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ERIC Number: EJ1025681
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-482X
EISSN: N/A
Randolph-Sheppard National Online Training Curriculum for Program Staff: Findings from a National Survey of Randolph-Sheppard Directors
Bybee, Jacquelyn; Cavenaugh, Brenda S.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, v108 n2 p157-162 Mar-Apr 2013
The Randolph-Sheppard Business Enterprise Program provides employment for more than 2,300 entrepreneurs who are legally blind across the United States. Moreover, these entrepreneurs employ an additional 14,000 people, of whom almost 2,000 are visually impaired or have other disabilities (Rehabilitation Services Administration [RSA], 2010). With annual program sales of more than $800 million, the average annual income of individual entrepreneurs is approximately $60,000. Signed into law in 1936, the Randolph-Sheppard Act (20 U.S.C. §107 et seq) grants individuals who are legally blind the authority to operate food service facilities on federal property. Over the years, the Randolph-Sheppard program has changed dramatically from single vendor-managed concessions and newsstands to large military food service facilities, kiosks, convenience stores, laundry facilities, restaurants, snack bars, automated vending machine operations, and other similar businesses. For a number of reasons, the Randolph-Sheppard program has seen a decline in the last two decades in the number of facilities and blind entrepreneurs. In an effort to expand and improve the effectiveness of the Randolph-Sheppard program, stakeholders (for example, the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, consumer groups, and state licensing agency administrators) in collaboration with RSA joined together in the development of five performance goals (National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, 1997). Goal 3 addressed national training initiatives, including the development of training for Randolph-Sheppard staff members. The purpose of this article is to report research activities in support of Goal 3 that will culminate in the development of a national online training curriculum for Randolph-Sheppard staff members.
American Foundation for the Blind. 11 Penn Plaza Suite 300, New York, NY 10001. Tel: 800-232-5463; Tel: 212-502-7600; e-mail: afbinfo@afb.net; Web site: http://www.afb.org/store
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A