GA Code § 49-9-21 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 49 - Social Services|Chapter 9 - Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency|Article 1 - General Provisions|§ 49-9-21. Delivery of Deaf-Blind Services and Techniques Leading to Maximum Independence; Integration

  The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency shall oversee the delivery of deaf-blind services and techniques provided by an organization pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section that lead to maximum independence and employment for individuals with both a hearing and a vision loss. These services shall include, but not be limited to, transition of deaf-blind youth from education to the work force; identification of deaf-blind individuals in Georgia; communication access for varying groups of individuals and their unique needs; training deaf-blind individuals in orientation and mobility, rehabilitation, and Braille; utilization of support service providers to function as sighted guides, communication facilitators, and providers of transportation; support and increase in the number of qualified sign language interpreters working with deaf-blind individuals; use of adaptive technologies, such as computers, telebraillers, and TTY devices; strategies and techniques to assist deaf-blind individuals in obtaining the highest level of independence possible; and peer support which provides access to information, people, and places.   The agency shall, to the greatest extent possible, integrate the services and techniques required pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section into its standard practices and procedures with the objective of providing appropriate services in an appropriate manner to individuals in the deaf-blind community.   Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency shall retain an organization knowledgeable on deaf-blind issues to provide the services and techniques included in subsection (a) of this Code section to deaf-blind individuals and to provide comprehensive training to agency staff on such services and techniques required pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section. Such organization shall be retained no later than six months after funding from appropriations by the General Assembly has been made available for expenditure by the agency.     (Code 1981, §34-15-20, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 257, § 1/SB 49; Ga. L. 2008, p. 324, § 34/SB 455; Code 1981, §49-9-21, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2012, p. 303, § 1/HB 1146.)    The 2012 amendment,  effective July 1, 2012, redesignated former Code Section 34-15-20 as present Code Section 49-9-21; substituted "Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency" for "Division of Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Labor" in the first sentence of subsection (a); substituted "agency" for "division" in subsection (b) and in the first sentence of subsection (c); and, in subsection (c), substituted "Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency" for "Division of Rehabilitation Services" in the first sentence, and substituted "agency" for "department" at the end of the last sentence.   Cross references.   - Deaf person defined, § 30-1-1.    Individualized education program for blind students with evaluation of Braille skills, § 30-7-3.    Blindness, education, screening, and treatment program, § 31-1-23.