Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1981)
Center continues work despite uncertain grants By PAMELA GOVERNALE 01 *m ErnaraM Uncertain funding is “taken for granted" by programs at the Center on Human Development They have always relied on hard-to-get grants This insecurity is bound to intensify as federal money, the major grant source, becomes even harder to get The center,a division of Special Education and Rehabilitation, coordinates a variety of programs for han dicapped people, from pure research to educational and diagnostic services ‘The center helps the severely and profoundly impaired.’ Grants supply the bulk of the center's $2.6 million budget, says Lane Hoxworth, Special Education and Rehabilitation business manager. Some money also comes from smaller sources such as county and state agencies Not surprisingly, keeping track of possible fund sources is a major undertaking, says Bob Schwarz, center director "Last year there were 298 applications from across the country for this grant, and 11 were funded," Schwarz says "That’s a 3-percent chance." It may not be worth the 50-100 hours required to prepare an application, he says One of the projects at the center is a vocational program geared to severely and profoundly retarded adults The specialized training, dir ected by Tom Bellamy, has developed a workshop model where workers produce sprockets, electronic cables, circuit board parts, and other mechanical and electrical components. The workshop presently employs 16 people "The tasks they perform are not necessarily simple," Bel lamy says "They may be quite complicated and take time to learn, but that is the invest ment the program makes to give the workers a saleable skill " Bellamy says there are no plans to expand the shop In stead. expansion will occur by making the program available to other communities who share Bellamy s commitment to "realize the potential for productive work of people who are severely retarded." Currently 10 workshops based on the Eugene model operate in four states, with plans for more to open "I'm not too worried about continued funding," Bellamy says. "We re dealing with an area that hits pretty close to home for a lot of people " The main source of funding for handicap service programs across the country is facing a possible cut from $4 million annually to $3 million as recommended by a House committee, or even to 52.4 million, proposed by a Senate committee ‘Last year 298 applied. . . only 11 were funded.’ Diane Bricker of the Early Intervention Program at the Center, says she is also con cerned about funding "Our programs could well be in jeopardy if appropria tions are maintained at the level Congress is aiming at " Bricker directs a research program and a service pro gram that rely on separate grants Both three-year pro grams are in their second year The research project is a study of at-risk" babies who have spent three or more days in the newborn intensive care unit at Sacred Heart Hospital According to Bricker, at-risk infants are known to risk later developmental delays more Photo by Marti Pyn*« One of the projects at the center is a vocational program geared to severely and profoundly retarded adults often than other babies The Early Intervention Pro gram also develops educa tional curricula for children who have motor or visual im pairments, physical or behavioral delays in develop ment, or other problems Personnel from the program visit children younger than 15 months at home, working closely with a child s mother or father The program is funded by a federal grant that awarded $20 million nationally in 1981; but the House committee would trim that to $16 7 million, while the Senate prefers $7.5 mil lion "This means that some pro grams are simply going to be eliminated, and the others will be cut back.' Bricker says I df5 Supplies Legal Pad, Letter Size 39C Reg 55c Spiral Notebook, 73/4x5, 80 sheet 59c Reg 75c File Boxes, Assorted Colors, Plastic, 3x5 67c Reg 89c 4x6 $1.17 Reg $1.49 5x8 $1.87 Reg $2.49 T m MOl> CAROS T Index Cards, Ruled or Plain n 3x5 Reg 35c 24c 4x6 Reg 59c 41c 5x8 Reg 89c 63c Date Books, 1981-1982 Academic Year 99c Reg $1.25 Letter Size $1.49 Filler Paper, 300 sheets $1.47 Reg $2.19 Pencil Sharpeners 4 models by Berol $5.70-$10.65 25% off i-egaioize H-Hi Desk Tray ggc Reg $1.99 13th & Kincaid Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30 Sat 10:00-5:30 Textbooks M6-3S20 • General Books M6-3S10 • Supplies MO-4331 Sale ends 10/31 Limited to stock on hand uo BOOKSTORE
