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New York Vision Rehabilitation Association

Updated

ANNUAL REPORT 2005

The first year of NYVRA was focused on internal organizational start up needs, including membership development, marketing materials, and administrative tasks, as well as strides made toward the objectives of the organization.

In consultation with the Council of Community Services of New York State, NYVRA developed by-laws and began the incorporation process as a non-profit organization. Four positions of the executive board were filled, for a total of nine board positions. Board positions included agency and consumer representation. Over the course of the year, numerous meetings of the executive board and the board were held, as well as four membership meetings in April, July, September and November.

NYVRA identified and engaged the services of a new government representation firm, which began October 1, 2005, as well as developed packages for the licensure effort, including statistical and professional materials on vision impairment, aging and rehabilitation services in support of the NYVRA licensure objective. Numerous organizations were approached in this first year for endorsement of the licensure bill, and nine new endorsements were secured:

• American Foundation for the Blind
• Dominican College – Program for Teachers of Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
• Guiding Eyes for the Blind
• Hunter College of the City University of New York
• National Association for Parents with Visual Impairments-NYC –
• New York Institute for Special Education
• New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce- (over 800 businesses)
• New York State United Teachers – (over 525,000 state members
• Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce- (over 1700 businesses)

Other efforts toward the licensure objective included gaining support with members of the State Assembly and contact with key members of the State Senate. Through a large donation made in 2005, NYVRA also sponsored an informative workshop on advocacy skills and tasks for the members of the NYS Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. In addition, a statewide letter writing campaign was mounted this year in support of the licensure bill.

NYVRA, as a newly formed organization, presented at the New York State Biennial Low Vision Symposium, in which NYVRA sponsored a well-attended reception for the attendees.

This year, efforts also began regarding the objective to support adequate funding for services, including advocating for increases in governmental reimbursement rates. NYVRA held a statewide membership meeting with several representatives of the NYS Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped to begin a dialogue on the issue.

NYVRA, Nancy D. Miller, President, nmiller@visionsvcb.org
500 Greenwich Street, 3rd Floor,
New York, NY 10013-1354
Phone 212-625-1616, ext. 117, Fax: 212-219-4078

NYVRA is a non-profit coalition comprised of members, organizations and agencies located across New York State, addressing issues that impact services for people who are blind or partially sighted.

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