RESOLUTION 11-07

WHEREAS, new technological improvements in products in the field of Blindness Rehabilitation appear almost daily, AND

WHEREAS, currently, there is no standardized method for BREWS to systematically evaluate, test, and review emerging technology, AND

WHEREAS, it is likely that some of these technological innovations will offer benefit to some portion of the blinded veteran population, THEREFORE 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 BRS to formulate and implement an organized method of researching and testing new technological innovations in the field of Blind 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

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that 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.

RESOLUTION 12-07

WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees the right of access to information to persons with disabilities; AND

WHEREAS, many signalized intersections provide information to pedestrians with sight that is not provided to pedestrians with visual impairments, AND

WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated (Crandall, W. Bentzen, B.L., and Myers, L., 1998) that competent, independent, blind pedestrians at unfamiliar signalized intersections may initiate as many or more than 34 percent of crossings during the clearance of DON’T WALK intervals if those intersections are not equipped with accessible pedestrian signals, AND

WHEREAS, accessible pedestrian signals have been widely used for more than ten years in countries including Australia, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and are considered by traffic engineers to be widely effective not only in providing information to blind pedestrians but also in decreasing general pedestrian delay and facilitating vehicular flow at signalized intersections, AND

WHEREAS, increasing numbers of quiet vehicles, including electric vehicles and those with quiet internal combustion engines, make acoustic information from vehicles inconsistent, resulting in the inability of pedestrians who are blind to reliably detect the onset of the WALK interval by listening for a surge of vehicles, AND

WHEREAS, inexpensive technologies exist to make Accessible Pedestrian Signals automatically responsive to ambient sound, being very quiet at night and in low traffic situations while still loud enough to be heard above vehicular sound in high traffic situations; AND

WHEREAS, there are existing accessible vibrotactile and speech transmission signal systems that add no noise to the environment, AND

WHEREAS, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century provides that "Transportation plans and projects … shall include the installation, where appropriate, and maintenance of audible traffic signals and audible signs at street crossings"; NOW THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, urges the U.S. Federal Highway Administration to develop recommended practices for installation of pedestrian signals that make information, regularly provided to other pedestrians, accessible to pedestrians who are visually impaired, including but not limited to: information specifying WALK and DON’T WALK intervals; information indicating the presence and location of push-buttons; and information unambiguously indicating the street to which the signal applies.

RESOLUTION 13-07

WHEREAS, the loss of hearing in combination with loss of eyesight is very disabling and negatively effects the quality of life of veterans suffering from this combination of disabilities, AND

WHEREAS, current law enables veterans with service-connected loss of vision in one eye to obtain service-connection for both eyes if loss of vision in the other eye should occur, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, urge Congress to amend Title 38 providing the loss of hearing in one or more ears be ruled service-connected if a veteran has service-connected blindness.

RESOLUTION 14-07

WHEREAS, current voting machines allow most people to cast their votes for their choice of political candidates in a confidential setting, AND

WHEREAS, the same private situation is not offered to most blind voters in the United States, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that BVA in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, urge the U.S. Government to enforce laws mandating the use of accessible voting machines throughout the United States, AND

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that all voting places be fully accessible to disabled persons, AND

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED, that every polling place have at least one voting system that is fully accessible, providing people who are visually impaired or blind the opportunity to cast their vote independently and with full privacy if they so choose.

RESOLUTION 15-07

WHEREAS, most current Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are not accessible to blind people, and whereas technology is now available to make ATM’s completely accessible to blind people, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, legislation be adopted to insure that ATM machines be available at every ATM site for blind and otherwise visually impaired individuals.

RESOLUTION 16-07

WHEREAS, Non Service-Connected (NSC) veterans whose income exceeds the means test threshold are required to pay the Social Security Co-pay for inpatient episodes of care as well as a daily per diem rate during that episode, AND

WHEREAS, the means test assumes veterans have sufficient discretionary income to offset the cost of services at VA, AND

WHEREAS, catastrophically disabled veterans are not likely to be employed or have the potential for meaningful employment, AND

WHEREAS, the charges assessed for care by VA may serve as a significant deterrent to receiving essential care, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico on this 18th day of August, 2007, seek legislation that would waive the means test requirements for NSC catastrophically disabled veterans assuring they have access to the Special Disabilities Programs so crucial to their rehabilitation and well being.

RESOLUTION 17-07

WHEREAS, it has become evident that formal education and experience in the field of blind rehabilitation is not being used as a qualifying factor in the selection of the position of Chief at the Blind Rehabilitation Centers, AND

WHEREAS, the position of Manager/Chief of a residential Blind Rehabilitation Center is a critical role in providing services for blinded veterans, the individuals selected for these positions must have a solid foundation in the field of blind rehabilitation, THEREFORE 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 the 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.

RESOLUTION 18-07

WHEREAS, there is an increasing number of veterans with low vision, AND

WHEREAS, VA currently has only three VICTORS programs nationwide, THEREFORE 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.

RESOLUTION 19-06

WHEREAS, veterans are waiting an excessive length of time to receive hearing aids, AND

WHEREAS, the loss of both hearing and vision creates a hazardous situation for some veterans, AND

WHEREAS, giving priority to blind and visually impaired Veterans to receive hearing aids would lessen this hazardous situation, THEREFORE 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 to 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 obtain 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 in one’s immediate environment, the loss of both vision and hearing creates great difficulty and, in many instances, is extremely dangerous. If blind and visually impaired veterans were given priority in the distribution of hearing aids, the dangers involved with the loss of both of these senses would decrease tremendously.

RESOLUTION 20-07

WHEREAS, veterans health care is funded annually by discretionary appropriations decided by the House and Senate Appropriations Committee, AND

WHEREAS, each year the Department of Veterans Affairs fails to receive adequate funding for Veterans Medical Care from Congressional appropriations, AND

WHEREAS, this lack of adequate funding causes delays and denials of critical medical care services to veterans of all categories, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, hereby supports H.R. 2514, the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2007.

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