VA Response to 62nd National Convention Resolutions

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY
THE BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION
 62ND NATIONAL CONVENTION
ON AUGUST 18, 2007 IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RESPONSES THERETO

RESOLUTION 2-07

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico on this 18th day of August, 2007, 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 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.

VA Comment

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) concurs.  Funding has been provided to increase 9 Veterans Impairment Service Team (VIST) Coordinators from part-time to full time and to fund additional VIST Coordinators at two sites.  The locations for these increases are:

Asheville, NC
Columbia, MO
Daytona Beach, FL
Honolulu, HI
Mountain Home, TN
Pensacola, FL
Ponce, PR
Reno, NV
Salem, VA
Tulsa, OK
Youngstown, OH

RESOLUTION 5-07

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico on this 18th day of August, 2007, urges DVA to insure that all visually-impaired and blind employees have reasonable accommodations, including necessary training on essential access technology

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that DVA establish an aggressive outreach program to hire more disabled individuals, especially disabled veterans.

VA Comment

All of VA’s 3,439 permanent employees with targeted disabilities are guaranteed reasonable accommodation with regard to employment, under section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973.  The Department has had a reasonable accommodation process in place since May 2002 (VA Directive 5975.1, Processing Reasonable Accommodations Request from Employees and Applicants).  Through the Department’s partnership with the Department of Defenses’ Computer and Electronic Accommodation Program, VA employees, several of whom are blind, received a total of $315,741 worth of accommodations in calendar year 2007.  During the first quarter of calendar year 2008, VA employees received an additional $210,247 worth of accommodations.  VA continues to work diligently to fulfill the accommodation requests of blind veterans, as well as others with disabilities (as required by law).

Resolutions Adopted by the Blinded Veterans Association at the 60th National Convention held on August 14-19, 2007 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

RESOLUTION 7-07

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico on this 18th day of August, 2007, 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.

VA Comment

VA administers the disability compensation program in accordance with the laws passed by Congress.  There has been significant discussion in recent years about the nature and composition of benefits for disabled veterans, and VA has contracted for a study of compensation for earnings loss, quality of life impairment and transition.  However, VA has not proposed legislation that would tie service connection only to actual duty performance.

VA supports the finding of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission that there should be no change to the current standard regarding line of duty. 

Resolutions Adopted by the Blinded Veterans Association at the 60th National Convention held on August 14-19, 2007 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

RESOLUTION 11-07

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico on this 18th day of August, 2007, strongly urge the Veterans Health Administration and Congress to do the following:

Instruct Blind Rehab Service to formulate and implement an organized method of researching and testing new technological innovations in the field of Blindness Rehabilitation using actual blinded veterans as part of the test for the viability of training and issuance of the new devices to blinded veterans.  The testing procedure should include review of usage of new technology by agencies and organizations dealing with sight loss outside the Department of Veterans Affairs,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the VHA explore partnering with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Technology Center in Huntington West Virginia to achieve the goals outlined in this resolution.

VA Comment 

VA concurs.  A technology workgroup has been convened to evaluate technology as a part of the strategic planning for Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS).  The Director of BRS has recommended that the Rehabilitation Research and Development Center on Vision Loss and Aging at the Atlanta VAMC partner with the AFB Technology Center, this partnership has resulted in a funded, merit reviewed project now shared between the two research organizations.

RESOLUTION 17-07

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico on this 18th day of August, 2007, strongly request that VA make every effort to recruit qualified individuals with backgrounds in blind rehabilitation for the positions of management in a blind rehabilitation center. VA is encouraged to give special consideration to qualified blinded veterans for these positions, as they would serve as excellent role models.

VA Comment
 
VA concurs.  Every effort will continue to be made to recruit individuals who are appropriately credentialed to provide specialized services for blind and visually impaired veterans. 

RESOLUTION 18-07

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, support the creation of additional VICTORS Programs and present this support in the testimony to Congress.

VA Comment

The Visual Impairment Center To Optimize Remaining Sight (VICTORS) programs served as the model for the 22 new Advanced Low Vision rehabilitation programs that are being implemented within the Continuum of Care for Visually Impaired Veterans this fiscal year.  These Advanced Low Vision programs are equivalent to the VICTORS programs and once operational should improve veteran access to outpatient low vision rehabilitation services.

RESOLUTION 19-06

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico on this 18th day of August, 2007, urge the Veterans Health Administration Audiology & Speech Pathology Service direct Audiology Services throughout the VHA system to provide priority for visually impaired or blind veterans who are in need of evaluation for hearing aids.

Rationale for Hearing Aid Resolution:
Presently veterans are waiting an excessive amount of time to get hearing tests and receive hearing aids.  Blind and visually impaired veterans rely heavily on hearing to function safely in today’s environment. Whether traveling or just avoiding the many dangers involved with the environment these days, the loss of both vision and hearing makes it difficult and , in many instances, extremely dangerous. If blind and visually impaired veterans were given priority when receiving hearing aids, it would tremendously decrease the dangers involved with the loss of both of these senses.

VA Comment
 
Priority in the scheduling of appointments for outpatient medical services or hospital care may only be given to veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or greater (based on one or more disabilities or unemployability) and veterans needing care for service-connected disabilities.  If a veteran has an urgent/emergent medical need, the veteran has priority access to care, consistent with the standard of care for medical emergencies.  Audiologists serve as members of the Visual Impairment Services Teams, and readily prioritize care for visually impaired veterans who require audiology services.

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