CCB Legislative Imperatives for 2008
Issues of Concern to Blind and Visually Impaired Californians
- SB 1174 Quiet Vehicles- Safety Lowenthal. Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, although extremely beneficial to society, are posing an increasingly dangerous threat to all pedestrians, including blind and visually impaired individuals. Pedestrians are all taught to look and listen before crossing but these quiet vehicles hinder this important sense, thus posing a significant danger. Please support research to resolve this public safety issue in a way that will benefit vehicle manufacturers, pedestrians, and society as a whole by finding the most effective method for providing an effective sound cue that can be emitted from these vehicles.
- AB 2555 Alberto Torrico. Support parental notification about the California School for the Blind- Blind and visually impaired pupils have special needs. In addition, school districts have differing capacities for providing services that these pupils require. Thus, some students are better served by their school districts, while others are better served by the California School for the Blind. Most parents of blind and visually impaired children are not aware of the services that the California School for the Blind provides. AB2555 would remedy this problem by requiring that school districts provide information to parents of blind or visually impaired children about the California School for the Blind.
- AB 2608 Mike Davis. Please protect services to persons with disabilities during a budget impasse. The Department of Rehabilitation provides a variety of services, including college tuition funding, textbooks, vocational training programs and transportation funding, that are necessary to enable persons with disabilities to become employed, thus becoming productive, taxpaying members of society. During a budget impasse, however, these low-income persons may well lose their ability to remain in school or in vocational training programs. AB 2608, however, would allow the state to use federal moneys during the budget impasse. It would not require any additional expenditure of state funds, but merely authorize federal money to be expended prior to the time the budget is passed.
- Maintain Medi-Cal optional benefits. These optional services are of crucial importance to many individuals, including diabetics, and can mean the difference between successful treatment and requiring expensive care for severe illnesses.
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