Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind
Purpose
Program Office: Rehabilitation Services Administration
CFDA Number: 84.177
Program Type: Formula and Discretionary Grants
Program Description
Grants are made to states to support services for individuals age 55 or older whose severe visual impairment makes competitive employment difficult to obtain but for whom independent living goals are feasible.
Types of Projects
Funds are used to: provide independent living services to older individuals who are blind; conduct activities that will improve or expand services for these individuals; and conduct activities to improve public understanding of the problems facing these individuals. For example, services are provided to help persons served under this program adjust to their blindness by increasing their ability to care for their individual needs.
Additional Information
The purpose of the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB) program is to
- provide independent living services to older individuals who are blind;
- conduct activities that will improve or expand services for these individuals; and
- conduct activities to improve public understanding of these individuals’ challenges.
Grantees are state vocational rehabilitation agencies for persons who are blind and visually impaired or, in states with no separate agency for persons who are blind, state vocational rehabilitation agencies authorized to serve all individuals with disabilities.
Formula grants for the OIB program are current-funded. However, the Act contains a provision allowing all Title VII grantees to carry over unobligated funds for an additional fiscal year. States participating in the OIB program must match every $9 of federal funds with $1 in nonfederal cash or in-kind resources in the year for which the federal funds are appropriated. Any designated state agency (DSA) is eligible for an award under this program if the DSA (a) is authorized to provide rehabilitation services to individuals who are blind and (b) submits to and obtains approval from the Secretary of an application that meets the requirements of section 752(h) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and §§ 367.30 – 367.31 of the implementing regulations.
This content was copied from www.ed.gov on 02/09/2018
Eligibility
Who May Apply: (specifically) State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies serving individuals who are blind may apply.
This content was copied from www.ed.gov on 02/09/2018
Awards to Grantees
Note on this table: the numbers shown represent the awards made during the fiscal year to RSA grantees. There may be additional set-asides for the program which are not shown.
| State | Grantee | PR Award ID | Current Awards FY 2020 | Total Awarded FY 2019 | Total Awarded FY 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200001 | $471,536 | $471,951 | $479,726 |
| Alaska | Alaska Dept of Labor and Workforce Development - Division of Vocational Rehab | H177B200002 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Arizona | Arizona Rehabilitation Services Administration | H177B200003 | $676,483 | $664,621 | $672,603 |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind | H177B200063 | $283,719 | $285,148 | $408,646 |
| California | California Department of Rehabilitation | H177B200005 | $3,324,910 | $3,354,064 | $3,380,180 |
| Colorado | Colorado Department of Labor and Employment | H177B200059 | $483,370 | $479,607 | $484,805 |
| Connecticut | Services for the Blind, Vocational Rehabilitation Program | H177B200007 | $358,398 | $361,171 | $363,652 |
| Delaware | Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired - DHHS Campus | H177B200008 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| District of Columbia | Rehabilitation Services Administration, DC Dept. on Disability Services | H177B200051 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Florida | Florida Division of Blind Services | H177B200057 | $2,295,872 | $2,276,447 | $2,292,381 |
| Georgia | Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency | H177B200058 | $871,438 | $872,855 | $871,332 |
| Hawaii | Hawaii Division of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200011 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Idaho | Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired | H177B200012 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Illinois | Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200013 | $1,164,784 | $1,173,466 | $1,186,003 |
| Indiana | Indiana Bureau of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200014 | $612,691 | $614,229 | $624,374 |
| Iowa | Iowa Department for the Blind | H177B200015 | $304,614 | $306,242 | $312,867 |
| Kansas | Kansas Department for Children and Families | H177B200016 | $265,984 | $266,925 | $272,561 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Office for the Blind | H177B180017 | — | — | $429,319 |
| Kentucky | Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (KY-C) | H177B200017 | $423,670 | $423,560 | — |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Rehabilitation Services | H177B200018 | $421,137 | $421,884 | $427,931 |
| Maine | Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired | H177B200019 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Maryland | Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200020 | $554,640 | $555,952 | $561,329 |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Commission for the Blind | H177B200021 | $661,467 | $661,419 | $668,803 |
| Michigan | Bureau of Services for Blind Persons | H177B200064 | $993,509 | $995,286 | $1,009,929 |
| Minnesota | Minnesota State Services for the Blind | H177B200023 | $523,470 | $522,306 | $528,555 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200024 | $272,992 | $275,012 | $278,431 |
| Missouri | Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind | H177B200025 | $594,405 | $594,865 | $602,346 |
| Montana | Montana Disability Employment and Transitions Division | H177B200026 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired | H177B200027 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Nevada | Nevada Rehabilitation Division | H177B200028 | $271,296 | $269,465 | $270,538 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Division of Career Technology and Adult Learning | H177B200029 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired | H177B200030 | $845,474 | $854,861 | $863,222 |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Commission for the Blind | H177B200031 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| New York | New York Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped | H177B200032 | $1,848,259 | $1,883,019 | $1,881,522 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind | H177B200033 | $964,606 | $955,236 | $963,256 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200034 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Ohio | Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities | H177B200035 | $1,148,413 | $1,153,208 | $1,174,400 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200036 | $354,419 | $354,809 | $361,819 |
| Oregon | Oregon Commission for the Blind | H177B200037 | $408,396 | $407,357 | $415,524 |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200038 | $1,318,634 | $1,327,225 | $1,354,197 |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200039 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Commission for the Blind | H177B200040 | $502,018 | $496,958 | $499,634 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Division of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired | H177B200041 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Division of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200042 | $635,035 | $632,587 | $641,764 |
| Texas | Texas Workforce Commission | H177B200060 | $2,174,499 | $2,159,283 | $2,172,726 |
| Utah | Utah State Office of Rehabilitation | H177B200061 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Vermont | Vermont Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired | H177B200045 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Virginia | Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired | H177B200046 | $770,566 | $767,441 | $776,167 |
| Washington | Washington Department of Services for the Blind | H177B200047 | $676,022 | $672,728 | $681,139 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services | H177B200062 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200049 | $576,351 | $574,695 | $583,478 |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Division of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200050 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| American Samoa | American Samoa Office of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200053 | $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Guam | Guam Division of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200054 | $40,000 | — | $40,000 |
| Northern Marianas | Northern Marianas Office of Vocational Rehabilitation | H177B200055 | $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Vocational Rehabilitation Administration | H177B200052 | $346,047 | $353,242 | $355,420 |
| Virgin Islands | Virgin Islands Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation Services | H177B200056 | $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 |
Performance
Grantees report progress on an annual basis to RSA on the RSA-7-OB form. Grantees submit their annual performance reports on-line using the https://rsa.ed.gov web site.
For more information about the RSA-7OB including instructions, please see PD-16-01—"Announcement of OMB Approval for Form RSA-7-OB, Independent Living Services for Older Individuals who are Blind Program (ILOIB) Annual Report"
Nov 30, 2015 — PDF (320KB)
This content was copied from www.ed.gov on 02/09/2018
Total Awards to RSA Grantees
Note on this table: the numbers shown represent the sum of awards made during the fiscal year to RSA grantees. There may be additional set-asides for the program which are not shown.
| CFDA Number | Program | Number of Awards FY-2020 | Current Awards FY-2020 | Total Awarded FY-2019 | Total Awarded FY-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84.177 | Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind | 56 | $32,384,124 | $32,384,124 | $32,835,579 |
Laws, Regulations and Guidance
Legislation
Regulations
Guidance
PD-16-01 — "Announcement of OMB Approval for Form RSA-7-OB, Independent Living Services for Older Individuals who are Blind Program (ILOIB) Annual Report"
Nov 30, 2015 — PDF (320KB)
PD-15-03 — "Announcement of OMB Approval for Form RSA-7-OB, Independent Living Services for Older Individuals who are Blind Program (ILOIB) Annual Report"
Dec 18, 2014 — PDF (248KB)
PD-11-03 — "Instructions for completing the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) for other formula grant award programs"
Oct 26, 2010 — PDF (80KB)
PD-05-01 — "Liquidation of Obligations Under RSA’s Formula Grants."
Mar 8, 2005 — PDF (31KB)
See also: Frequently Asked Questions on Period of Performance for Formula Grant Awards.
This content was copied from www.ed.gov on 02/09/2018
Resources
GAN Attachments
The following documents are standard attachments to a Grant Award Notification (GAN).
- RSA-1 – Carry-over requirements for formula programs (PDF 42KB)
- RSA-2 – Program income for formula programs (PDF 17KB)
- RSA-3 – Prohibition against subgranting for formula programs (PDF 22KB)
- RSA-4 – Treatment of indirect costs for purchased services (PDF 28KB)
- RSA-5 – Specific grant terms and conditions for reports (PDF 44KB)
(September 5, 2017)
This content was copied from www.ed.gov on 02/09/2018
Contacts
Roseann Ashby
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
PCP, Room 5057
Washington, DC 20202
Phone: 202-245-7258
FAX: 202-245-7590
Email: roseann.ashby@ed.gov
James Billy
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
PCP, Room 5088
Washington, DC 20202
Phone: 202-245-7273
FAX: 202-245-7590
Email: james.billy@ed.gov
This content was copied from www.ed.gov on 02/16/2018
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