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RESOLUTION 5-01
WHEREAS, appropriations for the VA health care delivery
system over the past decade have failed to keep pace with the
demand for health care and rehabilitation, AND
WHEREAS, inadequate funding levels for the local VAMCs
have resulted in elimination of programs, closure of beds, cuts
in Full Time Employee Equivalent (FTEE) positions or freezes in
vacancies that occur in positions, AND
WHEREAS, none of the nine blind rehabilitation programs
currently being operated by the VA has been able to operate all
authorized beds, AND
WHEREAS, dramatic increases in the numbers of applications
for blind rehabilitation are being realized, AND
WHEREAS, the number of blinded veterans on waiting lists
for blind rehabilitation is over 1,800 and the length of wait
can be six months or more for the basic program and over one year
for the Computer Access Training (CATS) program, AND
WHEREAS, the host VAMC bears full responsibility for funding
special disability programs such as blind rehabilitation, while
providing this special service for an entire Veterans Integrated
Service Network (VISN) or multiple VISNs, AND
WHEREAS, unstable funding support is threatening the quality
and timeliness of Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS), THEREFORE
BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention
assembled in Las Vegas, Nevada on this 1st day of September, 2001
urges DVA to establish a centralized funding mechanism to ensure
stable funding for the special disability programs.
RESOLUTION 6-01
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 (DVA) 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 Las Vegas, Nevada on this 1st day of September, 2001,
urges DVA 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 DVA establish an aggressive outreach program
to hire more disabled individuals, especially disabled veterans.
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