[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 210 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 210
Honoring and commending the 80th anniversary of the Blinded Veterans
Association.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2025
Mr. Moran (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Boozman, Ms. Duckworth, Mr.
Hoeven, Mr. Warnock, and Mr. Cornyn) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring and commending the 80th anniversary of the Blinded Veterans
Association.
Whereas the Blinded Veterans Association (in this preamble referred to as
``BVA'') was founded in 1945 by World War II veterans who were blinded
in service to the United States, with the goal of providing support and
advocacy for veterans who had lost their sight;
Whereas BVA is congressionally chartered as the official advocate and
representative for all blinded veterans before the executive and
legislative branches of the Federal Government;
Whereas, since its inception, BVA has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure
that blind and low-vision veterans receive the services, recognition,
and respect they deserve, advocating for improved access to health care,
rehabilitation, and employment opportunities;
Whereas, over the past 80 years, BVA has continuously worked to advance the
rights and welfare of blind and low-vision veterans by working alongside
Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other governmental
agencies, advocating for critical legislative and policy changes and
providing a strong voice for those who have served in uniform;
Whereas the first comprehensive residential Blind Rehabilitation Center program
opened on July 4, 1948, in Hines, Illinois, and operates still at the
Edward Hines, Jr., Veterans Administration Hospital as one of 13
comprehensive residential Blind Rehabilitation Centers across the
Department of Veterans Affairs health care system;
Whereas the Blind Rehabilitation Centers offer a variety of skill courses
designed to help blind and low-vision veterans achieve greater levels of
independence through skill areas including orientation and mobility,
computer access training, communication skills, manual skills, and
visual skills, as well as social and recreational activities;
Whereas BVA has played a key role in fostering a better understanding of the
challenges faced by blind and low-vision veterans, while also
contributing to the development and implementation of programs designed
to improve the quality of life of blind and low-vision veterans,
including the Visual Impairment Service Team Program, which is
responsible for the coordination of services for severely disabled
visually impaired veterans;
Whereas, through BVA's tireless advocacy efforts, major strides have been made
in improving the care and services provided by the Department of
Veterans Affairs for blind and low-vision veterans, such as enhanced
access to outpatient blind rehabilitation services that allow those
veterans to live independently and with dignity;
Whereas the Blind Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Veterans Affairs
work to rehabilitate veterans by focusing on five core areas of living
skills, orientation and mobility, visual skills, manual skills, and
technology access;
Whereas BVA has championed efforts to expand benefits and services available to
blind and low-vision veterans, including improving the disability rating
schedule as it relates to visual impairment and blindness, the specially
adapted housing grant, provision of guide dog benefits, and cutting-edge
adaptive vision technology;
Whereas BVA has played a crucial role in advocating for policies that ensure
safe and accessible environments for veterans who use guide dogs,
promoting the safe access of guide dogs in public spaces, facilities of
the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other areas inherent to the
well-being and independence of veterans with visual impairments;
Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs has made significant improvements to
its care for blind and low-vision veterans, ensuring that programs such
as the Blind Rehabilitation Centers continue to evolve to meet the needs
of an aging veteran population, offering specialized training and
services to help those veterans adapt to their vision loss;
Whereas there is still work to be done in ensuring that blind and low-vision
veterans have consistent and equitable access to health care and
benefits, mobility services, and job training opportunities, as well as
the safety and accessibility of guide dogs in public spaces;
Whereas the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and telehealth
technologies presents both opportunities and challenges for the
rehabilitation and accessibility of blind and low-vision veterans,
requiring ongoing evaluation and adaptation of programs of the
Department of Veterans Affairs;
Whereas rural veterans often face unique challenges in accessing specialized
rehabilitation and support services for visual impairments,
necessitating targeted outreach and telehealth solutions;
Whereas the increasing prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and other
vision-related conditions among veterans requires the Department of
Veterans Affairs to prioritize research and development of innovative
treatments and rehabilitative strategies;
Whereas the growing number of aging veterans with multiple comorbidities
necessitates integrated care models that address both visual impairments
and other health conditions; and
Whereas the needs of female blinded veterans are unique and require specific
attention, including specialized prosthetics and mental health support:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) honors and commends the Blinded Veterans Association
for its 80 years of dedicated service, advocacy, and support
for blind and low-vision veterans;
(2) acknowledges the successes of the Blinded Veterans
Association in improving the lives of veterans with visual
impairments and expresses gratitude for its advocacy efforts on
behalf of the entire veterans community;
(3) urges the Department of Veterans Affairs to guarantee
safe access for guide dogs and guide dog users at Department
facilities, and calls upon the Department to ensure that each
medical center of the Department has a trained and capable
Service Dog Champion on site;
(4) commends the Blinded Veterans Association for its
continued charitable, educational, patriotic, and civic work to
make certain that blind and low-vision veterans can live and
thrive;
(5) wishes members of the Blinded Veterans Association
continued success in their ongoing efforts to live out their
motto, ``Blinded veterans helping blinded veterans'', by
preserving and strengthening a spirit of fellowship among
blinded veterans so that they may give mutual aid and
assistance to one another; and
(6) reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to supporting
and improving the services and opportunities available to all
veterans, including those with disabilities, ensuring they
receive the respect and care they deserve.
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