Committee interviews Alan Schneider for reappointment to Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Alan Schneider, the governor’s nominee for reappointment to the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Jan. 22 that his experience with the commission has motivated him to continue serving.

Nut Graf: Schneider described how services from the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ICBVI) changed his life after he hesitated to seek help. He has served on the commission for 10 years and currently chairs the board; the committee heard his testimony and will take a vote on his reappointment at a subsequent meeting.

Schneider identified himself for the record and described a 35-year career as a high-school English teacher and his time living in several states and the Canary Islands. He recounted resisting help for an eye disease until a supportive orientation at the ICBVI convinced him to engage with services. "They changed my life," Schneider said. He told the committee he wants to give back and is serving as chairman "simply… to give back for all that they've done for me."

Senator Harris asked what Schneider had learned during his 10 years on the commission. Schneider said he learned to trust “the boots on the ground,” praising staff who made daily outreach calls during the pandemic to isolated or elderly blind and visually impaired people.

The committee took no formal action at the hearing; a vote on Schneider’s reappointment will be held at the committee’s next meeting, which the chair said would occur the following day.

Ending: The committee thanked Schneider for his testimony; the reappointment will be acted on in the committee's next scheduled meeting.