EDITOR:

Many children and adults in America who are blind or severely vision impaired receive services that assist them in becoming employed, independent, and self-sufficient. It is likely that most of you reading this letter know somebody personally who is vision impaired or blind, and who have benefited from such services.

These services are under attack in two major areas. First are the cuts to the Department of Education (DOE). DOE not only provides instruction to thousands of school-aged blind students across the country within public schools, the department is also responsible for vocational rehabilitation services that enable adults with vision impairment to become employed taxpayers of our society. Furthermore, the DOE also houses instructional services provided in older Americans homes who are losing vision and that teaches the alternative skills needed so folks can be more independent and remain in their home. Additionally, DOE is responsible to train the professional that provide the instructional and rehabilative services within university programs across the country. The professionals who graduate from these programs are the ones who teach braille to children in school, who teach blind people how to travel safely and independently within their communities, who teach older Americans with vision impairment the adaptive skills needed to remain independent in their homes, and who provide the unique services needed for blind people to go to work like everyone else.

Without all the services outlines above, many adults of working age who have vision impairment will be at risk of remaining unemployed, and older Americans who have severe vision impairments will be at risk of having to move to nursing care facilities because they can no longer live by themselves. Of course, it appears that rooms in nursing homes will be far less available as cuts to Medicaid impact nursing home funding!

The second way that people with blindness or vision impairment will be impacted is when DOGE starts cutting into Social Security Administration’s program for those who are unable to work or who are under federal poverty Levels (Disability and SSI) insurance. Both of these Social Security programs are lifelines for numerous youth and adults who are blind or vision impaired and their families.

Make no mistake, people who are blind or vision impaired are just as much under attack at this time as are other segments of our population. That being said, people who are blind or vision impaired and their friends and families are used to fighting hard for the necessary services that help us obtain our American Dream, and we are not going anywhere! Except to the demonstration lines that are popping up daily all over the country.

So if you somebody who is blind or vision impaired, or if you yourself happen to be blind or vision impaired, join the peaceful rallies being planned for April 5. Bring your white cane or guide dog, stand tall and show those making these cuts that we are here and ready to push back. Looking forward to seeing you there.

John “Ed” McMahon

Bark River