An Act To Address the Documented Educational and Rehabilitation Needs of Persons Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0765
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: DAVIS, THIBODEAU, CELLI, FREDETTE, GILBERT, JOHNSON, O'CONNOR, OLSEN, RICHARDSON, STRANG BURGESS

Legislative Document 
No. 765 
H.P. 572 
House of Representatives, March 1, 2011 
An Act To Address the Documented Educational and Rehabilitation 
Needs of Persons Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative DAVIS of Sangerville. 
Cosponsored by Senator THIBODEAU of Waldo and 
Representatives: CELLI of Brewer, FREDETTE of Newport, GILBERT of Jay, JOHNSON of 
Eddington, O'CONNOR of Berwick, OLSEN of Phippsburg, RICHARDSON of Warren, 
STRANG BURGESS of Cumberland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
Initiative: Provides funding for 2 Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired positions 
and related costs including support staff, travel and office equipment, both to be 
competitively contracted by the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 
currently contracted through Catholic Charities of Maine, in order to address the 
documented educational needs of students who are blind or visually impaired; to 
satisfy disability-specific instructional requirements mandated by the federal 
Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, known as the 
expanded core curriculum, a curriculum of blindness-specific instruction pertinent to 
transition-age students who are blind or visually impaired; and to eliminate the 
existing waiting list for appropriate special education services for students who are 
blind or visually impaired. 
Initiative: Provides funding for one full-time Certified Vision Rehabilitation 
Therapist position in Rockland and 2 half-time Certified Vision Rehabilitation 
Therapist positions in Bangor and Houlton and related costs including support staff, 
travel and office equipment, all to be competitively contracted by the Division for the 
Blind and Visually Impaired, currently contracted through The Iris Network, in order 
to meet the vocational rehabilitation and independent living needs of increasing 
numbers of adults with vision loss; to satisfy disability-specific instructional 
requirements mandated by the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education 
Improvement Act of 2004, known as the expanded core curriculum, a curriculum of 
blindness-specific instruction pertinent to transition-age students who are blind or 
visually impaired; and to meet established standards for client-therapist ratios. 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
Blind and Visually Impaired - Division 
for the 0126 
GENERAL FUND 
2011-12
2012-13
All Other 
$140,000
$145,600
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$140,000
$145,600
Blind and Visually Impaired - Division 
for the 0126 
GENERAL FUND 
2011-12
2012-13
All Other 
$140,000
$145,600
Initiative: Provides funding to establish one Program Design and Evaluation position 
with The Iris Network, responsible for designing and evaluating a comprehensive 
statewide system of center-based and community-based programs and services in 
order to meet the vocational rehabilitation and independent living needs of the rapidly 
expanding number of adults dealing with vision loss due both to aging and to age-
related eye diseases that cause vision loss. 
Initiative: Provides funding for one Orientation and Mobility Instructor for the Blind 
position and one Blindness Rehabilitation Specialist position and related costs within 
the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired in order to address the documented 
educational needs of students who are blind or visually impaired; to satisfy disability-
specific instructional requirements mandated by the federal Individuals With 
Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, known as the expanded core 
curriculum, a curriculum of blindness-specific instruction pertinent to transition-age 
students who are blind or visually impaired; to meet the vocational rehabilitation and 
independent living needs of increasing numbers of adults with vision loss; and to 
meet established standards for student-teacher ratios. 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$140,000
$145,600
Blind and Visually Impaired - Division 
for the 0126 
GENERAL FUND 
2011-12
2012-13
All Other 
$90,000
$93,600
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$90,000
$93,600
Blind and Visually Impaired - Division 
for the 0126 
GENERAL FUND 
2011-12
2012-13
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
2.000
2.000
Personal Services 
$83,678
$117,187
All Other 
$15,000
$10,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$98,678
$127,187
SUMMARY 
This bill addresses the documented educational and rehabilitation needs of blind 
students and adults by funding approximately 50% of the professional staff shortage 
identified by both: 
1.  The report of the stakeholder working group established to review the current and 
future needs of blind or visually impaired individuals established pursuant to Resolve 
2009, chapter 39; and 
2.  The recommendations of the Department of Education's corrective action plan 
work group in regard to Disability Rights Center v. Maine Department of Education dated 
July 28, 2010. 
The bill addresses the immediate crisis in staff shortages identified by both of the 
above-referenced reports, thereby avoiding a failure by this State to comply with 
federally mandated levels of special education services for Maine students who are blind 
or visually impaired. 
The bill meets the rapidly expanding need for vision rehabilitation and independent 
living services for adults dealing with vision loss due to both the general aging of the 
population and age-related eye diseases that cause vision loss. 
The bill provides funding for the following positions: 
1.  Two Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired positions, to be competitively 
contracted by the Department of Labor, Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 
currently contracted through Catholic Charities of Maine; 
2.  One Orientation and Mobility Instructor for the Blind position and one Blindness 
Rehabilitation Specialist position, both to be employed by the Division for the Blind and 
Visually Impaired; 
3.  One full-time and 2 half-time Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist positions, 
to be competitively contracted by the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 
currently contracted through The Iris Network; and 
4.  One Director of Program Design and Evaluation position to be competitively 
contracted by the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
2011-12
2012-13
GENERAL FUND 
$468,678
$511,987
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
$468,678
$511,987