Help for blind and impaired vision coming via MA Blind Commission

"The commission has now officially turned the page. Last month, Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh replaced D’Arcangelo with John Oliveira, a veteran worker whose appointment prompted sustained applause during a staff meeting when it was announced, according to union representatives.

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Oliveira, 62, is respected and well liked, said people who fought to oust the previous commissioner, but his appointment alone won’t rebuild an agency that remains plagued with slow service and overwhelming case loads.

“It took a long time for the commission to deteriorate as much as it did,” said Amy Ruell, a Maine-based national advocate for blind people with impaired vision who until recently lived in Massachusetts. “It’s going to take a long time for it to recapture some of its power and service delivery.”

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https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/10/metro/blind-commission-massachusetts-darcangelo-oliveira/

John Oliveira, the new commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind.LANE TURNER/GLOBE STAFF