Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging Bob Casey (D-PA) and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), responding to BVA’s call for equal access for all veterans to programs, services, and information at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have introduced and cosponsored S. 2516, The Veterans Accessibility Act of 2023.

BVA Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr. praised the bipartisan proposed legislation, at the same time affirming that veterans who have already sacrificed their sight should not have to sacrifice their access to vital resources from VA.

“While blind and disabled veterans have sacrificed so very much in service to our great nation, we should not have to also sacrifice our dignity and basic rights in order to receive equal access to VA information, services, and programs,” he said. “It is truly ironic that ongoing Congressional oversight confirms that the very cabinet department responsible for the care of our blind and disabled veterans fails to make its websites, kiosks, and other technology accessible for people with disabilities as required by law.”

Recent Congressional oversight found that VA has consistently failed to make its websites, kiosks, and other technology accessible for people with disabilities, as required by law. More than 60 million adults in the United States have a disability, including one-quarter of the country’s veterans. Older adults are more likely to develop a disability, including more than 8 million veterans who are 65 or older.

Specifically, The Veterans Accessibility Act of 2023 provides veterans and others with disabilities a voice to improve accessibility at VA, so that no one is left behind. It establishes a Veterans Advisory Committee that will issue regular reports on VA’s compliance with federal disability laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the fully amended Rehabilitation Act of 1973, including Sections 504 and 508.

The Committee reports will include recommendations for improving VA’s compliance and will be shared with Congress, the public, and agencies that oversee the nation’s disability laws. Veterans with disabilities will be among the advisory committee’s members, ensuring that their voices are heard.

On BVA’s behalf, Don expressed gratitude for the two Senators’ responsiveness to the issue and their recognition of the need for legislation after years of limited progress.

“BVA salutes the tireless and steadfast commitment to our nation’s veterans of Senators Casey and Scott, who have recognized this failure and co-sponsored the bill, establishing this long overdue Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access at VA and affording blind and disabled veterans the opportunity to assist VA in improving its overall service delivery and compliance with disability laws.”

Supporting BVA’s work on the legislation are the following: Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, National Association of the Deaf, National Disability Rights Network, Paralyzed Veterans of America, United Spinal Association/VetsFirst, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Wounded Warrior Project.

Although the full text of S. 2516 has not yet been published at congress.gov, additional details about the bill are provided in a press advisory released by the Senate Special Committee on Aging and available on the Committee website here. The Committee has also prepared a one-page summary of the legislation here.