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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
08/02/2024 02:19 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=H&cosponId=42137
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House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: February 16, 2024 02:26 PM
From: Representative Justin C. Fleming and Rep. Kristin Marcell
To: All House members
Subject: Resolution to Direct LBFC to Study Blindness Services in the Commonwealth
 
Please join us in co-sponsoring a resolution to analyze the effectiveness of the Commonwealth's current services to persons with vision impairment. About 6% of older Pennsylvanians report severe vision impairment or blindness. Women, African Americans, and those aged 80+ report higher prevalence of vision impairment.

We have an obligation to care for Pennsylvanians with vision impairment and as age related impairment becomes pervasive we need to assess our Commonwealth's resources.
According to the 2020 Census Bureau Population Estimates, Pennsylvania is in the top ten states with citizens age 65 and older. Those ten states, California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are home to over half of the U.S. population.
It is our understanding that the Commonwealth's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services has been struggling to meet the need of Pennsylvanians.

We will be introducing a resolution to direct the LBFC to do the following:
  • Study the services provided by OVR and BBVS within the Department of Labor and Industry
  • Determine the length of time consumers must wait for services;
  • Determine the impact to the consumers waiting for services
  • Determine the process by which consumers are referred for outside services
  • Study the potential solutions for reducing the waiting list or serving consumers more efficiently including the potential for referral and contracting to an outside agency including a statewide non- profit service provider association for Blind and Visually Impaired

Introduced as HR388