Full Text of SJR0054 95th General Assembly
SJ0054 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The provision of a free, appropriate public | 3 |
| education for a student with a visual impairment can occur only | 4 |
| with the proper concentrated services, equipment, and access to | 5 |
| education; and
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| WHEREAS, Children and youth who are visually impaired face | 7 |
| unique and significant barriers related to their instruction | 8 |
| that profoundly affect most aspects of the educational process, | 9 |
| including the impact of ever changing technology and the world | 10 |
| it encompasses; and
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| WHEREAS, Blindness and visual impairments are often | 12 |
| considered secondary disabilities, thus the specialized | 13 |
| educational needs of the blind and visually impaired are rarely | 14 |
| fully addressed; and
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| WHEREAS, Children and youth with visual impairments are | 16 |
| guaranteed an education in the least restrictive setting | 17 |
| possible, meaning that they are entitled to be integrated as | 18 |
| fully as possible into the regular classroom, unless there is | 19 |
| clearly a reason for the child to be in a more specialized | 20 |
| program; and
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| WHEREAS, Full access to education depends upon an |
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| educational environment that utilizes the appropriate | 2 |
| materials and properly and fully trained staff and provides for | 3 |
| direct communication between staff, students, parents, and | 4 |
| peers; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired | 6 |
| should become the go-to facility for best teaching practices | 7 |
| regarding programs for children with visual impairments and the | 8 |
| statewide center for teacher training and specialized | 9 |
| curriculum development; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired | 11 |
| should include on-going teacher training for itinerant, | 12 |
| mainstream, and private school educators; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired | 14 |
| should include specific programming on visual impairments for | 15 |
| teaching and rehabilitation professionals from both the State | 16 |
| Board of Education and the Department of Human Services; and
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| WHEREAS, While unemployment in the nation continues to | 18 |
| drop, the unemployment rate for people with visual impairments | 19 |
| is over 70%; and
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| WHEREAS, There should be greater access to transitional | 21 |
| services for students who are blind or visually impaired |
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| entering vocational rehabilitation services and employment; | 2 |
| and | 3 |
| WHEREAS, Successful transitional programs may result in | 4 |
| better services and jobs, knowledgeable self-advocates, and | 5 |
| achievement of competitive outcomes; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 7 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 8 |
| CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Joint Task Force | 9 |
| on Blind and Visually Impaired Educational Options, consisting | 10 |
| of 13 members appointed as follows: | 11 |
| (1) the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of | 12 |
| the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, | 13 |
| and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives | 14 |
| shall each appoint one member; and | 15 |
| (2) the following entities shall each appoint one | 16 |
| member: the State Board of Education, the Illinois | 17 |
| Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, the | 18 |
| LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the | 19 |
| Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors, Illinois Parents of | 20 |
| the Visually Impaired, the Blind Services Planning | 21 |
| Council, the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired's | 22 |
| Advisory Board, the Visual Disabilities education program | 23 |
| at Northern Illinois University, and the Specialist in Low | 24 |
| Vision and Blindness education program at Illinois State |
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| University; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That all members of the Task Force shall serve | 3 |
| without compensation; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the duty of the Task Force is to undertake a | 5 |
| comprehensive and thorough review of the education of and | 6 |
| services available to the blind and visually impaired children | 7 |
| of this State with the intent of making recommendations that | 8 |
| would recognize the need for delivering full educational | 9 |
| services to a blind or visually impaired student, ensure that | 10 |
| schools have the most updated and adequate equipment to provide | 11 |
| services to blind and visually impaired students, and recognize | 12 |
| the need for teachers trained in the unique needs of blind and | 13 |
| visually impaired students; recommending uniform methods and | 14 |
| procedures to develop curricula for blind and visually impaired | 15 |
| students; and providing a comprehensive review of the needs and | 16 |
| operation of the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired and | 17 |
| making recommendations for changes; and be it further | 18 |
| RESOLVED, That the Task Force should look towards states | 19 |
| that have successful, independent, and adequate educational | 20 |
| models for students with visual impairments, such as the | 21 |
| Washington State School for the Blind; and be it further | 22 |
| RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from |
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| any entity necessary or useful for the performance of the Task | 2 |
| Force's duties; and be it further | 3 |
| RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its | 4 |
| recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 1, | 5 |
| 2008; and be it further | 6 |
| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 7 |
| delivered to the State Board of Education, the Illinois | 8 |
| Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, the | 9 |
| LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Illinois | 10 |
| Committee of Blind Vendors, Illinois Parents of the Visually | 11 |
| Impaired, the Blind Services Planning Council, the Illinois | 12 |
| School for the Visually Impaired's Advisory Board, the Visual | 13 |
| Disabilities education program at Northern Illinois | 14 |
| University, and the Specialist in Low Vision and Blindness | 15 |
| education program at Illinois State University.
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