REPORT OF BVA 63RD NATIONAL CONVENTION BYLAWS AND RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

Resolutions 1-08 through 4-08
Resolutions 5-08 through 8-08
Resolutions 9-08 through 11-08
Resolutions 12-08 through 17-08
Resolutions 18-08 through 23-08
Resolutions 24-08 through 27-08
Resolutions 28-08 through 32-08
Resolutions 33-08 through 36-08
Resolutions 37-08 through 44-08

RESOLUTION 1-08

RESOLVED, that the National President shall send letters of appreciation to organizations and individuals contrib­uting to the success of the 63rd National Convention, as well as to other individuals and organizations assisting and supporting BVA during the past year.

RESOLUTION 2-08

WHEREAS, the Visual Impairment Service Team (VIST) approach to service delivery was established in 1967 to provide much needed outreach services to blinded veterans, AND

WHEREAS, because of staffing and funding problems, these services have not been provided to all eligible blinded veterans, or in equal proportions, AND

WHEREAS, the VIST Coordinator is the TEAM member responsible for initiating aggressive outreach activities and the timely delivery of comprehensive services, AND

WHEREAS, in several stations, VIST Coordinators have other respon­sibilities in addition to the VISTs, thus precluding the provision of needed services to all eligible veterans, AND

WHEREAS, the quality and quantity of services are directly dependent upon the amount of time that the Coordinator has to devote to this assignment and upon that person's knowledge and motivation to provide the needed services, AND

WHEREAS, in some stations these services have been even further eroded by decisions made by supervisors regarding the selection, placement, and changing of Coordinators, AND

WHEREAS, it is understood that direct funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office has been provided to such programs as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, day treatment centers, spinal cord injury centers, etc., AND

WHEREAS, more efficient and timely services could be provided to eligible blinded veterans if a similar approach was taken to the funding of Full-Time Coordinators for VIS Teams, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Phoenix, Arizona on this 16th day of August, 2008, hereby strongly urges the Depart­ment of Veterans Affairs to take prompt, positive action to provide funding for Full-Time Coordinators of all remaining VIS Teams presently not so funded in the Department of Veterans Affairs system, AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Director of Blind Rehabilitation Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Headquarters, should concur in the selection, placement, and assignment of staff personnel filling the positions of VIS Team Coordinators.

RESOLUTION 3-08

WHEREAS, visual impairments are the third most prevalent factor in limiting the activities of individuals, AND

WHEREAS, the prevalence of visual impairments of those aged 65 and over is eight times the rate for those under 65, and 50 percent of all visually impaired persons in the United States are over the age of 65, AND

WHEREAS, 70-80 percent of individuals over age 65 currently classified as legally blind can be helped to perform daily living functions by low-vision or vision rehabilitation services, AND

WHEREAS, financial resources are often a key factor in receiving such assis­tance, AND

WHEREAS, under current law, vision rehabilitation services and aids for the blind are excluded from coverage by Medicare or Medicaid, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Phoenix, Arizona, on this 16th day of August, 2008, supports coverage under Medicare and Medicaid programs of vision aids for visually-impaired persons eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

  RESOLUTION 4-08

WHEREAS, federal funding for stipends and fellowships for students in personnel training programs to be teachers of the visually handicapped, orientation and mobility instructors, rehabilitation teachers, and counselors for the blind have been reduced each year since 1976, AND

WHEREAS, the reduction of funding has caused many professional preparation programs to reduce faculty positions, has closed many programs, and has frustrated development of high caliber personnel, AND

WHEREAS, these reductions in funds have forced the programs to reduce the number of students accepted, and the reduction in stipends has made it diffi­cult to recruit applicants for study in numbers equal to program capacity, AND

WHEREAS, the incidence of blindness and visual impairment is expected to dramatically increase over the next fifteen years, while the number of qualified gradu­ates continues to decrease, AND

WHEREAS, the shortage of qualified professionals in work with blind persons has in some instances caused a shift to service provision by persons with general education who have no knowledge of the unique needs of blind persons, AND

WHEREAS, the only certain means of assuring stipends and fellowships for students to alleviate the shortage is through categorical funding, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Phoenix, Arizona, on this 16th day of August, 2008, urges the U.S. Con­gress to enact legislation to fund categorical programs for profes­sional prepara­tion of education and rehabilitation personnel serving people who are severely visually impaired and blind, AND

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that BVA encourage the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affairs to explore partnering with University Preparation Programs to assure an adequate supply of professionally trained Vision Rehabilitation specialists.

Resolutions 5-08 through 8-08 >