2023 New York Laws › ELD - Elder › Article 2 - Programs for the Elderly › Title 1 - State Office for the Aging › 215-A - Senior Vision Services Program.

§  215-a.  Senior  vision services program. 1. Definitions. As used in
this section:
(a)  "Senior  vision   services"   shall   mean   the   provision   of
non-vocational  services to elderly persons who have a functional visual
impairment.  These services may include, but not be limited  to,  client
assessment,  information  and  referral,  client  and family counseling,
referrals for opthalmological, optometric or other health care services,
technical assistance and training for human services personnel to  serve
persons who are blind or visually impaired, and low vision screening.
(b)  "Functional  visual impairment" shall mean an impairment of sight
that substantially  interferes  with  an  elderly  person's  ability  to
perform  specific  daily  living  skills  and tasks. Persons who are not
regarded as legally blind, pursuant to this section, but who  experience
such  an impairment of sight, shall be deemed eligible for senior vision
services pursuant to this section.
(c) "Elderly" shall mean an individual over sixty years of age.
(d) "Director" shall mean the director of the office for the aging.
2. The director, in consultation with the New  York  state  commission
for  the  blind,  is  hereby  authorized  and  directed,  subject to the
availability of appropriations, to establish a program of senior  vision
services grants to assist in the provision of vision services to elderly
persons with functional visual impairments.
3.  The  director,  in consultation with the New York state commission
for  the  blind,  shall  award  senior   vision   services   grants   to
not-for-profit corporations which demonstrate:
(a) the ability to provide senior vision services;
(b) a commitment to provide such services to visually impaired persons
or  specialized  training  in providing such services to persons who are
blind or visually impaired; and
(c) other such factors  as  may  be  determined  by  the  director  in
consultation with the state commission for the blind.
4.   Grant   awards   shall   take  into  consideration  the  lack  of
non-traditional and non-vocational services for elderly persons in  need
of senior vision services and the ability of such senior vision services
grants  to  establish  or  to expand existing blind or visually impaired
services currently provided or available in the county or region  served
by the not-for-profit corporation or through another source.
5.  The  director shall ensure that in awarding the grants pursuant to
this section that due consideration  is  given  to  the  geographic  and
existing  service  demands for senior vision services within a county or
region of the state.
6. The director shall promulgate any rules and  regulations  necessary
to  carry out the provisions of this section. Additionally, the director
shall submit a report to the governor, the temporary  president  of  the
senate  and the speaker of the assembly, prior to, but in no event later
than, December thirty-first, in the year  following  enactment  of  this
section,  and  annually  thereafter,  which  shall  include,  but not be
limited to:
(a) financial reports of  the  grant  project  operations  established
pursuant to this section;
(b)  an analysis of the grant project's ability to provide such senior
vision services to elderly persons with functional visual impairments;
(c) recommendations on the continuation of such grants  and  the  need
for program expansion, if appropriate;
(d) a profile of the grant recipient; and
(e) other information deemed necessary by the director.