[Nfbf-l] NFB has won a pilot to train blind bvets

[Paul Kaminsky]

Dwight,
   I think it's great to insure 
that the Vets get the best, but 
the VA doesn't hide things from 
the vets.  Each vet has one person 
assigned, plus each assigned blind 
rehab specialist reports a case 
study during their daily briefings 
with the counselor supervisor. 
Additionally the students are able 
to socialize and gain additional 
insight from the other vets.
    I've been to the blind rehab 
centers four times already.  Twice 
I went to conduct an unannounced 
user study and reported to the 
Director my findings.
    The only question I seem to 
have is if the NFB training is 
superior, than why does it take $4 
million to make a comparative 
study?  It would seem they'd bring 
the vets in and survey the vets. 
Then survey a sample of vets 
coming from the VA and compare the 
results.  It takes $4 million to 
do that?  You do know what ear 
marks have done to our economy?
    Like I said, anything to help 
ensure our veteran community gets 
the best.  But I wish they'd work 
more on making the civilian 
community quality of life issues 
more comparative to the veterans.
    We should be fighting to see 
that all blind persons have equal 
access.  It would be nice if NFB 
did a study with the $4 million on 
how to figure out how to get the 
10 million blind civilians a 
better quality of life and not 
worry so much about the vets who 
already have a relatively decent 
rehab program.
    Just my observation, not 
jumping on anyone.  Matter of fact 
this is what I will be speaking on 
and the Vision Summit in 
Tallahassee this coming February, 
the quality of life of our blind 
Floridians, not our veterans.
    You don't happen to have 
access to the actual text of the 
legislation that was passed?  If 
so I'd love to have a copy of it.
Thanks for the info.
Paul Kaminsky



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <REPCODDS at aol.com>
To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 
6:34 PM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] NFB has won a 
pilot to train blind bvets


Ladies and Gentleman,
I understand the NFB has won a 4 
million dollar  grant from the 
feds  to  run
a pilot program against the VA on 
training blind vets.
I am being personally blasted on 
the battingthebreeze list serve 
about this
matter.
If you  get any heat about this 
please see my comments below.

Blind Veterans deserve the best 
the government has to offer.
For years the VA's has run a 
program that was take it or leave 
it.   Veterans
never were informed about informed 
choice or what it meant to  them.
Veterans were trained all the same 
and depending on how persistent 
you  were
would directly result in what you 
received from the VA as
support.IE(prosthetics)
If you made yourself well informed 
you were in great shape , but if 
you  were
just blind and alone, well you 
were at there beck and call.  I 
had  several
times been told if you don't know 
what to ask for then we can't 
help you.
That time has to change and so , 
the NFB is going to be able to run 
a side
by side  training program 
comparing results against the VA's 
training  program
. If the VA's results  are better 
then so be it. If the NFB's 
results are
better because of our methods then 
I  say it is time for a  change 
in methods,
and Veterans deserve the best this 
country can  provide.
So watch out for the nay sayers 
because they are out there.
Dwight
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