Delivering on the Promise: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Self-Evaluation to Promote Community Living for People with Disabilities

摘要

The primary mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing for the needs of veterans, offering them a range of compensation and pension benefits, vocational counseling and rehabilitation, health care and memorial services. In addition to these benefits, VA also administers education and home loan programs. President Abraham Lincoln's pledge to 'care for him who shall have borne the battle' is a constant reminder to VA employees that veterans are at the heart of our daily business. Joining the Interagency Council as a voluntary partner enabled VA to conduct a full evaluation of our programs and services, identifying barriers to community access and developing an action plan to eliminate those barriers. Our Department self-evaluation resulted in the understanding that while we have already removed a significant number of barriers through changes in policies, Federal regulations and law, VA is still hindered in its ability to provide veterans with services necessary to allow them to remain in their homes and communities. While VA has identified the remaining barriers, we are still in process of reviewing these barriers and determining the appropriate action.