Iowa blind lobby seeks additional funding for services

It's just a “small drop in the bucket,” but an additional $500,000 appropriation for the Department for the Blind is a major concern for sight-impaired Iowans.

Michael Barber, president of the national Federation of the Blind of Iowa, is lobbying Iowa lawmakers to include the additional half-million dollars in House File 604, a $964 million appropriations bill that funds the College Student Aid Commission, Department of Education, Board of Regents and the Department for the Blind and 12,292.6 FTEs.

Barber was at the conference committee meeting Wednesday to lobby for the Senate version of the bill that would appropriate $2.24 million and fund 88 FTEs at the Department for the Blind.

The governor's recommendation for a $200,000 increase from the current $1.74 million budget isn't enough to sustain programs and services to the blind, Barber said.

In recent years, the department has received level-funded budgets that have resulted in the layoffs of four full-time and two part-time staff members.

In addition, he noted that while budgets have remained constant, costs have risen.

“I'm fearful of more layoffs,” he said.

That would lead to possible service delays to blind Iowans who get help with living independently, orientation and adjustment assistance, help finding jobs and starting businesses.

According to Barber, about 10,000 of the 69,000 sight-impaired Iowans receive services from the department.

“It's high time Iowa step up to the plate and recognize that programs for blind are an investment,” Barber said. “People who get services become employed, taxpaying citizens and that gives them joy and pride to be able to feed their families and upright pillars of community like sighted people.”

Finding the additional $500,000 “should be an easy compromise,” Rep. Daniel Lundby, D-Marion, said. He's been pushing for funding, specifically for Iowans with macular degeneration. It's a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. It's a leading cause of vision loss and legal blindness in adults over 60

HF 604 calls for an overall increase in education appropriations of $103.1 million and an increase of 15.9 FTEs.

The conference committee elected co-chairmen – Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington, and Rep. Cecil Dolecheck, R-Mount Ayr. Another meeting will be scheduled.

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