REPORT OF BVA 60TH NATIONAL CONVENTION BYLAWS AND RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

Resolutions 1-05 through 3-05
Resolutions 4-05 through 6-05
Resolutions 7-05 through 10-05
Resolutions 11-05 through 13-05
Resolutions 14-05 through 17-05
Resolutions 18-05 through 21-05
Resolutions 22-05 through 23-05
Resolutions 24-05 through 27-05
Resolutions 28-05 through 29-05
Resolutions 30-05 through 32-05
Resolutions 33-05 through 35-05
Resolutions 36-05 through 38-05
Resolutions 39-05 through 41-05
Resolutions 42-05 through 43-05
Resolutions 44-05 through 45-05

RESOLUTION 36-05

WHEREAS, the Blinded Veterans Association supports expansion of Medicare to include Vision Rehabilitation Services as covered services under Medicare, AND 

WHEREAS, BVA strongly supports Vision Rehabilitation Specialists (Orientation & Mobility O&M Specialists, Rehabilitation Teachers RT’s and Low Vision Therapist LVT, being authorized for reimbursement under Medicare, AND 

WHEREAS, legislation has been approved to establish a pilot Project to test the feasibility of including Vision Rehabilitation Services and Specialists as covered services and professionals under Medicare, AND

WHEREAS, the Legislation requires that Vision Rehabilitation Specialists would have to be Certified by the Academy for Certification of Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), AND 

WHEREAS, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) does not currently require Certification of its Blind Rehabilitation Specialists, AND 

WHEREAS, Legislation adopted in the 108^th Congress approved Blind Rehabilitation Specialists to be employed under Hybrid Title 38, AND

WHEREAS, the new designation as Hybrid Title 38 will enable VA BRS to develop new hiring qualifications for Blind Rehabilitation Specialists, AND

WHEREAS, VA employees a large number of Vision Rehabilitation Specialists, AND 

WHEREAS, BVA strongly supports employing the most highly qualified professionals to provide comprehensive vision Rehab services to America’s visually impaired and blinded veterans, THEREFORE BE IT 

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in Convention Assembled in Miami Beach, Florida on this 20^th day of August, 2005, urge VA to require Certification through the Academy (ADVREP) as a condition of employment, AND FURTHER BE IT 

RESOLVED that the VA provides a suitable time period for new uncertified employees to obtain Certification.  

RESOLUTION 37-05

RESOLUTION: ACCURATE AND ADEQUATE COMPUTER TRAINING REPORTS

WHEREAS, admitting a veteran to a VA blind rehabilitation center for computer training costs approximately $28,000, AND

WHEREAS, the BVA feels this training should reflect an accurate accounting of the number of hours of actual training a veteran receives by an and in the presence of a qualified instructor, AND

WHEREAS, the BVA is concerned that veterans attending a BRC CAT program are not receiving adequate and sufficient face to face instruction, AND

WHEREAS, reports of purported training times include independent study by veterans when no instructor is present, AND

WHEREAS, BVA finds the reporting of time a veteran spends in individual practice without supervision as training with a qualified instructor inaccurate, inadequate and unacceptable; THEREFORE BE IT 

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Miami Beach, Florida on this 20^th day of August, 2005, urges the Secretary of Veterans Affairs be requested to require VA Blind Rehabilitation Service implement policies and procedures to ensure accurate training hours are reported and that such training hours clearly reflect the time a veteran has received actual face to face training from a qualified CAT instructor and does not include the time a veteran has spent independently practicing and doing homework assignments without supervision.

RESOLUTION 38-05

RESOLUTION: BLIND VETERANS WANT VIST COORDINATORS TO BE AUTHORIZED TO TEACH THEM SCRIPTALK

WHEREAS, the BVA has found the Scrip Talk to be an easy to use device, AND

WHEREAS, VIST Coordinators provide hands on instruction on a use of a wide variety of aids for the blind, AND

WHEREAS, the VIST Coordinator is the case manager of blinded veterans, AND

WHEREAS, the VIST Coordinator is the local subject matter expert on aids for the blind, AND

WHEREAS, there is no logical reason to prohibit VIST Coordinators from instructing a blind veteran to use the simple Scrip Talk device, AND

WHEREAS, BRS restriction causes unnecessary delays and adds unnecessary complications in the issuance process; THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Miami Beach, Florida on this 20^th day of August, 2005, supports that members desire their VIST Coordinator be authorized to provide instruction in the use of the Scrip Talk device, AND FURTHER BE IT 

RESOLVED, that this resolution be included in the written and oral testimony of the BVA to Congress.

Resolutions 39-05 through 41-05 >