Meeting Minutes

AZ-AER BUSINESS Meeting II
(Fall Conference - Gold Canyon Resort)
Friday, November 09, 2007

Meeting called to order at 10:00 AM.
Present: AZ AER MEMBERSHIP, BOARD MEMBERS and CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS

Meeting called to order by Venetia Hayden, President at 10:15 AM. Introduced new and returning board members. Past President Dorinda Rife presented proposed 2 resolutions to the membership.

1. Submitted by Julie Urban. Opened for discussion. Kerry Duncan asked for clarification. Julie left it open deliberately so others could add to it if she overlooked something. “And typewriting” was added. The use of calculators was addressed (one person thought they should not be used by VI students, one person thought they should be). Accommodations on IEPs should be documented and followed. No non-standard accommodations are allowed currently. A question of extended time was brought up. In all current IEPs, non-standard accommodations are not allowed. Dorinda asked if Julie was comfortable with a draft of this resolution to include these discussed items. If non-standard accommodations are not allowed, how can we meet individualized needs.

Motion: Penny Rosenblum
Second: Kerry Duncan
RESOLUTION PASSED

1. Ed Gervasoni: Whereas the deaf-blind citizens of Arizona are often times not able to access the community to meet their independent living, business, leisure and recreational and self-advocation needs without the assistance of trained others and whereas as the services, which has been identified by the deaf-blind community as Support Service Providers for the deaf-blind (SSPs) are not available or funded for most deaf blind citizens of AZ yet greatly needed.

Be it resolved that AZ AER will write a letter in support of the advent and existence of these services on a statewide level.
Motion: Jane Erin
Second: April ??? 
RESOLUTION PASSED

1. Write a letter to Tom Horn expressing our disagreement over the elimination of Non-Standard accommodations from the IEP for purposes of standardized testing. The membership and board agreed to table this issue for the spring workshop so further discussion amongst the members can take place via the listserv, email, etc. We can also vote via mail if needed so we do not wait until spring.

Motion to Table the Issue, Communication via Listserv and Vote Via Mail:  Patty Arnold-Rutkoff and Venetia Hayden
Second: Joan van den Bos
RESOLUTION PASSED

Karla presented a pilot program of RSA (Rehabilitation Services Administration) in that vocational rehabilitation involvement with our students with visual impairments will begin to take place as early as their Freshman year of high school (age 14). The students could then access services available to them as early as the summer after their freshman year. RSA will pay for the services provided to students. Colorado Center for the Blind, FBC, and Arkansas. Karla distributed a letter that can be copied and distributed to parents including this information.

Penny passed around a list encouraging everyone to join the AZ AER listserv.

Jane Erin: Change in publications nationally. RE:view has been discontinued based on financial concerns. They hope to move to a different publisher at a lower cost. AER made this decision with much thought behind it. The communication regarding this change was very quick. Jane will pass along any further information as this continues to unfold.

AZ AER website can now link up to host National AER Website for a fee. Penny Rosenblum was recognized for her dedicated efforts to upkeep the AZ AER website. Benefits of this would be more immediate links to other AER chapters and their websites. Cost is $400 for the switch-over and then $15 per month additional. The new website will have the same layout as the National AER website and will be fully accessible to those using screen readers or other programs. All info can be sent directly to AER National and they will put the information on our website for us. The membership and board agreed to go ahead and participate in this.

Venetia announced a new O&M job opening in the Phoenix area. See Joan Ellis for details.

The Wigwam in the White Mountains was suggested for future fall conferences. The board is encouraging everyone to let them know about hotels or resorts that are accessible and would be good locations for future conferences. 

Milo acknowledged the vendors who either set up tables at this conference and/or sent handouts, promotional materials and door prize donations and encouraged the membership to solicit their businesses for their support of our organization.

Dorinda discussed an O&M listserv being initiated by Penny.
 
Meeting adjourned at 11:20AM.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark Brady
AZ AER Secretary