RESOLUTION 31-07

WHEREAS, fundamental to the comprehensive rehabilitation of veterans who are severely visually impaired or blind is the development of wholesome and healthy attitudes about blindness, the acquisition of adaptive skills to overcome the handicap of blindness, and reintegration into the family and community, AND

WHEREAS, VA pioneered the comprehensive residential BRC approach to the delivery of such comprehensive services to facilitate adjustment to and acceptance of sudden and traumatic loss of vision, AND

WHEREAS, the VA BRC model has evolved to include the comprehensive rehabilitation of veterans whose visual impairment and blindness may be associated with aging, AND

WHEREAS, the VA is internationally recognized as the premier provider of comprehensive blind rehabilitation services, AND

WHEREAS, non-VA blind rehabilitation programs have recently begun to seek referral of visually impaired and blinded veterans away from VA BRS in an effort to obtain VA contract funding, AND

WHEREAS, America’s visually impaired and blinded veterans have earned the right to have access to the highest quality blind rehabilitation services available, AND

WHEREAS, only in rare instances would referral to a non-VA BRC be appropriate, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, recommend that visually impaired and blinded veterans be referred to VA BRCs only for comprehensive residential Blind Rehabilitation Services, AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that should it ever be necessary to refer a visually impaired or blinded veteran to a non-VA BRC, such a non-VA BRC should be accredited by either (NAC) the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped or CARF, the Commission For Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, the employees of which should be Blind Rehabilitation Specialists certified by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP).

RESOLUTION 32-07

WHEREAS, VA is currently experiencing difficulty in recruiting and retaining Blind Rehabilitation Specialists, AND

WHEREAS, there is a national shortage of qualified Blind Rehabilitation Specialists, AND

WHEREAS, VA has developed effective recruitment and retention programs for other scarce disciplines, AND

WHEREAS, VA has designated Blind Rehabilitation Specialists as “HARD TO RECRUIT”, AND

WHEREAS, BRS succession planning has been established as a high priority in VA’s strategic plan, AND

WHEREAS, two effective tools to enhance workforce recruitment and succession planning have been established by VA (the Employee Incentive Scholarship Program, or EIS, and the Education Debt Reduction Program, or EDR, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, recommend that VA encourage networks and local facilities to provide funding for the BRS programs essential to BRS workforce recruitment and succession planning, AND

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association strongly urge VA to approve BRS prospective and current employees for the EIS program as well as the EDR program, AND

RESOLUTION 33-07

WHEREAS, VA has committed to a continuum of vision rehabilitation services, AND

WHEREAS, these services will include programs such as VICTORS, VISOR, VA- and community-based low vision clinics, and Computer Access Training programs, AND,

WHEREAS, BVA feels there is need for standardization and quality assurance in services provided, AND

WHEREAS, accreditation of programs will assist VA and veterans in identifying qualified programs, AND

WHEREAS, NAC is an internationally recognized accreditation body solely dedicated to service standards for vision rehabilitation, AND

WHEREAS, consumer involvement and input is a core value of NAC and is addressed throughout the NAC standards as well as the self-assessment process used by organizations seeking accreditation, AND

WHEREAS, BVA feels strongly that consumers be involved in any accreditation process, AND

WHEREAS, NAC has a long history of providing accreditation to agencies, schools, and programs serving the blind and visually impaired, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, strongly recommend to VA that low-vision clinics and computer training programs be required to undergo accreditation, AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that VA recognize and include NAC as a provider of accreditation for any organization and service serving blind and low-vision veterans in order to ensure standardization, quality of services, and consumer confidence.

RESOLUTION 34-07

Resolution: Support of an expansion of the present national cemetery or construction of an additional national cemetery in Puerto Rico

WHEREAS, Puerto Rican veterans have served with honor and distinction in the Armed Forces of the United States in all wars and conflicts since 1917 to this day and when they die, they should be buried with all the honors they deserve, AND

WHEREAS, the national cemetery in Puerto Rico is filled to capacity, having one year left, according to its director, with no space left to bury veterans, AND

WHEREAS, the state cemeteries are not suitable since veterans deserve a better place to rest after sacrificing their lives to defend our democracy, AND

WHEREAS, there are 200,000 veterans in Puerto Rico and every year 5,000 veterans, including spouses and children, are buried in this cemetery, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED by all veterans who are members of the Puerto Rico Regional Group assembled in San Juan, Puerto Rico on August 11, 2006, to request the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Congress, and the President of the United States to support the expansion or the construction of another national cemetery in Puerto Rico, AND

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, supports our fellow veterans in Puerto Rico in their request for an expansion or construction of another national cemetery.

The aforementioned first 34 resolutions were considered as a block at the BVA 62nd National Convention.

RESOLUTION 35-07

WHEREAS, 17 years ago Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by an overwhelmingly bi-partisan margin, AND

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court, during the intervening years, has rendered decisions that have significantly reduced the protections under ADA for people who are disabled, AND

WHEREAS, courts have been quick to side with businesses and employers in cases of alleged discrimination based on disability, AND

WHEREAS, people with disabilities that utilize adaptive equipment or medications to overcome their handicapping conditions are determined not to be disabled enough for protection under ADA, AND

WHEREAS, disabled people continue to be fired or unemployed because of their disabilities and the perception that they cannot carry out the responsibilities of a job, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, strongly support passage of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, which seeks to enforce Congressional intent when ADA was originally passed in 1990.

RESOLUTION 36-07

WHEREAS, it has been clearly documented that there is a shortage of professionally trained Blind Rehabilitation Specialists to provide services to an ever increasing number of visually impaired and blind Americans, AND

WHEREAS, the number of visually impaired and blinded veterans is increasing at a dramatic rate due to increased prevalence of visual impairment and blindness associated with aging, AND

WHEREAS, there is an increasing number of visually impaired and blinded service members from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) who will be in need of vision rehabilitation services, AND

WHEREAS, additionally, there is an ever growing number of OEF and OIF service members suffering visual consequences from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that will benefit from vision rehabilitation services, AND

WHEREAS, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1240, the Visual Impairment Specialists Training Act of 2007 authorizing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish scholarships for students to pursue graduate degrees in Blind Rehabilitation, Orientation & Mobility (O&M), or Vision Rehabilitation Therapy, AND

WHEREAS, the recipients of such scholarships will be required to work within the VA health care system for a period of three years following receiving their masters degrees, AND

WHEREAS, a companion bill S.1672 has been introduced in the U. S. Senate, 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 Senate of the United States to adopt S. 1672 as expeditiously as possible.

RESOLUTION 37-07

WHEREAS, DoD and VA have reported relatively few visually impaired and blinded service members from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), AND

WHEREAS, BVA has received numerous anecdotal reports of hundreds of eye casualties returning from OEF and OIF, AND

WHEREAS, DoD has no centralized tracking for eye casualties in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), AND

WHEREAS, many service members suffering serious traumatic eye injuries will not be seamlessly transitioned to VA for vision rehabilitation services, 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 Congress of the United States to require DoD to establish a centralized tracking system for all branches of the military for eye casualties from OEF & OIF, AND

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that DoD establish, as soon as possible, a Center of Eye Care Excellence for the expressed purpose of developing innovative and effective procedures for treatment of serious eye casualties and research into prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of service members with serious traumatic eye injuries.

RESOLUTION 38-07

Resolution: Employment assistance for veterans of the Global War on Terror

WHEREAS, the continuing Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) is resulting in a new generation of veterans with severe vision impairments, AND

WHEREAS, there is concern that many of these individuals will face problems obtaining gainful employment, AND

WHEREAS, veterans and their families are seeking a return to gainful employment and meaningful reintegration into society, AND

WHEREAS, BVA feels a concerted effort must be made by both the government and the private sector to assist these individuals due to the special nature of the disabilities, AND

WHEREAS, BVA is dedicated to the principle of “blinded veterans helping blinded veterans”, AND

WHEREAS, BVA strongly feels that return to meaningful employment enhances mental health and overall quality of life, AND

WHEREAS, these fallen warriors have sacrificed their vision to protect their country against terrorism, AND

WHEREAS, history has shown that veterans with loss of vision will require assistance in returning to substantial gainful employment, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, include in the legislative package an effort to secure training and employment of GWOT blinded veterans, AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that BVA will partner with industry and the Government to develop and implement special innovations and incentives to facilitate work opportunities for visually impaired heroes of the GWOT, including but not limited to concentrated vocational counseling, scholarships, internships, on- the-job-training opportunities, AND

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that BVA request that VA assess the status of employment of veterans with severe vision loss in the agency to determine if there is under representation of visually impaired individuals and if there are missed opportunities for employing visually impaired veterans of the GWOT in all VHA and VBA positions for which they qualify, AND

FINALLY BE IT RESOLVED, that BVA strongly urges and recommends that the Randolph-Sheppard Act be preserved and expanded to the greatest extent possible in order to afford maximum employment opportunity for Blinded Veterans.

RESOLUTION 39-07

Resolution: Issuance of Hearing Aids

WHEREAS, there are currently no written guidelines from VA Audiology regarding the provision of backup hearing aids to blinded veterans, AND

WHEREAS, there is inconsistency across VA in the provision of backup hearing aids, AND

WHEREAS, BVA feels there should be written guidelines for Audiologists within the VA system, AND

WHEREAS, standardized guidelines devised by VA Central Office Audiology Services are needed and should be sent to field offices, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, request that VA management provide clear written guidelines to the VA audiologist in order to clarify policies regarding the issuance of backup hearing aids to blinded veterans.

RESOLUTION 40-07

Resolution: Tablet Splitters

WHEREAS, VA provides medication tablets that often require splitting by the end user to produce the correct dose, AND

WHEREAS, there are currently no national written guidelines for providers and pharmacists to use when a veteran cannot split tablets due to physical, mental, or vision-related reasons, AND

WHEREAS, this causes lack of standardization across VA and inconsistent decisions regarding this issue, AND

WHEREAS, BVA feels a consistent policy is required to insure proper identification of veterans who cannot split tablets, AND

WHEREAS, a system needs to be in place to identify such individuals in the pharmacy, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in convention assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this 18th day of August, 2007, ensure that this problem is made known to top management within VA and request that written guidelines be provided to all VA facility providers regarding the issue.

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