Department of Rehabilitation: blindness.

Under existing law, the Department of Rehabilitation provides comprehensive, coordinated, effective, efficient, and accountable programs of vocational rehabilitation and independent living for individuals with disabilities, particularly individuals with the most severe disabilities, so that these individuals may prepare for and engage in gainful employment and live more independently. Existing law requires the department to recommend to each organization or agency, the purpose of which is to provide services to the blind, that receives grants or contracts from the department the number of blind members of the board that is appropriate to meet the needs of the community being served by that board. This bill would, instead, require that an organization or agency whose sole purpose is to provide services to the blind or visually impaired, that receives grants or contracts from the department, have at least 20% blind or visually impaired individuals as board members.