red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

BVA agrees with Senator Casey’s findings in the Committee on Aging’s report calling for greater accountability and congressional oversight for federal agencies in their compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As illustrated in the December 14, 2022, Washington Post article, veterans face access barriers to services and benefits from not only VA but also the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and other federal agencies. 

BVA National Headquarters and its national leadership have received many complaints from among its membership about barriers encountered in logging into VA.gov. The issue stems not from VA’s website but from the Login.gov portal developed by the U.S. General Services Administration. Nowhere within either the account registration process or the verification process, or when logging in, are individuals able to locate ownership information about the portal and where to seek and request assistance. Within VA the biggest issue involves the lack of a centralized accessibility office and Chief Accessibility Officer similar to that offered by SSA. A centralized office and chief will enable veterans with low vision to approach a single-point entity when reporting issues and requesting updates, especially when they relate to Sections 503, 504, and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Fortunately, VA and BVA have made significant strides through our collaborative partnership to address and prevent many problems. This is due directly to the willingness of the Section 508 and Digital Services Teams to serve veterans. For example, every month BVA meets with these offices to discuss pressing issues, receive updates on previously reported issues, and submit new complaints and issues. The efforts have resulted in positive actions such as the following:

  • Enabling VoiceOver on iOS devices to interact in text fields within the VA Health and Benefits mobile app.
  • Addressing accessibility of countless VA forms such as those used for filing a claim, signing up for health care benefits, and accreditation of service officers.
  • Enhancing screen reader navigation when requesting medication refills.
  • Ensuring accessibility and usability of VA’s new text message check-in process.