Purpose

1. The Federal Government’s Role in the Field of Visual Impairment and Blindness: 1918-1963Tilly R. Steele

2. Purpose To present a systems theory analysis approach to Better understand how legislative windows opened to Provide opportunities for new legislation to be passed that led to The development of the field of visual impairment and blindness.

3. Systems Analysis • Focuses on the interrelationship between the political system and the environment. • This interrelationship generates demands, inputs, or supports of the political system. • Actors in the political system then decide if or how to respond.

4. Systems Analysis • Examines the relationship between a political system and its environment. • Analyzes the political system in dynamic terms. • Interprets the political processes as a continuous and interlinked flow of behavior.

5. Systems Analysis • Conveys the idea that the political system looks like a perpetual conversion process. • Converts demands and support as they are shaped in the environment into action.

6. Definitions • Demands-pressures on the government for justice or help for reward or recognition. • Inputs-basic information on which the system acts in order to produce outputs. • Supports-the willingness of citizens to accept the decisions of the system.

7. Definitions Continued • Outputs-decisions and actions of the political system that reshape the environment in some way. • FeedbackLoop-society’s response to the outputs, when then creates a new round of demands, inputs, and responses within the political system.

8. Model of a Political System Environment Environment Political System Inputs Demands Supports Environment Decisions & Actions Feedback Loop

9. 1918-1920’s INPUTS: World War I Influx of wounded soldiers 1918: Soldiers’ Rehabilitation Act: Assured benefits to soldiers only Federal Government 1920: Smith Fess Act: Established 1st broad based federal vocational assistance to people whose disabilities were not the result of injury from war. INPUTS: Public outcry for benefits for civilians with disabilities Federal Government

10. Great Depression Era INPUTS: Great Depression: Political efforts focus on jobs for all • SSI established state plans for aid for individuals who were legally blind • However, some individuals who were legally blind wanted the opportunity to earn a living, leading to. . . Federal Government 1935: SSI becomes permanent federal program

11. 1936: The Randolph Sheppard Act NEW INPUTS: Public demand for more employment opportunities for individuals who were legally blind. • Authorized vending stands in federal buildings to be run by individuals who were blind. • Soldiers were being given location preference over civilians, leading to. . . . Federal Government 1936: Randolph Sheppard Act

12. 1938: Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act NEW INPUTS: Hawes-Cooper Act Competition with convict labor. AAWB AAIB AFB • Expanded employment by allowing sheltered workshops to sell products to the federal government. • Aided in the establishment of National Industries for the Blind, Inc. (NIB). FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 1938: Javits-Wagner O’Day Act

13. World War II INPUTS: WWII Advocates for individuals who were legally blind Veterans Administration • Federal government advocated for a unified bill to provide rehabilitation services to all. • Results preserved soldiers’ benefits separate from civilian benefits, which led to. . . Federal Government 1943: P.L. 78-16 Vocational Rehabilitation Act

14. Barden-LaFollette Act: • Established a separate unit for persons who were legally blind. • Established more jobs for individuals who were legally blind. • Led to the realization that there were no trained professionals to work with the patients who needed rehabilitation services. NEW INPUTS: Public pressure for civilian rehabilitation benefits. AAWB AAIB AFB Federal Government 1943: Barden- LaFollette Act P.L. 781-113

15. Personnel Preparation INPUTS: Vocational Rehab Act Shift in demographics Advocacy efforts Federal Government 1958: P.L. 85-926 $$ for personnel prep of students with mental retardation NEW INPUTS: Public demand for expanding $$ to include training teachers of students with hearing and speech impairments Federal Government 1961: P.L. 87-276 $$ for prep of teachers of students with hearing & speech impairments

16. NEW INPUTS: Public demand for training of teachers of students with any exceptionality Federal Government 1963: P.L. 88-164 Extended $$ for personal preparation of all teachers of students with exceptionality TITLE II: supports colleges and universities to create new training centers

17. Conclusion • The federal government has had an impact on the development in the field of visual impairment and blindness. • Advocacy should continue to place demands on the federal government to respond to the needs of individuals with vision loss. • Advocates should examine the political environment to determine when legislative windows are open for change.