Definitions

Academic Year: The period of time between September 1 and August 31 of any year. College Training: Training at an accredited college, junior college, community college, or other degree-granting institution. Consumer: A person who is receiving vocational rehabilitation services from the Commission for the Blind or who has been determined to be eligible for such services. Commission: The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Commissioner: The Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Comparable Benefits: Those resources whichareavailable to a consumer for payment for or provision of specified vocational rehabilitation services and which must be taken into consideration prior to payment by the Commission for provision of college training services, as required by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Particular attention should be paid to the Americans with Disabilities Act which requires public accommodations and governmental entities to provide services to persons with disabilities. Counselor: A counselor for the blind on the staff of the Commission's Vocational Rehabilitation Program. Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan (IWRP): A plan, developed jointly by the counselor and consumer, as required by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which defines the consumer's vocationalgoal and outlines the responsibilities of the consumer and the Commission and the vocational rehabilitation services which will be provided in order to achieve that goal. Regional Director: The Commission employee responsible for the planning, coordination, and management of services in a designated geographical area of the Commonwealth. 6.02: continued Vocational Rehabilitation Program: Counseling, training, physical restoration, job placement, follow up, vocational rehabilitation and other services as provided in P.L. 93-112, as amended. (Note: On occasion, a term maybe changed without changingthe function of the term, e.g. a regional director could be called an area director without essentially changing the function of that position. Unless there is a material change in the function of a term, it will not be necessary to amend 111 CMR 6.00.)