By Mike Guilbault

President’sReport

3

Executive Director’s Report

4

Sports & Recreation6

VA News8

Washington Update

12

InsideWhat’s

continued on page 5

Vol. LXIV, #2 The NewsleTTer of The New eNglaNd ChapTer paralyzed VeTeraNs of ameriCaFebruary 2014

a member ChapTer of The paralyzed VeTeraNs of ameriCa – CharTered by The CoNgress of The uNiTed sTaTes

CORD WORDWORDCORD

On January 9th, the NEPVA Com-

munity Outreach School visit

program did a presentation on adap-

tive sports for the 8th grade students of the

Nashoba Brooks School. Unlike our typical

“What’s it Like” disability awareness program

geared towards the 4th grade elementary stu-

dents, this presentation was requested to cover

adaptive sports and recreational activities avail-

able to those with mobility impairments. The

biggest desire of the students is to jump into

sports chairs and play some wheelchair basket-

ball. Each student was able to play at least two

six minute scrimmages and some even got to

play three times. It was great fun for both the

students and us. Notice all the smiles in the

pictures.

After a short introduction and each of

us explaining our injury/disease, we also

informed them of other

types of disabilities and

diseases that also cause

mobility limitations. We

feel the students are now

well informed and better

able to interact with other

youth who may suffer

from mobility impair-

ments. After our introduc-

tions and talk to educate

the students, we then told

them what sports and

activities we each enjoy.

Adaptive Sports School Presentation

They were surprised how we can do just about

anything they all enjoy. Since we could only

have eight students playing basketball at a time,

I also brought the DVDs of both the Summer

National Veterans Wheelchair Games and the

National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic

held each April in Aspen, CO. The students

were then able to see actual video of athletes

doing many of the activities we spoke about

from wheelchair basketball, quad rugby, bowl-

ing, swimming, handcycling, billiards, shoot-

ing, track and field, slalom (wheelchair obstacle

course), softball, archery, snow and water skiing,

sled hockey, snowmobiling, scuba diving, kayak-

ing, fishing and other activities!

We then did a small wheelchair basketball exhi-

bition and explained how the game is played

with all the same rules as standup basketball. We

(l to r) NEPVA Sports

Director Brad Carlson,

New England Blazers

player Paul Cowen, and

Assistant Sports Director

Mike Guilbault speak to

students at the Nashoba

Brooks School.

Cord Word February 2014

www.nepva.org

PARALYZED VETERANS of AMERICA

NEW ENGLAND CHAPTERNEPVA ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

1600 PROVIDENCE HIGHWAY-SUITE 143WALPOLE, MA 02081

TEL: (508) 660-1181, 1-(800) 660-1181FAX: (508) 668-9412; e-mail: info@nepva.org

web: www.nepva.orgOffice Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:30pm

NEPVA OFFICERSPresident, Craig CascellaVice President, Wayne RossSecretary, Peter MooreTreasurer, Charles SchenaNational Director, Craig Cascella

EXECUTIVE BOARD John BrakoBrad CarlsonWalter FarringtonMike GuilbaultDustin Soroka Jim WallackNeal Williams

Cord Word is published twelve times a year by the New England Chapter Paralyzed Veterans of America, 1600 Providence Hwy., Suite 143, Walpole, MA 02081 in the interest of Chapter members. Membership in NEPVA entitles you to a free subscription to Cord Word. Articles published in Cord Word do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, New England Chapter. NEPVA neither endorses nor guarantees any of the products or services advertised herein. Postmaster: send changes of address to NEPVA, 1600 Providence Hwy., Suite 143, Walpole, MA 02081

Monthly meetings are held every first Wednesday of the month at the NEPVA office in Walpole, Ma. The executive board meets at 10:30 a.m. Followed by the regular membership meeting at 1:00 p.m.

PROGRAM DIRECTORSDevelopment Director, Craig CascellaMembership Officer, Craig CascellaMS Liaison, John BrakoCommunity Outreach, Mike GuilbaultNEPVA Peer Mentor Rep., Mike GuilbaultScholarship Chairman, Craig CascellaSports Director, Brad CarlsonAssistant Sports Director, Mike GuilbaultBass Trail Liaison, Jim WallackWomen Veterans’ Liaison, Debra FreedVolunteer Chairman, Judy Goldstein

Hospital Liaisons Brockton, MA VAMC, Mike GuilbaultWest Roxbury, MA VAMC, Craig CascellaNorthampton, MA VAMC, Tim KellyProvidence, RI VAMC, Craig CascellaManchester, NH VAMC, Walter Farrington West Haven, CT VAMC, VacantWhite River Jct, VT VAMC, Craig CascellaTogus, ME VAMC, Dustin Soroka

STAFFExecutive Director, Debra FreedCord Word Editor, Judy GoldsteinGovernment Relations Director, Debra FreedAdministrative Assistant, Judy GoldsteinBookkeeper, Jeri FarinellaCord Word Design & Web Master, Harley Freedman

2

NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICEPARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA

BOSTON VA REGIONAL OFFICEJ.F.K. FEDERAL BUILDING - Room - 1575 C

BOSTON, MA 02203TEL: (617) 303-1395 & 1-800-795-3607

Fax: (617) 723-7467Eastern Region Director, Joseph E. Badzmierowski

Senior Secretary, Ann Marie Wallace

PVA NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICETOGUS, VARO, 1 VA CENTER

BLDG 248, ROOM 112AUGUSTA, ME 04330

Serving maine, new HampSHire and vermont

TEL:(207) 621-7394, FAX: (207) 621-4829TOLL FREE: 866-795-1911

Senior National Service Officer, John StansburySecretary, Violet Bates

PVA NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICEBROCKTON VAMC

940 BELMONT ST., BLDG. 3 ROOM 207BROCKTON, MA 02301

TEL: (774) 826-2219FAX: (774) 826-3167

National Service Officer II, Heather Cherniack

IN REMEMBRANCE

We deeply regret the passing of our Chapter Members:

and extend our heartfelt sympathyto family and friends.

Vildo J. Battista

Newland Berry

David R. Maclean

Raymond G. Matton

David E. Wheelock

February 2014Cord Word

www.nepva.org 3

By Craig C. Cascella NEPVA President

President’s Report

I hope all of our members are

dealing with the spell of cold

and in many places here in New

England, also snowy weather.

Although many of our members and

VA staff I’m sure had a great time at

the recent ski clinic in Mt. Sunapee,

NH. NEPVA is a major sponsor for

the annual event, which seems to have

more members turning out year after

year. I will be looking forward to escap-

ing the cold weather when attending

the PVA Mid-Winter Board Meeting in

Orlando, FL in mid-February. Execu-

tive Director Debra Freed and BOD

member and National Director Elect

Neal Williams will also be in atten-

dance. I will have a brief report from

the meeting in our next newsletter.

On Jan. 15th, I met with PVA NSO

John Stansbury in the Togus, ME PVA

Service Office and had the pleasure to

briefly meet Ms. Violet Bates, who is

the new Secretary at the PVA Office.

Violet brings a wealth of experience

to PVA, and was previously employed

as an Office Associate for the State of

Maine - Bureau of Veterans. Prior to

that, she worked for Maine General

Medical Center as a Patient Registra-

tion Representative. Violet earned

her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Stud-

ies from the University of Maine at

Augusta. We are looking forward to her

contributions to PVA and New Eng-

land Chapter members. Violet can be

reached at 207-621-7394 or via email at

VioletB@pva.org.

As some of you may know, there are

various ongoing construction projects

at the Togus VA, which include the

SCI Clinic. As part of the remodel-

ing, SCI care has been moved to and

delivered in a temporary trailer while

new construction has been going on.

Unfortunately, there have been delays

with the remodeling in various areas

inside the Main Building (where many

SCI related services are located, unfor-

tunately in some cases a distance away

from the temporary trailer), which has

thwarted and delayed completion of the

new SCI Clinic in the Main Building.

PVA Architecture AED Mark Lichter;

Mark Goehller, AIA Associate Director

of Architecture; John Stansbury, and I

toured the temporary SCI trailer with

SCI Clinic staff, and various sugges-

tions were made to improve the items of

concern in the trailer while the new SCI

Clinic is under construction.

On the 16th, we had the pleasure of

meeting with Ryan Lilly, Director

Togus VAMC; Tracye Davis, Associ-

ate Director Togus VAMC; and other

Togus VA Engineering staff at the facil-

ity to once again go over needs and sug-

gestions at the trailer, as well as the new

SCI Clinic in the Main Building cur-

rently under construction. The meeting

went very well and all appeared to be in

agreement that the suggested options to

fixing some of the barriers in the tem-

porary trailer and associated parking

area outside the SCI Clinic should and

will be addressed in a timely manner.

In the meeting, I further stressed the

importance of also having the new SCI

Clinic under construction in the Main

Building, which unfortunately has been

far behind completion schedule, to be

prioritized and completed

in a timely manner.

There is opti-

mism that

the new SCI

Clinic could

be completed

by the end of

the Summer

and/or during

this calendar year.

The Chapter is naturally hoping for the

former than the latter, as long as the

project is done correctly, and meets the

standards and needs of the SCI staff

and veterans using the Clinic alike, to

deliver the best healthcare possible to

SCI/D veterans.

In other Maine news, the VA has

awarded a grant in the amount of

$1,113,764 for 100% allowable costs

associated with the expansion and

improvement of the Maine Veterans

Memorial Cemetery in Augusta. The

grant will fund the construction of a

pre-placed crypt section, an in-ground

cremains section, landscaping, irriga-

tion, and supporting infrastructure.

The project will develop approximately

1.8 acres. The construction will include

960 crypts and 1,228 in-ground cre-

mains burial spaces.

As always, feel free to visit NEPVA’s

web site (www.nepva.org), PVA’s web

site (www.pva.org), and the VA’s web

site (www.va.gov) for up to date and

recent news. If you have any questions,

comments, or concerns please contact

our office or your local NSO.

Cord Word February 2014

www.nepva.org4

…one fifth of the men and

women who attend the

New England Winter Sports

Clinic for Disabled Veterans

at Mt. Sunapee, NH are

Chapter members.

Executive Director’s Report

continued on page 8

By Debra FreedExecutive Director

The weather has just been crazy

lately, a foot of snow one week,

fifty degrees and rain the next. While it

makes it difficult for those with mobil-

ity issues to get around, we never-the-

less still get around. For starters, the

two very snowy days after New Year’s

found myself, and drivers Steve Robin-

son and George

Pease helping a

couple of veter-

ans keep their

eye surgery

appointments

and especially

their follow up

appointments

the next day.

Our assistant sports director – Mike

Guilbault had asked me a couple of

months ago if I would be able to help

deliver extra sport wheelchairs for an

adaptive sports presentation the Chap-

ter was invited to. It was a privilege and

honor to attend the now 3rd annual

Adaptive Sports program for 8th grade

students at Nashoba Brooks School. I

would be truly remiss if I did not men-

tion the volunteers who helped. With-

out them, there could not be a program.

Many thanks need to go to Mike

Guilbault for getting the volunteers to

do this: Mr. Damon Isles, Mr. Paul

Cowen, Mr. George Norton, and Sports

Director Brad Carlson. I was there to

assist with equipment so the students

could learn first- hand what it means

to use a wheelchair for sports. George

brought both of his basketball chairs,

Damon & Paul each brought extra

chairs and I took three chairs Mike was

able to get.

It was great to watch several basket-

ball mini-scrimmages and because the

number of chairs were there, all thirty

students would be able to participate

during the one and a half hours we were

there. They

also learned

the differences

between the

various levels

of spinal cord

injury and dis-

ease. Most had

never heard of

polio, which

Paul has and

they were able to pass around George’s

prosthetic leg.

Many thanks go to the school for their

generous donation to the program. The

Physical Education Instructor, Ms.

Joanna Smith stated the

students had been

looking forward

to this event for

several months.

It has become

a “rite of pas-

sage” into 8th

grade.

Many of you know that at

least one fifth of the men and women

who attend the New England Winter

Sports Clinic for Disabled Veterans at

Mt. Sunapee, NH are Chapter mem-

bers. They participate in a variety of

programs during the 3.5 days they

are there. These programs include a

wheelchair basketball game, swimming,

snowboarding, sled hockey, and I was

told Cross Country Skiing was intro-

duced this year. That actually may have

me going next year.

I enjoy the privilege of going up to the

Winter Sports Clinic on the last day.

They have a great banquet and awards

program. They even put together a

great slide show afterwards as well. As

the Chapter is one of several sponsors

of the event, we would be called up

to receive a plaque. However, I erred

when I said there were only three Board

of Directors members there and only

called up three of them – Brad Carlson,

Wayne Ross, Mike Guilbault. I apolo-

gize for forgetting Dustin Soroka and

completely forgetting John Brako were

also present. However, they were good

sports about the incident

Volunteer Paul Cowen demonstrates wheel-chair basketball.

February 2014Cord Word

www.nepva.org 5

(the school visit) was a

great success and NEPVA

would like to thank the

school for their generous

donation, which helps us

fund our programs.

By Michael J. KruseSenior National Service Officer, Buffalo, NY

By David RayNational Service Officer, Orlando, FL

continued from page 1School Visit

explained how we dribble and what is

considered traveling and what’s called

as a foul. Since we brought ten sports

chairs, we explained that we would let

them play scrimmage games against

each other. We put four students with

one experienced

player on each

team which

helped them

move the ball

up court and

set up shots.

We stopped the

games so they

could ask ques-

tions the last 15

minutes of the

visit, and they

had plenty to ask about.

It was a great success and NEPVA

would like to thank the school for

their generous donation which helps

us fund our programs. I would also

like to thank Debra Freed for joining

us, transporting a bunch of chairs and

taking pictures. My thanks to the expe-

rienced basketball players who joined

me and also brought chairs, NEPVA

Celtic players Damon Isles and George

Norton, New England Blazers player

and coach Paul Cowen and our Sports

Director Brad Carlson. Without their

help such a great presentation would

not be possible. I am getting requests

from a few elementary schools to return

and do our “What’s it Like” presenta-

tion to the 4th graders during the dis-

ability awareness week many schools

now have built into the 4th grade

curriculum. If anyone would like to

help with these school presentations,

please let me know. I can always use

more volunteers as the hardest part

of getting to these schools is getting

enough volunteers to join me. Once

you do one,

you’ll want to do

it more often; it

is very reward-

ing and fun.

We do make a

difference and

the students

not only get

educated, but

they can then

go home and

pass on the info

to help educate their parents about

how a disability no longer limits ones

activities or quality of life. They learn

we are the same as them and just need

to do things a bit differently, and

how technology now makes almost

any activity available to us! I feel this

makes the students more comfortable

with anyone they may meet who is a

wheelchair user, and if they were to

meet someone

their own age,

they would

be supportive

and include

that person

as they would

any other

student. I

have no doubt

that they

would also

ask if they played wheelchair basketball

and inform them of all the things they

could do and tell them about our visit

and all the things we do. Knowing that

is very satisfying and proves the value of

our school visits and community out-

reach. That is a great reward for a few

hours spent with the students. Even the

teachers get educated during our visits

I’ve been told.

Students at Nashoba Brooks School had a chance to play scrimmage games with Paul Cowen (above) and Damon Isles (below).

Cord Word February 2014

www.nepva.org

continued on page 10

6

By Brad Carlson Sports Director

Sports & Recreation

Bass Trail FundraiserBy Lori Chase

I would like to thank all who

helped in making the PVA New

England Bass Trail fundrais-

ing event a success, raising over

$2000.00. The PVA N.E. Bass Trail

hosts several fishing tournaments each

year for Veterans and the disabled

community at no cost to participants.

Events are run by the American Eagle

Bass Association and supported by sev-

eral Nam Knight Chapters and numer-

ous volunteers. For several years, The

NH Rockingham Fishing and Hunting

Expo in Salem, NH has allowed the

Bass Trail to host a booth for two days.

On what began as a treacherous and icy

day, soon turned into a day of network-

ing, education and new friendships.

Despite anxiety and anticipation of

the evening Patriots game, the crowds

and donations were amazing! Tiny

Lafontaine, (AEBA) Debra Freed, Tom

Blanchard, myself and Ray and Kenny

of the Nam

Knights, manned

the booth, passed

out The Cord

Word, coloring

books, crayons,

and candy, as with

anything, it is

nice to give, but to

receive also.

Nam Knights, Steve, Ray, Kenny, Volunteer Lori Chase, and AEBA Chair Tiny LaFontaine man the booth to raise funds for the NEPVA Bass Trail.

What a great Winter so far!

For those of you who

attended this year’s New

England Winter Sports Clinic for

Disabled Veterans, you all know what

I am talking about. I would person-

ally like to thank all the great people

at Mt. Sunapee, all of the volunteers,

NEHSA Instructors and the Sunapee

Lake Lodge! For those who missed this

clinic, try not to miss it next year! (see

Mike Guilbault’s article in the next

Cord Word)

Our Billiard Tournament for this

year is shaping up great! Once again

Budweiser and The American Pool

Players Association (APA) will be our

main sponsors. The APA has decided

to boost their advertising this year and

make this their PREMIER Tourna-

ment. This is our 7th Annual Tourna-

ment, which started out with only 15

Teams of 2. This year’s Tournament,

with the help of the APA, promises

to have upwards of 100 Teams! The

Tournament will once again be held at

Break Away Billiards in Clinton, MA.

Registration begins on Friday, May 9th;

the Tournament begins at 10:00 am on

Saturday and

will finish

on Sunday

afternoon,

May 11th.

We will need

lots of help

this year, so

please come

out and vol-

unteer for this great event!

Golf For All is still hosting FREE

indoor Winter Golf for Veterans and

their families. For more information on

these events please look on the NEPVA

web site.

It’s a little bit early, but shooting events

for NEPVA members will begin again

on June 13th at Monument Beach

Sportsman Club. More information

will follow on this fun event.

The Summer National Veterans

Wheelchair Games Applications have

all been sent out. Just a reminder: If you

are planning to attend with NEPVA,

your COMPLETED APPLICATION

MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE

NEPVA OFFICE BY MARCH 21,

2014, NO EXCEPTIONS!!! There is a

lot of work that goes into getting these

in on time, so please obey the deadline.

Once again, there is plenty to

do, so get out there and do it!

February 2014Cord Word

www.nepva.org 7

Cord Word February 2014

www.nepva.org8

Grants Available for Connecticut Members

The Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation (OHHF) is dedicated to maintaining and improving quality of life by providing financial

assistance grants to Connecticut residents with spinal cord injuries and disease.

Grants from OHHF can be used to:• Increaseaccessibility-withwheelchairs,ramps,homeremodel-

ing projects,scooters,stairglides,liftsandautomaticdooropeners• Improvecomfort-withtherapeuticbedsandexerciseequipment• Maximizeenjoymentoflife-withadaptivecomputers,sports

wheelchairs,andhelpwithexpensesforteamsandcampsforthe disabled

• Supportpersonalprogressandindependence-withvehiclechal-lenge grants which require that grantees be working or going to school,andtuitionforcollegeeducation

To request an application call toll free: 888-265-5859. The OHHF website is: www.ohhf.org

Also visit www.nepva.org for a link to their brochure.

FREE TO MEMBER

for contact info on these items

CALL THE NEPVA OFFICE

Jet 3 UltraPower wheelchair

For average size person, red,Pick up in Weston, MA

Hospital Bedin good condition

available in Franklin, MA

By the time you receive this, the 68th Annual PVA Conven-

tion may have taken place during the week of February 9-14.

Mr. Neal Williams – National Director Elect, President

Craig Cascella, and I will have attended on behalf of the

Chapter and its members. I am sure both the Chapter presi-

dent and I will be reporting any and all news and results from

the PVA Board of Directors election in the next newsletter.

Now, many of you know we are gearing up for our annual

trip to Washington D.C. in March. There are a number of

topics that we brought up in last year’s visit that unfortu-

nately will need to be re-addressed this year: U.N. Conven-

tion on Disabilities (CRPD). This is a treaty signed only

by Senators. (For the record all twelve New England Sena-

tors signed without hesitation.) Other issues of importance

include: 2014 VA Budget; Advance Appropriations; Improved

Travel Benefits for Non-Service Connected Catastrophically

Disabled Veterans; and Procreative Services for Catastrophi-

cally Disabled Veterans to mention a few. While it may not

be necessary that the Chapter make appointments with all

23 House of Representative members and all 12 Senators, it

remains very important that for those appointments I cannot

get, that we provide information to them. They all do still

have to vote on the various issues, whether they are part of a

specific committee or not.

Speaking of voting, as stated in previous articles, 2014 is

being referred to as mid-term elections. These elections are

for all House of Representatives members and one third of

the Senate. Please do not allow apathy to keep you from

voting. Make your voices heard by voting.

continued from page 4Exec. Director Northampton VAMC News

By Timothy Kelly

On Thursday December 12th the Northampton VAMC

SCI/D peer mentoring support group held our annual

Christmas party. There was a good turn out with 22 partici-

pants not including all the VA staff who did another great

job ensuring that the event was festive and went smoothly;

we enjoyed good food, good company, shared gifts, caught

up on the past year, and looked forward to the new year.

Special thanks for those who traveled far, brought homemade

goodies, and gave their support to our veterans.

Our monthly meetings to share our experiences take place on

the second Thursday of each month from 1-3pm in PT/OT.

February 2014Cord Word

www.nepva.org 9

33 Manning Road Billerica, MA 01821 Phone:800-886-9247

Call 800-886-9247 www.NewEnglandWheels.com

New England Wheels has been serving the mobility needs of the Northeast for over 30 years. We salute your service, and are proud to serve you with the best of accessible vans and mobility services.

A bathroom must be accessible, secure and supportive in order for us or our loved ones to live comfortably. Our Methuen, MA and Dover, NH showrooms specialize in accessible living and aging-in-place bath design ideas, proving that accessibility doesn’t mean giving up style! Roll-in showers, walk-in tubs, comfort-height toilets, hand-held showers, grab bars and more. Our array of products and expertise create a bath that supports privacy, comfort and dignity – all without sacrificing style.

Visit frankwebb.com for hours and directions.

With dozens of high-quality brands, Frank Webb’s Bath & Lighting Centers are the showrooms of the F.W. Webb Company, the largest plumbing supplier in the Northeast.

This means more products, expertise and value in bath and kitchen plumbing fixtures and lighting.

More than 35 showrooms throughout the Northeast including:

98 Lindbergh Ave. Methuen, MA 01844

781-325-7140

218 Knox Marsh Road Dover, NH 03820

603-842-6888

are not mutually exclusive.Accessible living & style

Cord Word February 2014

www.nepva.org10

continued from page 6Bass fundraiser

VA News

Grant Program One of Many VA Initia-

tives to End Veterans’ Homelessness

WASHINGTON(January14,2014)–TheDepart-

ment of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the

availabilityofuptoapproximately$600millionin

grantsfornon-profitorganizationsandconsumer

cooperatives that serve very low-income Veteran

families occupying permanent housing through

theSupportiveServicesforVeteranFamilies(SSVF)

program.

“ThosewhohaveservedourNationshouldnever

findthemselvesonthestreets,livingwithout

hope,”saidSecretaryofVeteransAffairsEric

K.Shinseki.“Thesegrantsplayacriticalrolein

addressing Veteran homelessness by assisting our

vital partners at the local level in their efforts.

We are making good progress towards our goal

toendVeterans’homelessness,butwestillhave

worktodo.”

TheSSVFprogramisdesignedtoassistverylow-

income Veteran families who are homeless or at

imminent risk of becoming homeless. The pro-

gramemploysahousingfirstmodel,anapproach

which centers on providing homeless Veterans

with permanent housing quickly and then pro-

vidingVAhealthcare,benefitsandservicesas

needed.

Requiredservicesincludeoutreach,casemanage-

ment,assistanceinobtainingVAbenefits,and

providing or coordinating efforts to obtain needed

entitlements and other community services.

Grantees secure a broad range of other services

forparticipants,includinglegalassistance;credit

counseling;housingcounseling;assistingpartici-

pantsinunderstandingleases,securingutilities,

andcoordinatingmovingarrangements;providing

representative payee services concerning rent and

utilitieswhenneeded;andservingasanadvocate

for the Veteran when mediating with property

owners on issues related to locating or retaining

housing. Grantees also offer temporary financial

assistance that provides short-term assistance with

rent,movingexpenses,securityandutilitydepos-

its,childcare,transportation,utilitycosts,and

emergencyexpenses.

VA announced the availability of funds today

throughaNoticeofFundingAvailability(NOFA)via

theFederalRegister.VAisoffering$300millionin

FY2014fundsand$300millioninFY2015funds,

subject to available appropriations. VA will make

award decisions based on a national competition.

InFY2013,VAawardedapproximately$300mil-

lioninSSVFgrantsforoperationsbeginninginFY

2014.VAisfocusingupto$300millioninsurge

funding on 76 high priority continuums of care in

an unprecedented effort to end Veterans’ home-

lessnessinthesecommunities.InFY2013,funding

fromtheSSVFprogramservedover39,000Vet-

eransandover62,000participants(i.e.,Veterans

and their family members).

InNovember,VAandtheDepartmentofHous-

ingandUrbanDevelopment(HUD)announced

theresultsofthe2013Point-in-TimeEstimates

ofHomelessness,whichwaspreparedbyHUD.

Thereportestimatedtherewere57,849homeless

VeteransonasinglenightinJanuaryintheUnited

States,aneightpercentdeclinesince2012anda

24percentdeclinesince2010.

TheSSVFprogramisauthorizedby38U.S.C.

2044.VAimplementstheprogrambyregulations

in38CFRpart62.Moreinformationaboutthe

program can be found at www.va.gov/homeless/

ssvf.asp.

VA Offers $600 Million in Funding to Support Services for Homeless Veteran Families

Fundraising efforts continued on

Sunday, fundraising staff and dona-

tions increased. Tiny, myself, Tommy

Lee, Zack and Joel Robbins, Lamar,

Alex O’Brien and Brendan Ingoldsby,

NEPVA BOD members Walter Far-

rington and Jim Wallack as well as

Ray and Brian of The Nam Knights

manned the booth and mingled with

trail information. Bob Abbott, a long

time Bass Trail volunteer drove up

from MA to provide you all with some

photos of this great event. We would

like to welcome 3 newly appointed bass

trail volunteers, Karl Ingoldsby, Mark

Fournier and Colin Richards. Tiny held

a short meeting to begin planning for

the upcoming 2014 season. Watch for

dates as the Bass Trail expands to be

known as the Big One!

Please stop by on Feb 8th and 9th at the

Hunting and Fishing Expo in Worcester

at the DCU Center.

February 2014Cord Word

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© 2012 SleepSafe Beds

FirstAdjustableBed.com | 866.852.2337

Designed, Built and Approved for our Heros.

ASSURED

COMFORTVeteran Edition

®

Peggy TownsendTRG Townsend Rep Group

Cell: 210-867-6562Fax: 210-945-9503ptownsend@townsendrepgroup.com

1965 Post Road #307New Braunfels, TX 78130

OUR MISSION

To design and build the ultimate adjustable beds

for medical, home care and wellness needs.

OUR PROMISE

To deliver outstanding products and excellent service.

To consistently provide caring customer service.

To provide ongoing, challenged and

tested product development.

To serve our customers with

honesty, integrity and credibility.

Get exactly what you want with anAssured Comfort Adjustable Bed.

The ultimate adjustable bed is MADE in Virginia

andfeaturesaremotecontrolled,whisperquiet,electricmotor,strongaluminum

frame supporting our premiummemory foam mattress.

Sizes:Twin,Full,QueenandSplitKing.

CONTACT – John Liston 401-480-8229

Cord Word February 2014

www.nepva.org12

Washington Update Produced by PVAGovernment Relations Department

ABLE Act Co-Sponsors UpdateThe Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S 313/H.R. 647) has

reached an unprecedented number of Congressional co-sponsors: 316 in the

House and 51 in the Senate. With more than half of the U.S. Congress support-

ing the bill, Congressman Ander Crenshaw (R- FL) and Senator Robert Casey

(D-PA) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of bill co-sponsors and supporters

called on Congress to pass the ABLE Act and provide an improved quality of life

for individuals with disabilities through tax-free savings accounts.

The legislation would amend Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Service Code

of 1986 to create tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. The

bill, first introduced in 2006, would ease financial strains faced by individuals

with disabilities by making tax-free savings accounts available to cover qualified

expenses such as education, housing, medical and transportation expenses. The

bill would supplement, but not supplant, benefits provided through private insur-

ance, the Medicaid program, the beneficiary’s employment and other sources.

CMS Issues Final Rule for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services SettingsOn January 10, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

issued a final rule establishing new requirements that apply to Medicaid Home

and Community Based Services (HCBS). The rule, which was several years in

the making, is of particular importance because it requires that HCBS settings

meet certain qualifications in order to be eligible for Medicaid reimbursements.

These qualifications include that HCBS settings should: • beintegratedinandsupportfullaccesstothegreatercommunity;

• beselectedbyconsumerchoicefromamongsettingoptions;

• ensureindividualrightsofprivacy,dignityandrespect,andfreedomfrom

coercion and restraint;

• optimizeautonomyandindependenceinmakinglifechoices;and

• facilitatechoiceregardingservicesandwhoprovidesthem.

The rule also identifies which settings are not HCBS settings and describes loca-

tions that will be considered institutional unless determined otherwise through

some type of review process. There will be a transitional process for states to

ensure that their waivers and state plans meet the new requirements.

Visit the Home & Community Based Services page on Medicard.gov to learn

more.

Report on Federal Employment of People with Disabilities

In2000,PresidentClintonissuedanexecutiveorderto increase the number of federal employees by 100,000.Littleprogresswasmadetowardthatgoal,andin2010,ExecutiveOrder13548requiredagen-ciestosubmitrecruitingandtrainingplans,increaseretentionand“returntowork”ofpeoplewithdisabil-ities,andreportresultsofemploymentefforts.ThisreportforFY2012wasissuedinDecember,2013.

EachFederalagencysubmittedaDisabilityPlanoutlininggoalsandstrategies,andemployeesfrommore than 56 agencies have been trained on recruit-menttechniques,theScheduleAHiringAuthorityforPeoplewithDisabilities,reasonableaccommoda-tion,andtheDepartmentofDefense’sComputer/ElectronicAccommodationsProgram(CAP).Theyhave also received training on helping employees who become ill or injured on the job to return to work. (UnderScheduleA,individualswithdisabilitiesareeli-gibleforexceptedservicepositionswithinthefederalgovernment and to apply non-competitively to merit promotionannouncements.ScheduleAhasbeenastrong tool to increase federal employment of people withdisabilities.OPMrecentlyissuedfinalregulations,simplifyingtheScheduleAhiringprocessforjobapplicants with disabilities).

Majorfindingsinthereportinclude:Therearemorepeople with disabilities in Federal service both in real terms and by percentage than at any time in the past 32years.Peoplewithdisabilitieswerehiredatthehighestpercentagein32years.

InFY2012,totalfull-timepermanentemployeeswithdisabilities,including30percentormoredisabledvet-erans,increasedfrom203,694inFY2011to219,975,anincreasefrom10.97to11.89percent.InFY2012,full-timepermanentnewhireswithdisabilities,includ-ing30percentormoredisabledveterans,totaled16,653,representinganincreasefrom14.65percentinFY2011to16.31percentinFY2012.ScheduleAdisabilityappointeenewhirestotaled1,539,anincreasefrom0.98percentinFY2011to1.51percentinFY2012.PermanentGS14and15newhireswithdisabilitiestotaled683,anincreasefrom12.24per-centto14.65percentinFY2012.

The report can be viewed at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/diversity-and-inclusion/reports/#url=Employment-Statistical-Reports.

February 2014Cord Word

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“(Ride-Away) knew what to do. Dave made all the phone calls to the VA... saving me $25,000!”

Steve poses here with his Ride-Away Sales Consultant, Dave Qualey, of the Londonderry, NH facility.

-Steve Hodgkins Malden, MA

It’s no wonder why Ride-Away customers remain so loyal — Superior Support! Ride-Away — America’s #1 provider of modified vehicles for people with disabilities.

• VetsMobileOps Program• VA assistance support• All vehicle trade-ins accepted• 24/7 Roadside assistance• QAP Certified factory trained technicians

888-Ride-Away (888-743-3292)

www.Ride-Away.com

Uro Bag® System Reusable urinary leg bag w/ T-Valve release port Unisex 2-Pocket leg bag holder undergarment

No Uncomfortable Leg Straps! • No constriction of circulation to lower leg. • No painful skin ulcers or red marks around leg • Holds leg bag securely on leg without leg straps. • Used with ALL catheters (including nephrostomy)

Which One Would You Choose?

Uro Bag System Leg Straps Adult Diaper

Package Contains: 1 – Reusable rubber (22 oz.) leg bag (Made in USA) 1 – Tubing w/connector (Made in USA) 1 - Unisex leg bag holder (S thru 3X) – (Made in India)

“The comfort and support I achieve with Uro Bag System is perfect for my

active lifestyle.” - David Wagner Gold & Silver Medalist – Quad Tennis

Uro Bag System is currently available at selected VA Hospitals and Clinics. If your VA location is not offering the URO BAG SYSTEM, please have them contact Uro Concepts Inc.

(830) 997-8025 - uroconcepts@gmail.com. www.uroconcepts.com Patented product of Uro Concepts Inc.

Medicare Approved HCPCS #A5112

DAPA Listed

Cord Word February 2014

www.nepva.org14

MobilityAdaptive

Equipment

VOTED #1IN CUSTOMER

SERVICE

LARGEST RAMPVANINVENTORY AT ONE

LOCATION IN SOUTHERNNEW ENGLAND!

Welcome To

Free Veterans Maintenance Program*

We work with the VA for you. New van upgrades every 2 years saving

you $25,000 on average and sometimes very little out of pocket.

-VETERAN SPECIALS--VETERAN SPECIALS--VETERAN SPECIALS-

www.amemobility.com1551 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk, MA 02771

*Please call for details and qualifi cations

1-800-311-2849

If you can’t come to uswe’ll come to you

LIFETIMEWARRANTY(Call or visit us for

more information)

February 2014Cord Word

www.nepva.org 15

Enjoyboth hands on the wheel !

KEMPF is a NMEDA member.

Visit: www.kempf-usa.com to find videos and com-ments from users and to request a quotation.

Call Toll-free: 1-888-4-KEMPF-US (453-6738) for a free DVD and free brochure.

DARIOS is VA accepted.KEMPF features nationwide free at-home pick-up and delivery and at-home service.

Digital Accelerator Ringoptimized for speed

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Leominster, MA

Permit No. 17

New England PVA1600 Providence Highway, Suite 143Walpole, MA 02081

tel: 508 660-1181 800 660-1181fax: 508 668-9412

Email: info@nepva.org

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:30pm

2014 Upcoming Events:NEPVA SPONSORED EVENTSMay 9-11 - 7th Annual NEPVA Billiard Tournament Break Away Billiards, Clinton, MA

May 27- NEPVA Golf Tournament June 14-16 for the PVA-NE 2nd Annual Trapshoot

VA / PVA SPONSORED EVENTSMarch 4-Women Veterans Ski Appreciation DayMarch 13-Welcome Home Veterans Ski Appreciation Day (contact jenny.mclaughlin @va.gov)

May 17 - Marlboro Fishing Trip (contact: Joan.Lynch@va.gov)

June 7- Hudson Fishing Trip (contact: Joan.Lynch@va.gov)

June 13 – Monument Beach Sportsman Club shootingJuly 14-18 - New England Summer Sports ClinicAugust 11-18 - National Veterans Wheelchair Games (March 21 is the deadline for NEPVA spon-

sored athletes to get their registration in to the NEPVA office)

August 23 – Bellingham Lake Hiawatha Fishing/Picnic