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RESOLUTION: 14-01
RESOLVED, by the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention
assembled in Las Vegas, Nevada, on this 1st day of
September 2001, that the Executive Director of the Blinded Veterans
Association shall petition the Secretary of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to order the Veterans Health Administration to
develop a policy directive requiring the Blind Rehabilitation
Service to allow and encourage computer access training in the
community or at home, AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that such policy shall require the Visual
Impairment Service Team (VIST) in each VA Medical Center to develop
contracts with community resources, including private tutors,
to provide such training, AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Visual Impairment Services Team
Coordinator (VISTC) shall be designated in such policy directive
to inform veterans that such option is available and encourage
community-based training in all cases where hospitalization is
not necessary as determined by the VIST, AND BE IT FINALLY
RESOLVED, that such policy directive shall include
monthly evaluation reports by both the trainer and trainee to
the VISTC in order that effectiveness of the program can be properly
evaluated.
VA has been working closely with BVA for some time on this issue
and VA is pleased that this resolution will soon be fulfilled.
BVA confirmed that three VA actions (jointly developed with BVA)
will satisfy this resolution.
First, the new revision of the VA Prosthetics Handbook "Aids
for the Blind" addresses the local issuance and training with
computers, as well as all other aids for the blind. The final
draft received concurrences form BVA. It is complete now and in
the process of being printed.
Second, the Prosthetic Clinical Management Program (PCMP) National
Workgroup on Computers for the Blind includes the Blinded Veterans
Association and it will continue to provide an excellent forum
for working together.
Third, the VA Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS) is developing
a Computer Access Training Handbook, which will receive concurrent
from BVA.
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