STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3721

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 5

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 5 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO RECRUIT AND EMPLOY QUALIFIED BLIND PERSONS TO SERVE AS ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY INSTRUCTORS, AND IN OTHER POSITIONS, AS TEACHERS OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to develop and implement an affirmative action program, to the extent permitted by law, designed to recruit and employ qualified blind professionals to serve as orientation and mobility instructors and in other positions, as teachers of visually impaired students.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, Hawaii State Committee of Blind Vendors, and ten individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals.

Your Committees find that for decades, the methods and principles of Structured Discovery Cane Travel have empowered blind children and adults across the United States, assisting them to build confidence and feelings of self-respect as they move safely from place to place. Your Committees find however, that until recently, the Department of Education has only enlisted as orientation and mobility instructors for blind students, individuals who are credentialed as Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals. The COMS teaching method includes a variety of instructional strategies, including vision-centered orientation and mobility services, and does not focus on Structured Discovery Cane Travel. Of these two recognized training methods, adherents to the structured discovery approach emphasize employing blind instructors, which leads to increased employment opportunities at the Department of Education for qualified blind persons. By urging the Department of Education to develop and implement an affirmative action program to recruit and employ qualified blind professionals to serve as orientation and mobility instructors and teachers of visually impaired students, this measure will not only provide more opportunities for blind instructors in the workforce, but also provide a powerful example to students with a disability that their disability need not be a barrier for employment.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 5, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 5, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Education,

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair