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State OIB program outlines services for visually impaired older adults; local counts show small but growing enrollment in Buda
Summary
Texas Workforce Commission OIB manager outlined eligibility, services and local referral routes; commissioners were told Hays County had 23 OIB customers in 2023 and 23 in 2024, with Buda rising from 4 to 6 residents, and heard that most core services are free though some assistive equipment may cost $3,000–$5,000.
Kara Hollywood, manager of the Texas Workforce Commission's Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB) program for the Hays and Travis County area, told the commission the program serves people 55 and older with significant visual impairment that affects daily independence. "My name is Kara Hollywood, and I am the manager for the older individuals who are blind program for the Hays County and Travis County areas," she said, describing eligibility as "a diagnosed eye condition" plus demonstrated impact on tasks like reading medication labels or navigating the home.
Hollywood described services that are provided at no cost to most customers, including in-home independent-living skills training, orientation and mobility (white-cane) training, low-vision aids and referrals to state and national programs. She said the program also offers a new four-day intensive training called "Senior Keys to Independence" with sessions in San Antonio and Dallas and transportation support for attendees.
Commissioners were shown local enrollment figures drawn from Workforce office data. As Chair Kauffman read from those figures, "In 2023, there were 23 OIB customers in Hays County, 4 in Buda," and in 2024 the county total remained 23 while the number living in Buda rose to 6. Hollywood said the statewide program employs roughly 20 OIB workers to cover all 254 Texas counties and that Lucinda Perez serves about 13 counties in the region.
On cost and timing, Hollywood cautioned that while core services are generally free, certain assistive-technology purchases may require a customer contribution: "Sometimes it's anywhere from 3 to $5,000," she said of costly equipment. She also said the intake process can take time because staff must obtain medical documentation from eye doctors, and that the typical time from application to receiving services can be "anywhere from 3 to 5 months." Commissioners asked about Medicare and Medicaid coverage; Hollywood said many blind-specific services and mobility training are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
The presentation concluded with access information and outreach guidance: callers can use the OIB helpline to be routed to their local worker, brochures distributed at the meeting, and referrals from social workers and community partners (eye clinics, hospitals, caregiver programs) were encouraged. Hollywood and Lucinda Perez offered to supply brochures for distribution to hospital discharge planners and local social-service partners.
Next steps: commissioners said they would post the program contact information on the commission's website and explore wider distribution through local providers and social-media outreach managed by city communications staff.
