BRS Community Resources & Advocacy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency administers the Randolph-Sheppard Act, giving blind vendors priority for operating vending facilities on federal property?
- Social Security Administration
- Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (Correct answer)
- Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance
- Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Service
Correct answer: Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration
The Randolph-Sheppard Act is administered by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) within the U.S. Department of Education.
Question 2: A BRS specialist is helping a client who is blind and deaf apply for SSI. Which determination is most critical to establish eligibility?
- Whether the client owns a home valued under $600,000
- Whether the client's combined disability meets the SSA definition of blindness or disability with income below the threshold (Correct answer)
- Whether the client has a documented IQ below 70
- Whether the client served in the military for at least 90 days
Correct answer: Whether the client's combined disability meets the SSA definition of blindness or disability with income below the threshold
SSI eligibility requires meeting SSA's definition of blindness or disability combined with income and resource limits below federal thresholds.
Question 3: The National Industries for the Blind (NIB) primarily supports employment for people who are blind through which mechanism?
- Operating a national job board exclusively for blind applicants
- Facilitating AbilityOne contracts that require nonprofit agencies employing blind workers to produce goods/services for the federal government (Correct answer)
- Providing direct hiring through NIB-owned manufacturing plants
- Administering Section 503 compliance audits for federal contractors
Correct answer: Facilitating AbilityOne contracts that require nonprofit agencies employing blind workers to produce goods/services for the federal government
NIB facilitates AbilityOne Program contracts, enabling nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind to supply products and services to the federal government.
Question 4: When advocating for a student who is blind under IDEA, a BRS working as part of an IEP team should ensure which Braille-related requirement is addressed?
- All IEP goals must be written in Braille format
- Braille instruction must be provided unless the IEP team determines it is not appropriate based on the child's needs (Correct answer)
- Braille instruction is mandatory for all students who are legally blind
- Braille services require separate parental consent beyond the IEP signature
Correct answer: Braille instruction must be provided unless the IEP team determines it is not appropriate based on the child's needs
IDEA requires that Braille instruction be provided to students who are blind unless the IEP team, including parents, determines another literacy medium is more appropriate.
Question 5: A client with low vision wants to continue driving with bioptic telescopic lenses. Which organization provides the most relevant guidance on bioptic driving standards by state?
- American Blind Lawyers Association
- Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) (Correct answer)
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration only
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Correct answer: Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
AER provides professional guidance and resources on bioptic driving programs and state-by-state regulatory information relevant to low vision specialists.
Question 6: Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), airlines are required to do which of the following for passengers who are blind?
- Provide a complimentary companion seat at no charge
- Allow service animals in the cabin and provide pre-boarding assistance upon request (Correct answer)
- Assign bulkhead seating automatically to all blind passengers
- Require medical documentation before permitting travel without a sighted escort
Correct answer: Allow service animals in the cabin and provide pre-boarding assistance upon request
The ACAA mandates that airlines permit service animals in the cabin and offer pre-boarding and other accommodations to passengers with disabilities upon request.
Question 7: Which program provides free audio-described and Braille materials to eligible blind and physically disabled Americans through a network of cooperating libraries?
- Library of Congress Talking Books and Braille Center (formerly NLS) (Correct answer)
- National Federation of the Blind Newsline
- American Printing House for the Blind catalog service
- Bookshare cooperative lending network
Correct answer: Library of Congress Talking Books and Braille Center (formerly NLS)
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), part of the Library of Congress, provides free Braille and audio materials through a national network.
BRS Community Resources & Advocacy 2
Which federal agency administers the Randolph-Sheppard Act, giving blind vendors priority for operating vending facilities on federal property?