Orientation Center

WHEREAS, the California Orientation Center for the Blind (OCB) has a capacity of 36 students with about 30 students being ideal for the current teaching staff, and

WHEREAS, in recent years the student population has rarely exceeded 20 students with just over ten students being not unknown, and

WHEREAS, several committees and informal groups within the Department and in the blind consumer community have discussed the lack of referrals to OCB by Department counselors with little unanimity of opinion other than that the teaching staff does well and is not the problem, and

WHEREAS, one of the prime strengths of categorical services as established by SB 105 is to facilitate communication of the OCB Administrator and OCB-RCB with counselors within Blind Field Services and with generalist counselors with blind case loads, and

WHEREAS, we do not believe that the OCB Administrator and OCB-RCB have taken full advantage of these lines of communication; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that this organization call upon the Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation to investigate the low attendance at OCB and to take action to utilize OCB fully.