Page 31 - Desert Oracle January 2021

WASHINGTON UPDATE

December 23, 2020 Volume 26, Number 22
• New Wheelchair Standards Website

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Improving Health and Function
Through Use of Performance Standards in Wheelchair Selection recently launched a
new website to share research and information about wheelchair and cushion
performance. More information is available here.

• Innovative Employment Practices at Work: Celebrating the Efforts of the Harkin Summit
Community

The Harkin Institute held its annual summit of business leaders and disability advocates
on December 10 to highlight innovative and successful business practices in disability
employment and empowerment. The full-day conference brought together stakeholders
and private sector leaders from around the globe to share what their companies are
doing to promote disability inclusive business practices. The Institute, founded by retired
Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, is housed at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Information about the Harkin Summit can be accessed here.

HEARINGS AND WEBINARS

• On December 2, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a virtual oversight
hearing titled, “A Time for Change: Assessing the Need to Modernize Veteran Eligibility
for Care." The hearing was called to addressed the Commission on Care
recommendation to establish an expert body to develop proposals for reforming VA care
eligibility and benefits design. Roscoe Butler, Associate Legislative Director, testified on
behalf of PVA. You can watch the hearing here.

• On December 8, Associate Legislative Director, Maureen Elias, testified before the
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity at a
hearing titled, "Identifying Congressional and Administration Priorities for the Next
Congress: How we can support our Veterans through and after COVID-19." Her
testimony focused on VA education benefits veteran employment, funds for Veterans
Benefits Administration IT improvements, and the VA auto grant. You can watch the
hearing here.

• On December 9, Associate Legislative Director, Maureen Elias, participated in a public
roundtable of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Women Veterans Task Force
to share our views on the 2020 Report of VA’s Advisory Committee on Women
Veterans. Her comments called for better care coordination, continued efforts to end
harassment at VA facilities, and improved access to mental health services. You can
watch the roundtable here.

• The next webinar in the U.S. Access Board's free monthly series will take place January
7, 2021, from 2:30 – 4:00 (ET) and will provide an in-depth review of Americans with
Disabilities Act and Architectural Barriers Act requirements for interior accessible routes