Disabled
American Veterans
Blind
Veterans National Chapter #1
WEB SITE:
http://www.davbvnc1.com/contents.htm
March/April2013
Newsletter
Editor: Dennis O’Connell
"IF I CANNOT SPEAK GOOD
OF MY COMRADE,
I WILL NOT SPEAK ILL OF HIM
OR HER."
OFFICERS
OF THE BLIND CHAPTER
Commander
Richard Bugbee (AZ)
Phone 480 986-0304
Email:
dadbug37@gmail.com
Senior
Vice Commander Dave May (OH)
1st Junior Vice Commander Carroll Prosser (SC)
2nd
Junior Vice Commander Gary Traynor (WI)
3rd Vice Commander James Hogan (CA)
4th
Junior Vice Commander Stephen Moffitt (RI)
Judge
Advocate & Immediate Past Commander Dennis O’Connell (NY)
Chaplain Rev. Tony Martino (IL)
Phone
847 736 2111
email: Deaconmart@wi.rr.com
Phone
904 291-0576
email: pkjax@kaminsky.com
If
you know of any member who is sick or deceased please inform one of the
officers whose contact information is listed above.
WELCOME ABOARD
Clarence Blankenship, War
WV
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDER
As I return from DAV’s annual
Mid-winter Conference in Washington, DC, I once again am reminded of how much
effort DAV must expand in order to assure that our political promises is kept
by our elected officials. All I can say is THANK GOD FOR DAV. We, as rank and
file members of DAV can sleep easy; because our association is always ready and
able to fight for its DAV members, and indeed, for ALL America’s veterans. Our
cause is just, and we are well-prepared to do battle.
During National Mid-Winter
Conference many DAV representatives including myself and Adjutant Kaminsky
traveled to Washington DC. to meet with several
congressional staffers and Congress persons to discuss important issues which
will affect us the Veterans, your Family members and the retirees.
Some the DAV legislative
priorities for 2013 are:
1. Sustain a robust VA Health
Care System for all eligible veterans
•Work with Congress and VA to
ensure sufficient funding for VA health care program.
• Develop and promote new
legislation and policies that strengthen and expand appropriations that advance
VA health care, including new accountability measures.
• Develop and build support
for comprehensive long term plan to address VA’s aging health care
infrastructure needs and expand research projects and facilities.
2. Improve access to and the
quality of VA Health Care Services
• Expand caregiver services
to meet the needs of veterans from all eras.
• Improve timely access to
mental health care and counseling services, with particular focus on newer
combat veterans suffering PTSD, addictions and other mental health issues.
• Strengthen and expand women
veterans health care programs and services.
• Develop a comprehensive
plan reforming VA long-term support and services.
3. Expand and Improve
Employment and Economic opportunities for Veterans
•Work with Congress to
develop and enact legislation to transfer veterans
employment programs from the Department of Labor to VA (in a new
Veterans Economic Opportunity
Administration that also includes VR&E, Education and business programs).
• Provide adequate funding to
assure the successful implementation of this expanded VA program.
• Strengthen veterans’ vocational,
rehabilitation and employment programs.
• Improve delivery of
transition services to all separating service members.
4. Improve the Delivery of
Benefits to Veterans, Dependents and Survivors
•Work with VA and congress to
complete the ongoing reform of VA’s benefits claims processing system, with the
focus on quality, accuracy, accountability and timeliness.
• Develop and promote
legislation and policies to expand the use of interim ratings for veterans
filing complex and multi-issue disability compensation claims.
•Work with VA and Congress to
ensure that any revisions to the VA Schedule remain faithful to longstanding
statutory policy underlying the purpose of the VA disability compensation
system.
•Work with Congress to
eliminate inequitable policies that prohibit the concurrent receipt of VA
disability compensation and military retired pay and that require Dependency
Indemnity Compensation and Military Survivor Benefit Plan payments to be
offset.
The above are just some of
the example issues which are important to us and our fellow Veterans. DAV
representatives will meet with various congressional members to discuss the
above and ask for their support.
How are such important issues
brought to light? It all starts with us at the Chapter level where we discuss
our concerns and then write it down and pass it to the Adjutant. I encourage
all of you to become active and get involved. You make the difference!!!!
Iowa City, IA , September 9
- 12, 2013
Applications are now out. Contact your Recreational
Therapy Department or your VIST coordinator to receive one.
STORY SUBMITTED BY Mike Corcoran
The
other day I went into Lens Crafters to get my prescription sun
glasses adjusted. A lady sat me at an adjusting station & I folded my
cane and put it on the floor.
A young gentleman came over and adjusted my glasses for me. I thanked
him, got up and unfolded my cane and started to walk away. He said that’s
neat! What is that? I said it is my white cane, I am legally blind. He
said white cane like he had never heard the term before. He said
what
do you do, follow the white ball on the end? I
explained that I use it to
feel my way around. This is true! It happened to me.
FYI
All regional offices have been notified of the
acuity changes to 20/200 for the $12,992.00 housing Grant.
The SHA grant changes made by section 203 of the public law, are codified
at and amend 38 CFR § 3.809A, and 38 USC § 2101(b)(2) (note
that (b) is entitled “Adaptations to Residence of Veteran”. The public law
amends the definition of blindness and deletes the term "permanent and
total" from the description of blindness. As noted in the September
2012 VSCM call, Section 203 changes the requirement to central acuity of 20/200
or less in the better eye with the use of a standard correcting lens. An
eye with a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of
the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees shall be
considered as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less.
The following text should be inserted into RBA, if there is an award of
the SHA grant based upon the enhanced definition of blindness, until it can be
amended:
Section 203 of P.L. 112-154 amends section 2101(b)(2)
to provide special home adaptations to Veterans who have central acuity of
20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a standard correcting
lens. An eye with a limitation in the fields of vision such that the widest
diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees shall
be considered as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less.
NOTE: VBMS-R users should insert the
standard glossary text entitled “SHA_GWOT” in addition to the generated text in
the Reasons for Decision block.
Temporary Residence adaptation (TRA) grant.
A veteran whom qualifies for either the 2101(a) ($64,950.00) grant or the
2101(b)($12,992.00) grant, and residence in a home
other than his own, may use the TRA Grant to modify the home where they
reside, in the amount of $28,528.00 for the 2101(a) grant or $5,092.00 for the
2101(b) grant. The amount they use is deducted from the amount of
entitlement under 2101 (a) or 2101(b). TRA grants after
8/06/2013 will no longer be deducted from the entitlement of these
grants.
REPEAT FROM LAST
ISSUE
ARTICLES
NEEDED
Feel
like writing an article, or sending one from somewhere else that members might
be interested in? Just send them to bvnc1@verizon.net
or 303 Carnation Avenue, Floral Park, NY 11001-3435 and they just might appear
in a future issue.
DAV National Convention; August 9 - 13, 2013
Hilton Orlando; 6001 Destination Parkway; Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: 407.313.4300; Fax: 407.313.4301
$124 Single/Double
Blind Chapter Meeting Schedule
August 9th 9::00 am
& 4:00 pm / August 10th 8:30 am Convention's
Opening Session August 10 - 13 Convention Schedule TBA
We are looking for photos of Chapter members participating in events that support our blind veterans. At the Convention the Blind Chapter host a breakfast for the supporters of our Chapter. This year we would like to display a video Power Point of the many activities Chapter members volunteer or or participate in. Email .jpg images to Adjutant Kaminsky at pkjax@kaminsky.com.
GOD BLESS AMERICA and
our Distinguished
American Veterans