RESOLUTION 5-06

WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in July 1990, AND

WHEREAS, blind and visually impaired individuals historically have experienced extreme difficulty in finding meaningful employment or advancing beyond entry level positions when employment is found, AND

WHEREAS, the provisions of ADA require reasonable accommodations for disabled persons, AND

WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employs disabled people, many of whom are blind or severely visually-impaired, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Buffalo, NY on this 19th day of August, 2006, urges VA to insure that all visually impaired and blind employees have reasonable accommodations, including necessary training on essential access technology, AND FURTHER BE IT

RESOLVED, that VA establish an aggressive outreach program to hire more disabled individuals, especially disabled veterans.

RESOLUTION 6-06

WHEREAS, currency is used by virtually everyone in everyday life including blind and visually-impaired persons, AND

WHEREAS, the currency of the United States is, at the present time, impossible to identify without vision or electric device, AND

WHEREAS, most blind and visually impaired persons are therefore required to rely upon others to determine denominations of such currency, AND

WHEREAS, this constitutes a serious impediment to independence in everyday living, AND

WHEREAS, electronic means of bill identification will always have more potential for fallibility than purely tactile means, AND

WHEREAS, readily identifiable currency is consistent with the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, AND

WHEREAS, a suitable method of visual identification has been introduced for visually-impaired persons, AND

WHEREAS, no tactile means of identifying currency has yet been developed or introduced; THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Buffalo, NY on this 19th day of August, 2006, strongly supports efforts to make currency of the United States tactually identifiable within a reasonable period of time.

RESOLUTION 7-06

WHEREAS, members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America are on duty 24 hours a day and may be subject to multiple hazards, hostile environments and unknown health conditions as a matter of course during their tours of duty in the Department of Defense, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, the Blinded Veterans Association in Convention assembled in Buffalo, NY on this 19th day of August, 2006, that these veterans shall not be innocent victims of indiscriminate budget-cutting efforts by attempting to change the method for service-connected compensation for injury or disease to performance of duty; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the current line of duty approach shall remain as the standard applied to veterans claims.

RESOLUTION 8-06

WHEREAS, nonpayment of both retirement pay and veterans disability is an injustice to the veteran, AND

WHEREAS, retirement pay is for the time served in any military branch, AND

WHEREAS, veterans disability compensation is for a disability or injury while on active duty, NOW THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, the Blinded Veterans Association in Convention Assembled in Buffalo, NY on this 19th day of August, 2006, strongly seek appropriate legislative change to permit veterans’ simultaneous receipt of disability compensation and military retirement pay without reduction of the retirement pay.