Oklahoma ABLE Tech - veteranfunding

FUNDING NEWS�- AT Funding for Veterans��

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest single medical care system in the United States and is one of the�largest purchasers of assistive technology for people with disabilities. There are three broad areas under which a veteran can obtain�support for AT needs: health, housing, and independent living.

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Under the area of health, the VA's Prosthetics and Sensory Aids program may buy AT devices for veterans receiving VA care for�any�condition.�Devices may include artificial limbs, orthopedic braces, wheelchairs, crutches and canes, and other durable medical�equipment�and�supplies.

The VA also covers eye examination and audiology tests and writes eyeglass and hearing aid prescriptions for its eligible patients Hearing�aids and eyeglasses may also be directly provided to some veterans. Replacements may be allowed if a device is lost or broken�and�for new�or�changed prescriptions.

The VA has three (3) accessible-housing related grants programs.

1. The Specially Adapted Housing Grant may pay for 50% of the cost of an accessible home (up to $50,000) for veterans with certain service connected permanent and total disabilities.

2. The Special Home Adaptations Grant will pay for up to $10,000 for home modifications for veterans with service-related permanent and total disabilities.

3. Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grants provide up to $4,100 for service-connected veterans and up to $1,200 for non service-connected veterans. The grants are for home modifications that are necessary for disability-related access to the home and lavatory/sanitary facilities or for the continuation of medical treatment at home.

Independent Living services (IL services), including AT, are available through the VA and their Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment division to eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities. IL services are made available to eligible veterans who are not able to work as determined by an evaluation. Veterans pursuing IL services work with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor to create a plan for achieving goals for independent living.

For more information about funding locations for veterans in Oklahoma, visit http://www1.va.gov/opa/fact/statesum/okss.asp.

�-- Article was originally written by the North Dakota Assistive Technology Program from which permission was granted for ABLE Tech use.

Resources for Veterans with Disabilities

DVET Veterans with Disabilities http://www.tecaccess.net/VetAccess/vetaccess.shtml

TecAccess´ award-winning DVET program is designed to ensure that veterans with disabilities receive the support, job training, and recognition they have earned through service and sacrifice. This groundbreaking initiative is driven by the dynamic teaming of public and private partners. Serving as the first-of-its-kind program in the nation, DVET uses a telecommuting model so that returning soldiers can participate in training from their home, business, rehabilitation facility or hospital bed. In return, hiring organizations are finding that the DVET program produces highly trained employees that can increase the productivity, efficiency, and creativity of any workforce.

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