Sec.10-293-5. Organization

The board's administrative organizational structure shall consist of the executive director, appointed by the Governor pursuant to Section 10-294 of the general statutes, and the five (5) following organizational units directly responsible to the executive director.

(a) Division of Adult Services, responsible for specialized social, educational and teaching services to improve the overall quality of life for legally blind adults pursuant to Sections 10-293, 10-295 (c), 10-297 and 10-298 of CGS including:

(1) legal benefits such as issuance of certificates of legal blindness;

(2) social services to perform intake and complete a needs assessment;

(3) orientation and mobility instruction and rehabilitation teaching to assist clients to increase their independence in such areas as travel, home management, leisure time activity, communication and instruction in braille;

(4) interagency cooperation to assist elderly legally blind adults to remain in their homes;

(5) provision of visual aids and supplemental relief as authorized;

(6) provision of adaptive equipment to increase independence in activities of daily living. Any adaptive equipment from the agency that is currently held by a client or any adaptive equipment from the agency received by a client shall be the property of such client. At such time as the client no longer desires the equipment, disposal shall be at the client's discretion. The cost of maintenance or repair of the equipment shall rest with the client. In circumstances where a client requests, the agency shall reimburse the client for the documented cost of the repair and applicable shipping of said equipment to and from the repair location. The agency shall accept returned equipment;

(7) camping vacations for a limited number of children and adults; and

(8) such other activity as may be assigned by the executive director.

(b) Division of Business and Administration, responsible for centralized management and activities pursuant to Sections 10-293, 10-294 and 10-298 of the general statutes through:

(1) the development of policy;

(2) establishment of standards, priorities and coordination of resources;

(3) development of budgets;

(4) performance of such functions as accounting, personnel, payroll, data processing and inventory and stores control;

(5) maintenance and disposal of equipment;

(6) coordination of affirmative action activity; and

(7) such other activity as may be assigned by the executive director.

(c) Division of Children's Services, responsible for a uniform system of special education from birth through high school graduation (or age 21) for blind or visually impaired children including such children with multiple handicaps, pursuant to Sections 10-295 (a) and 10-295 (b) of the general statutes, by providing specialized teaching, materials specific to the remediation or amelioration of the visual disability and funding for specialized programs. The Division of Children's Services may also be responsible for:

(1) direct instructional services provided by special education teachers who teach visually handicapped children the skills necessary to succeed in pre-school or public school programs such as braille and the use of low vision aids;

(2) maintenance of the division resource center which purchases and loans specialized materials and equipment essential to a visually handicapped child's education;

(3) provision of financial assistance to towns for sending multiply handicapped children to specialized residential and day programs; and

(4) such other activity as may be assigned by the executive director.

(d) Division of Industries and Sales, responsible for workshop programs pursuant to Sections 10-298a, 10-298b and 10-304 of the general statutes to enable legally blind adults to become more financially and socially independent through the provision of skill evaluation, behavior modification and work training. The division is also responsible pursuant to Sections 10-303 and 10-304 of the general statutes for the small business enterprise program which enables qualified legally blind adults to become more financially independent through the operation of food service and vending facilities located in municipal, state, federal and private buildings. The division's programs include:

(1) progressive levels of workshop programming to assist blind persons to improve work skills and potential for competitive work;

(2) a home industries program which serves older and multiply handicapped homebound adults with therapeutic work activity, training and supplemental income;

(3) a work activity center which serves multiply handicapped blind adults with few work skills who require a highly supportive work environment with income based on piece rate production; and

(4) a sheltered workshop which provides:

(A) productive work training and more income in a supportive setting; and

(B) a competitive work experience and income with support services as needed.

(5) ongoing supportive and management services to blind vending facility operators who, under contract with the division, run the facilities as small business enterprises; and

(6) such other activity as may be assigned by the executive director.

(e) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, responsible to the executive director for increasing and enhancing the employability of blind persons through a wide range of individualized vocational rehabilitation services as set forth in Section 10-306 of the general statutes. The division is also responsible for the provision of orientation and mobility instruction to blind children and adults by teaching them the skills necessary for them to travel in a safe, independent and consistent manner. Such services are provided in accordance with Sections 10-295 (c) and 10-306 of the general statutes.

(Effective July 23, 1987; Amended February 26, 2009)