Private firm donates to OVR-SILC

In a bid to extend assistance to hundreds of vocational rehabilitation consumers, a private company on Friday donated cash money to State Independent Living Council and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.

US-CNMI Development Corporation officials William Fong and Bill Jones presented a cash donation to OVR Director Felicitas Abraham, SILC Chair Brian Farley and Vice Chair Ben Sablan.

Ms. Abraham said the donation is part of the goal of US-CNMI Development Corp. to assist consumers who need technical and rehabilitation assistance such as assistive devices and employment referrals.

For the past years, OVR has been actively promoting the lives of individuals with disabilities by providing them employment and other forms of support.

Based on the FY 2000 Annual Report released by the OVR, the agency has extended assistance to at least 450 individuals of different ethnicity and age group since 1998.

Under the consumer profile of the report, OVR served more than 130 consumers in 1998; 157 in 1999; and 162 in 2000. Of these, 62 percent are Chamorro, 15 percent are Carolinians, seven percent are Palauan and three percent are Chuukese.

According to Ms. Abraham these consumers received services under the Basic Support and Supported Employment Programs of the OVR.

The report further disclosed that almost 37 percent of the said number are between 20 to 34 years old, followed by 35-44 years old with 22 percent and 20 percent are individuals who were under 20 years of age.

For FY2000, OVR has exemplary exceeded its performance indicators on the areas of number of individuals exiting the VR program who achieved an employment outcome; percentage of those who exit the VR program in competitive, self, or employment with earnings equivalent to at least the minimum wage, among others.

Helping the OVR on its mission to serve is the SILC which is a federally funded program receiving a small annual US Federal grant for operations of the Council.

The purpose of the SILC is to promote the provision of Independent Living services to eligible persons in the Commonwealth, that applies for and initially operates under a basic US grant.

OVR’s responsibilities include helping eligible persons with disabilities who want to enter the workforce; SILC’s mandate includes persons of all ages with significant disabilities, usually those persons who are unable to work. The goal of the SILC and its center are to make persons more independent in their family and community living conditions.

SILC is now working with the Hawaii Center for Independent Living to get the first center started and has advertised for a director in the CNMI.

As the center grows, and as local funding is made available from the Legislature and business section, greater services will be provided to eligible persons according to what the community needs, including care services and devices and home modifications. (LA)