If blind, do not keep company with lemmings...
My first posting while not the most egregious, is certainly the silliest. It would be a comedy if the circumstances were less dire.
This case came to my attention a little over a month ago and I have been tracking it attentively. If it were placed to music you would find it on the shelf someplace between "Chicago" and "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" for butt-covering, self-serving, desperately inept politicians, oblivious clerical staff, and forms of linguistic art which casts a blind woman in desperate need of help, in the role of villain and author of her own victimization. David Copperfield has nothing to teach the folks at Rent Assistance in Milwaukee.
There will be heroes and villains both aplenty in the follow-up if it proves necessary.
The story starts back in February...
We will call our central protagonist, Doreen, because this is in fact her name. She has no reason to hide her identity, because she is one of the very few persons involved with this that has no reason to cheat the spotlight. Others involved aren’t named in this posting primarily because this posting is more concerned with the fixing of this and ALL similar problems by making these folks aware of the appearance of these events, and how unreasonable they seem from the outside.
The rough timeline looks something like this:
An institution charged with assisting the disabled and handicapped ignores a legal request for accommodation of a conspicuous physical limitation. The request itself is not necessary since they have met her personally and know her to be blind.
The disabled person misses a hearing date to establish that she is still blind, because the notice of the hearing date was sent as a type written letter contrary to her request. The type written letter was sent to an address on file with Rent Assistance, known by Rent Assistance to be a property owned by an assisted living facility for the visually impaired.
The rent assistance she relies upon to meet her basic survival needs is canceled without further notice or follow-up attempt to contact her.
The persons responsible for the problem have elected to blame her for failing to appear for a hearing of which they failed to notify her, rather than simply accept that an unfortunate breakdown in communication occurred, and expediting a solution.
After suitable pressure was applied from outside, they have reissued a new hearing date, but refuse to accept responsibility for the initial problem. They have even required that the request for a new hearing come from a third party.
This is an astounding arrogance and disrespect to Doreen. First to ignore her request, and then to discount her as a human being with regard to her basic civil rights.
Doreen has another hearing in a few days. At that time a follow up will be posted.
I have received some small amount of cooperation from members of the Rent Assistance program and wish to encourage the continued progress toward their understanding and willing cooperation. Some members seem to have more interest in remaining anonymous than in correcting this mistake. I will not reveal sources for any information or cooperation I have already received. Those who make this about covering their backsides rather than righting an unfortunate mistake might however find themselves featured in the follow-up. It has been said that Ethics are that which we do, while no one is watching.
We will be watching.
This case came to my attention a little over a month ago and I have been tracking it attentively. If it were placed to music you would find it on the shelf someplace between "Chicago" and "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" for butt-covering, self-serving, desperately inept politicians, oblivious clerical staff, and forms of linguistic art which casts a blind woman in desperate need of help, in the role of villain and author of her own victimization. David Copperfield has nothing to teach the folks at Rent Assistance in Milwaukee.
There will be heroes and villains both aplenty in the follow-up if it proves necessary.
The story starts back in February...
We will call our central protagonist, Doreen, because this is in fact her name. She has no reason to hide her identity, because she is one of the very few persons involved with this that has no reason to cheat the spotlight. Others involved aren’t named in this posting primarily because this posting is more concerned with the fixing of this and ALL similar problems by making these folks aware of the appearance of these events, and how unreasonable they seem from the outside.
The rough timeline looks something like this:
An institution charged with assisting the disabled and handicapped ignores a legal request for accommodation of a conspicuous physical limitation. The request itself is not necessary since they have met her personally and know her to be blind.
The disabled person misses a hearing date to establish that she is still blind, because the notice of the hearing date was sent as a type written letter contrary to her request. The type written letter was sent to an address on file with Rent Assistance, known by Rent Assistance to be a property owned by an assisted living facility for the visually impaired.
The rent assistance she relies upon to meet her basic survival needs is canceled without further notice or follow-up attempt to contact her.
The persons responsible for the problem have elected to blame her for failing to appear for a hearing of which they failed to notify her, rather than simply accept that an unfortunate breakdown in communication occurred, and expediting a solution.
After suitable pressure was applied from outside, they have reissued a new hearing date, but refuse to accept responsibility for the initial problem. They have even required that the request for a new hearing come from a third party.
This is an astounding arrogance and disrespect to Doreen. First to ignore her request, and then to discount her as a human being with regard to her basic civil rights.
Doreen has another hearing in a few days. At that time a follow up will be posted.
I have received some small amount of cooperation from members of the Rent Assistance program and wish to encourage the continued progress toward their understanding and willing cooperation. Some members seem to have more interest in remaining anonymous than in correcting this mistake. I will not reveal sources for any information or cooperation I have already received. Those who make this about covering their backsides rather than righting an unfortunate mistake might however find themselves featured in the follow-up. It has been said that Ethics are that which we do, while no one is watching.
We will be watching.
posted by Wolfe at Large at 3:40 AM
1 Comments:
If Silence may be said to be a lie of omission, then the situation at Milwaukee Rent Assistance might be said to be an Epic of tales untold.
I have received information as yet unvarified that this is not a unique occurance.
The general policy of the Milwaukee Rent Assistance office seems to be based upon "scattershot" rules. Apply a single simplified rule set to a large number of targets and then accept that some of the people who need help most will simply fall out.
It would apparently be most convenient if these folks would just die quietly and cease to be such a bother.
Anyone having information regarding possible events of this type are encouraged to contact me. If I find that any such case has been mishandled to the extent that death or injury has resulted I am prepared to take this matter a step beyond an encouragement to fix broken policy. If I am able to varify such a case involving death or injury, those responsible will be finding themselves answering for the costs of their professional eneue at a more general level of government.
It really is just such a damned shame how inconvenient the crippled people of the world make their jobs.
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