind, John F. Mungovan and their staffs were unstintingin their cooperation and support in the work of the Planning Commission. Complete cooperation was received from the Governor, hisrepresentatives, and all agencies related to the state rehabilita- tion program. Similar cooperation and interest was evidencedthroughout by the leadership of the General Court and legisla- tors, many of whom participated as members of thePlanning Commission, task forces and at public hearings. We are especially pleased with the involvement of self help groups of handicappedpeople throughout the state, voluntary agencies, and individual disabled and disadvantaged persons. Staff members were completely dedicated and worked tirelessly togather and sift through findings and proposals. Although a fire in the Planning Commission officetemporarily impeded its work, a spirit of team accomplishments overcamedifficult working conditions. Special thanks are extended to Dr. Harold W. Demone, Jr.who rendered dedicated and invaluable assistance assenior consultant to the Planning Project. A word of thanks is also due the regional and federal staff of theRehabilitation Services Administration who continually supported our efforts to devise innovative approaches for the rehabilitation of allhandicapped persons. Finally, we are indebted to the Medical Foundation, Inc. for administrative supportabove and beyond its contractural agreements in the best spirit of community service. Edward Newman IV EDWARD NEWMAN,PH.D. Executive Director WALTER F. STERN, PH.D Associate Director BE G. GRAY, PH.D Research Director MELVIN E. COHEN, ED.D Program Development Director FRANK J. LASKI, LL.B. (Until Feb. 68) Legal Counsel C. DAVID HILBURN, LL.B. (After Feb. 68) Legal Counsel MARTHA WHITTALL Administrative Assistant ARLENE J. GOLDBERG Secretary I -ELENE LEVITZ Secretary LEONARD M. BLOKSB' G, PH.D. Planning Associate B ERTON S. FLIEGEL, M.S.S.S Community Planning Director FRANKLIN B. FOGELSON, PH.D. Planning Associate RICHARD P. MELIA, M.A. Research Associate M.JANE WELSH,ED.M Planning Associete ROSEMARY WHITING Planning Assistant HAROLD W. DEMONE, JR., PH.D. Senior Planning Consultant WILLIAM J. CURRAN, LL .M Legal Consultant ALLEN D. SPIEGEL, PH.D Planning and Editorial Consultant MARJORIE A.C. YOUNG, DR. P H Planning Consultant PETER C. COURTNEY, M.P.A. JEFFREY P. LOWERY, ED.M. KATHERINE J. WELLS, B.A. PATRICIA A. WISOCKI, M.A. I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I ARTHUR ANDERSON, JR., B.A. NANCY J. Fox MARY GRACE BARON, M.A. ANNE HEWITT, B.A. DAVID M. CORWIN, A.M. JOSEPH JACOBSON, B.A. SYLVIA G. FINK, M.A. CAROLYN KAPLAN HARRY V. MACNEILL, B.E. WILLIAM MANTZOUKAS, B.A. BRUCE