National Training Conference for Blind Vendors: Also known as the Sagebrush Conference, was held February 6-9, 2007. Catriona McDonald, Lobbyist for the newly formed Blind Entrepreneurs’ Alliance spoke at the conference. She noted that the GAO Audit Report pointed out that the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the Department of Education does not provide adequate support for the R-S program and does not analyze the RSA-15 Report data. Although the relatively mild findings of the GAO audit report are true, she wonders how others will use these findings against the R-S program. The Department of Defense (DOD) has written purchasing guidelines that do not permit poaching of JWOD food service contracts by R-S blind vendors. A DOD Joint Committee will be conducting on-site reviews of military food service contracts managed by blind vendors under the R-S program. Within the next couple of months the Department of Education will be putting out for public comment new rules and regulations about the Joint Committee Policy Statement about DOD food contracts and the newly re-defined definition of military cafeterias. It will be essential for the 2,600 blind vendors under the R-S program to voice their opinions of the new rules and regulations. Catriona encouraged all blind vendors to invite their congressional representatives and senators to tour their vending facilities to better understand the benefits of the R-S program. Ray Hopkins of the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration noted the RSA Central Office has three people working on the R-S program, Ray Hopkins, Susan Haines, and Susan Mitchell. Because of military food service contracts, the national average for blind vendor earnings is $45,000 annually. There are 3,080 facilities served by 2,564 blind vendors. Three things came out of the GAO Audit:
1. The Secretary of the Department of Education needs to exercise more leadership through performance goals and outcomes to measure the impact of the R-S program.
2. The GAO recommends that the Department of Education be pro-active on emerging issues for the R-S program where more technical assistance is needed to make the program more successful.
3. Monitoring by RSA needs to be improved to provide adequate oversight of SLA’s, program activity, compliance, and involve more VR program staff in the R-S program. Ray Hopkins went on to say the Senate HELP Committee was provided a copy of the GAO’s audit report and will develop legislation regarding possible changes to the R-S program. Although the R-S program has 70 years of success, we need to plan and decide the program’s future.
With the Oasis Program (federal highway vending concept) gaining popularity in some states, SLA’s need to have a working relationship with their state’s Department of Transportation to help protect the highway vending rights under the R-S program. The President Coin Act will require vending machines to accept this new dollar coin. RSA wants to develop a Listserv for the presidents of the SLA’s state committees of blind vendors to help keep them informed and involved in the R-S program’s future.
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