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AMENDMENT TO SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 54

2     AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend Senate Joint Resolution 54, AS
3 AMENDED, by replacing everything after the heading with the
4 following:
 
5     "WHEREAS, The provision of a free, appropriate public
6 education for a student with a visual impairment can occur only
7 with the proper concentrated services, equipment,
8 appropriately certified staff, and access to education; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Children and youth who are visually impaired face
10 unique and significant barriers related to their instruction
11 that profoundly affect most aspects of the educational process,
12 including the impact of ever changing technology and the world
13 it encompasses; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Blindness and visual impairments are often
15 considered secondary disabilities, thus the specialized

 

 

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1 educational needs of the blind and visually impaired are rarely
2 fully addressed; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Children and youth with visual impairments are
4 guaranteed an education in the least restrictive setting,
5 determined on an individual basis, meaning that they are
6 entitled to be integrated as fully as possible into the regular
7 classroom, as appropriate; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Full access to education depends upon an
9 educational environment that utilizes the appropriate
10 materials and properly and fully trained staff and provides for
11 direct communication between staff, students, parents, and
12 peers; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
14 should become the go-to facility for best teaching practices
15 regarding programs for children with visual impairments and the
16 statewide center for training, technical assistance, outreach,
17 and specialized curriculum development; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
19 should include on-going training and technical assistance for
20 itinerant, mainstream, and private school educators; and
 
21     WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired

 

 

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1 should include specific programming on visual impairments for
2 teaching and rehabilitation professionals from both the State
3 Board of Education and the Department of Human Services; and
 
4     WHEREAS, While unemployment in the nation continues to
5 drop, the unemployment rate for people with visual impairments
6 is over 70%; and
 
7     WHEREAS, There should be greater access to transitional
8 services for students who are blind or visually impaired
9 entering vocational rehabilitation services and employment;
10 and
 
11     WHEREAS, Successful transitional programs may result in
12 better services and jobs, knowledgeable self-advocates, and
13 achievement of competitive outcomes; therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
15 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
16 CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Joint Task Force
17 on Blind and Visually Impaired Educational Options, consisting
18 of the following members, appointed as follows:
19         (1) the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of
20     the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
21     and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives
22     shall each appoint one member;

 

 

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1         (2) the Governor shall appoint a parent representative
2     from the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired and 3
3     regional parent representatives, one each from northern,
4     central, and southern Illinois;
5         (3) the following entities shall each appoint one
6     member: the State Board of Education, the Department of
7     Human Services, the Illinois School for the Visually
8     Impaired, the Illinois Association of Regional
9     Superintendents of Schools, the LightHouse for the Blind
10     and Visually Impaired, the Illinois School for the Visually
11     Impaired Alumni Association, the National Federation of
12     the Blind of Illinois, the Illinois Council of the Blind,
13     Early Intervention, the Illinois Association for Education
14     and Rehabilitation, the Illinois Vision Leadership
15     Council, the Phillip J. Rock Center, the Helen Keller
16     National Center, the Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors,
17     Illinois Parents of the Visually Impaired, the Blind
18     Services Planning Council, the Illinois School for the
19     Visually Impaired's Advisory Board, the Visual
20     Disabilities education program at Northern Illinois
21     University, and the Specialist in Low Vision and Blindness
22     education program at Illinois State University; and be it
23     further
 
24     RESOLVED, That the State representative and State senator
25 who represent the districts that are home to the Illinois

 

 

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1 School for the Visually Impaired shall serve as co-chairpersons
2 of the Task Force; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That all members of the Task Force shall serve
4 without compensation; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That the duty of the Task Force is to undertake a
6 comprehensive and thorough review of the education of and
7 services available to the blind and visually impaired children
8 of this State with the intent of making recommendations that
9 would recognize the need for delivering full educational
10 services to a blind or visually impaired student, ensure that
11 schools have the most updated and adequate equipment to provide
12 services to blind and visually impaired students, and recognize
13 the need for teachers trained in the unique needs of blind and
14 visually impaired students; recommending research-based
15 methods and procedures to develop curricula for blind and
16 visually impaired students; and providing a comprehensive
17 review of the needs and operation of all educational entities
18 providing services to students who are blind or visually
19 impaired, including the Illinois School for the Visually
20 Impaired; and be it further
 
21     RESOLVED, That the Task Force should look towards states
22 that have successful, independent, and adequate educational
23 models for students with visual impairments, such as the

 

 

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1 Washington State School for the Blind; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education and the
3 Department of Human Services shall together administer and
4 prepare all reports deemed necessary in conjunction with the
5 Task Force's activities; and be it further
 
6     RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from
7 any entity necessary or useful for the performance of the Task
8 Force's duties; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its
10 recommendations to the General Assembly on or before December
11 31, 2008; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
13 delivered to the Governor, the State Board of Education, the
14 Department of Human Services, the Illinois School for the
15 Visually Impaired, the Illinois Association of Regional
16 Superintendents of Schools, the LightHouse for the Blind and
17 Visually Impaired, the Illinois School for the Visually
18 Impaired Alumni Association, the National Federation of the
19 Blind of Illinois, the Illinois Council of the Blind, Early
20 Intervention, the Illinois Association for Education and
21 Rehabilitation, the Illinois Vision Leadership Council, the
22 Phillip J. Rock Center, the Helen Keller National Center, the

 

 

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1 Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors, Illinois Parents of the
2 Visually Impaired, the Blind Services Planning Council, the
3 Illinois School for the Visually Impaired's Advisory Board, the
4 Visual Disabilities education program at Northern Illinois
5 University, and the Specialist in Low Vision and Blindness
6 education program at Illinois State University.".