CBVH Executive Statement
In 2007, legislation in New York established an Executive Board of the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. Dr. Tara A. Cortes, President and CEO of Lighthouse International, was appointed by Governor Elliot Spitzer, to serve as a member of the Board for a three-year term. The scope of the Board's work will include examination and analysis of services for all individuals who are blind or visually handicapped from infancy through old age, whether residing in the community or in institutions and will address issues of prevention, detection, intervention, education, rehabilitation, and vocational rehabilitation.
The mission of the Board includes:
identification of problems and deficiencies in programs and services to blind and visually impaired persons
recommendations for improvement so that services are planned, created and delivered in a coordinated, effective and comprehensive manner
encouraging the development of new services and programs designed to help people who are blind
The meetings of the Executive Board, except when in executive session, are open to the public and announcements of the time and place of meetings will be posted on this website. If you wish, you may send your comments or suggestions to the Board via e-mail at ExecutiveBoardCBVH@jgb.org. All e-mail received will be addressed by the appropriate committees, but will not be individually answered.