Paralyzed Veterans of America Blog

As powerful Hurricane Florence barrels toward the east coast of the US, and as much of the west coast deals with devastating forest fires, this is an opportune time to remind people with disabilities of the available resources and contacts available in their communities during emergencies like these.

Seek help from your local/state disability coalition

Traditionally, August signals a long recess work period for members of Congress. It is during this time that Senators and Representatives devote extra time and attention to meeting with their constituents, touring important facilities in their states and districts, and otherwise reconnecting with the citizens and communities they serve. Both members of the House and Senate typically leave Washington at the beginning of August and do not return until after Labor Day. This year, however, the Senate is taking a shorter recess and will return in the middle of the month.

The inability for some service-connected veterans to create a family of their own has long been a subject of frustration, helplessness, domestic tension and possibly even shame, among other feelings, for many of our members and other service-connected veterans. Until recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provided few infertility services other than in vitro fertilization (IVF) to veterans as part of the medical benefits package.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. It is the most comprehensive disability rights legislation ever enacted. The ADA prohibits discrimination against a person with a disability in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

I was all geared-up and in the ready, with tactical belt and triple magazine pouch all loaded with a 9mm, competition Gen 3 Glock 34 in my holster waiting on the Pact timer to go off so I could engage my targets quickly and accurately. This was a Thursday night local IDPA-style match and it happened to be the first I was competing in, so I had nothing to lose and only to gain. Before I took the line, however, I thought about a few things like “this shouldn’t be too hard”, or “I was a dumb grunt for six years, and I know target acquisition like the back of my hand”, or “I’m the shooting sports director for the largest shooting program of any veterans’ organization. How hard can this be?” Well….I got smoked.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers several educational programs.  The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) Program offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents and survivors.

Cardiac disease is the silent killer in America. Half of all deaths in the United States are related to Cardiometabolic diseases (Mueller, JAMA, 2017).  According to the federally funded SCI National Database (Facts and Figures, SCIstats@uab.edu), while septicemia and pneumonia have remained the leading causes of death after SCI since the 1970s, endocrine, metabolic and nutritional diseases have seen a significant increase in the past ten years.

OPERATION PAVE: PVA’s Vocational Program!

You should be aware that there are laws that protect the rights of qualified persons with disabilities from discrimination in an employment context other than Title I of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

On May 23, the United States Senate voted 92-5 for the VA MISSION Act. The bill is now headed to President Trump’s desk for signature. The House of Representatives passed the bill on May 16, by a vote of 347-70. This historic legislation will reform care in the community, assess VA’s infrastructure, and finally, correct the inequality of the VA Caregiver Program.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have issued a “warning order” to both service members and veterans with VA home loans. This order went out in November 2017 and addresses the solicitation promises that are being made by some lenders.