BRS Community Resources & Advocacy 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A BRS assists a client in applying for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. Under WIOA, which order of selection tier receives services first when a state VR agency cannot serve all eligible individuals?
- Individuals with any disability, prioritized by application date
- Individuals with most significant disabilities, as defined by the state (Correct answer)
- Individuals who were previously employed and need retraining
- Individuals with the highest academic credentials
Correct answer: Individuals with most significant disabilities, as defined by the state
Under WIOA, when an order of selection is implemented, individuals with the most significant disabilities must be served first.
Question 2: Which organization produces the annual 'state of blindness' statistical reports and conducts the Annual Survey of Educational Services for Students with Visual Impairments?
- American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
- National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- American Printing House for the Blind (APH) (Correct answer)
- Prevent Blindness America
Correct answer: American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
The American Printing House for the Blind conducts the Annual Census of students with visual impairments receiving special education services.
Question 3: In the context of housing advocacy for a blind client, which federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on disability and requires reasonable accommodations such as allowing a guide dog in a no-pets building?
- Section 811 of the National Affordable Housing Act
- Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988 (FHAA) (Correct answer)
- Americans with Disabilities Act Title II
- Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS)
Correct answer: Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988 (FHAA)
The Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988 prohibit disability-based housing discrimination and require landlords to make reasonable accommodations, including allowing service animals.
Question 4: A blind client traveling internationally encounters barriers at a foreign embassy in Washington D.C. Which U.S. law would most likely apply to require accessibility accommodations at that embassy?
- ADA Title III, covering foreign entities operating in the U.S.
- Section 504, if the embassy receives any U.S. federal funding
- The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), which covers federally funded or constructed facilities
- Foreign embassies are exempt from all U.S. disability access laws (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Foreign embassies are exempt from all U.S. disability access laws
Foreign embassies enjoy diplomatic immunity and are generally exempt from U.S. domestic disability access laws including the ADA and ABA.
Question 5: Which tool does a BRS use to assess a client's readiness and barriers related to technology adoption for independent living?
- The Functional Vision and Learning Media Assessment (FV/LMA)
- The AT Readiness Survey or Assistive Technology Assessment Framework (Correct answer)
- The Lighthouse Near Vision Acuity Card
- The Beck Depression Inventory adapted for vision loss
Correct answer: The AT Readiness Survey or Assistive Technology Assessment Framework
Assistive technology readiness surveys and AT assessment frameworks evaluate a client's skills, motivation, and environmental factors affecting technology adoption.
Question 6: A BRS is assisting an employer with ADA compliance for a newly blind employee. Which resource provides free, expert consultation to employers on disability accommodations at no cost?
- National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN) (Correct answer)
- U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN)
- Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)
Correct answer: Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides free, confidential guidance to employers and employees on workplace accommodations under the ADA.
Question 7: The Independent Living (IL) philosophy, as embedded in WIOA Title V, emphasizes which core principle for blind individuals?
- Medical model treatment to restore maximum vision
- Consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, and equal access (Correct answer)
- Sheltered employment as a transitional step toward competitive integrated employment
- Family-directed care planning with professional oversight
Correct answer: Consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, and equal access
The IL philosophy centers on consumer control and self-determination, empowering individuals with disabilities to make their own life decisions rather than relying on professional direction.
BRS Community Resources & Advocacy 4
A BRS assists a client in applying for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services.
Under WIOA, which order of selection tier receives services first when a state VR agency cannot serve all eligible individuals?