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Committee hears bill to fund services for Montanans under 55 with new vision loss
Summary
Sen. Mike Yakawich’s SB 82 would fund a blindness-adjustment professional to provide independent-living and employment-readiness training for people under 55 who experience vision loss; DPHHS and disability advocates say the measure fills a gap left after federal changes to vocational rehabilitation.
Senator Mike Yakawich on Thursday told the House Health and Human Services Committee that Senate Bill 82 would fund a dedicated professional to help Montanans who lose their sight before age 55 relearn everyday and work-related skills.
"This bill is designed to be able to provide funding for a 1 to hire 1 person who will be engaged in providing training and opportunity and guidance for people to get back on their feet," Yakawich said during his opening remarks.
The Department of Public Health and Human Services’ Blind and Low Vision Services Bureau currently runs two programs: an Older Individuals Who Are Blind program that serves people 55 and older and a vocational-rehabilitation track for job seekers, DPHHS Division Administrator Chanda Hermanson told the committee. She said a gap exists for adults under 55 who are not pursuing a competitive employment goal but still need independent-living training.
"There are no currently, there are no funded programs that offer blind services to these individuals who are not engaged in seeking employment," Hermanson said, describing the services the proposed position would provide, from white-cane training to medication management and transit navigation.
Advocates with Ability Montana and the National Federation of the Blind of Montana urged support. Cassie Wick, an independent-living specialist, said the center’s cross-disability staff do helpful work but lack the specific training to serve people with blindness or low vision. Jacob Krissovich, speaking online for the federation, described losing his sight while employed and the difficulty of rebuilding confidence and daily routines without targeted supports. "I myself am totally blind," Krissovich said.
Committee members asked about the program’s scale and staffing. Hermanson said the agency projects adding about 320 individuals to the caseload served by blind-and-low-vision programs and that roughly 1,000 people currently receive services. Representative Close pressed whether the bill adds a direct hire; DPHHS said the proposal would add one instructional staff member to a nine-person team of orientation-and-mobility specialists and vision-rehabilitation therapists.
Senator Yakawich closed by emphasizing employment and independence goals and asked the committee to consider the bill.
The committee received testimony from multiple proponents and closed the hearing without a recorded vote.
