(a) The department of human services shall create a division of services for the blind to develop measures for the prevention of blindness, the restoration of sight, and the vocational adjustment of blind persons, including employment in regular industries, independent business, workshops for the blind, or home industries, rehabilitation training and the instruction of adult blind in their homes; provided, that nothing in this section shall be construed to interfere with vending stands already located in state buildings and operated by blind persons.
(b) All state service regulations now in force and effect in other divisions of the department shall apply in carrying out this section; provided, that this subsection (b) does not apply to employees in the workshops for the blind paid on a piecework or hourly basis.