Paralyzed Hoosier Veterans
Mission
"The mission of Paralyzed Hoosier Veterans (PHV) is to improve the quality
of life of Hoosier Veterans and others with spinal cord dysfunction."
Paralyzed Hoosier Veterans Annual
Report
October 1, 2006 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
*Al Tolbert - President
*John Denny - Vice President
*Carl Rhoten - Treasure
*Charles Parker - Secretary
*Roland Greek - Member
*Richard Simers - Director of Special Services
*Dennis Esterlin - Ex-officio/Director of Fundraising
Administration
Our administration headquarters are located at 651 X Street, Bedford, IN.
This is where we hold our annual meeting and board directors and general
membership meetings, host occasional social functions, maintain our
records, and carry on the day-to-day operations of the corporation.
PARALYZED HOOSIER VETERANS' SUMMARY
The Paralyzed Hoosier Veterans (PHV) Annual Report is a written summary
of the year's events. PHV is a nonprofit corporation, incorporated in Indiana
in 1994 to aid and assist in every way veterans of the Armed Forces who
have suffered injuries or disease of spinal cord; to publicize the needs of
such veterans through every means and channels available in order to
effectuate the fulfillment of such needs as far as possible, to advocate and
foster a comprehensive and effective reconditioning programs and to
cooperate with other corporations and groups and effective reconditioning
programs and to cooperate with other corporations and groups engaged in
similar activities, with a view toward carrying out the purposed described
above in the most effective manner. PHV is a tax-exempt corporation and
programs are funded through fund raising and private donations.
PARALYZED HOOSIER VETERAN'S (PHV)
PROGRAMS
Advocacy
The Paralyzed Hoosier Veterans (PHV) Advocacy Program is directed
toward promoting and defending the rights of disabled citizens, both
veterans and non veterans. PHV strives to remove all barriers and to enforce
and improve the legal rights of all disabled people including; equal access to
transportation, full educational opportunities, accessible housing and
elimination of architectural and attitudinal
barriers.
Research
PHV promotes and supports spinal cord injury research. This is done
primarily though the dissemination of information about the Center for
Paralysis Research located at Purdue & Indiana Universities. The center
depends on grants, state funding, federal funding, and public contributions to
fund its work. PHV works, with many others, for continued state funding.
Sports
PHV has been very supportive of wheelchair sports, including wheelchair
bowling, trap shooting, fishing, hunting and spectator sports and events. This
past year the sports program provided tickets for handicapped persons to
attend the INDY 500 Mile Memorial Day Race and the Brickyard 400. We
also helped with the Day of Fishing at Patoka Lake. There is a possibility
that tickets to the Indiana Pacer's home games will be available in 2008.
Volunteers
It would be impossible to operate our programs without the help of the
volunteers. They take the time to educate themselves about advocacy and
legislative issues so they can be effective force. These people cannot be
thanked enough.
Public Information and Education
The PI & E program is how we disseminate information about various
issues concerning veterans' and persons with disabilities. This includes the
CHOICE program and research information in the state of Indiana. The PHV
fundraising offices distribute much of this material to contributors who are
interested in PHV work and goals.
Advocacy
The Paralyzed Hoosier Veterans (PHV) has concentrated its advocacy
efforts in the area of home health care services on behalf of paralyzed
veterans and other handicapped people. We have focused on services to the
veteran and his dependents. In order to better carry out these functions, we
are represented on or belong to the following boards, committees and
organizations:
1. Council of Volunteers and Organizations for Hoosiers with Disabilities
(COVOH).
COVOH monitors, advocates and legislates to promote effective programs
for home health care for the disabled and for special education for
handicapped children. COVOH meets monthly and works each day with
General Assembly and its Interim Study Committees.
1. Education;
Supports a school distribution formula that will provide greater equality
between school corporations and those school children with special needs.
Also, supports integration of children with special needs into regular
education classes and programs.
2. Community and Institutional Services for the Elderly and Disabled;
Advocates for more funding for the full development of the comprehensive
system serving the needs of all persons with disabilities.
Supports the expansion of Medicaid Waivers and other federal funding
sources that will increase the independence, productivity and integration of
persons with disabilities into regular community life activities.
3. Home Care;
Advocates for the statewide development of the Community and Home
Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled Programs
(CHOICE).
Reviews the standards and each cost/share formula for the CHOICE
program.
4. Indiana Council on Independent Living (ICOIL).
Receive Governor's appointment to Council. ICOIL meets monthly and has
five working committees:
A. Provides guidance to State agencies and to local planning and
administrative entities assisted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
B. Provides guidance for the development and expansion of
independent living programs and concepts on a state wide basis.
C. Charged with preparing a three-year plan addressing long-term goals
and recommendations.5. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Indiana).
6. Accessing Technology Through Awareness in Indiana (ATTAIN)
A consumer-responsive program to encourage the use of various kinds of
technology to enhance and improve the independence of people of all ages
with disabilities. ATTAIN is made up of an advisory board with 15 members.
They meet once a month and are funded with a grant from the U.S.
Department of Education.
7. Indiana Home Care Task Force
The task force was formed to monitor and promote state-wide expansion of
the CHOICE program. They meet monthly and have state-wide regional
hearings on the program. We are one of the forty member organizations.
8. Indiana State Steering Committee;
Region V, Great Lakes Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center
for the Americans with Disabilities Act. They advise and help the business
community implement the Americans with Disabilities Act.
9. Area XV Agency on Aging/Community and In-home Services (Indiana).
Potential issues could not be brought before the Indiana Commission on
Military and Veterans Affairs because the Chair refused to accept input.
Some of our legislative goals for 2007 include the following:
1. To establish a Veterans Affair Trust at State Level on the model of
Wisconsin and provide for veterans assistance in future years on the model
of Wisconsin and Kentucky. Possible methods of funding the trust are:
a. Receipts of veterans license plate fees.
b. Special check block on State income tax forms.
c. Point five (.5%) of gambling receipts.
d. Individual contributions
To recognize the honorable service of qualified Korean & Vietnam War
returns who entered active duty prior to graduating from their respective high
schools by awarding them their high school diplomas.
Rationale: Similar legislation is in effect for veterans of WWII. Qualified
veterans of the Korean & Vietnam Wars should be afforded the same
consideration. To provide for compensation (per Diem, travel, and billeting)
of Indiana Medal of Honor awardees for their participation in patriotic and
other official events.
Rationale: Medal of Honor awardees are frequently called upon to attend and
participate in official ceremonies usually at their own expense without
compensation. Making them eligible for compensation through the Governor'
s or Veterans Affairs Office would relieve hardship.
We want to acknowledge the efforts of all the Paralyzed Hoosier members
who participated in our advocacy activities. The legislative work on veterans'
issues actually began with the first meetings of the Interim Study Committees
at the Statehouse. Several committees held hearings on the CHOICE
program and other in-home health care services. We were the only visible
veterans' organization interested in state-level home health care for our
members. The path through the General Assembly may be deceptively
smooth part of the way to run into immovable obstacles later and fail. We
were interested in 20 veterans' bill and four items dealing with home health
care which were introduced. Most of these bills died in committee without a
hearing. We were very interested in home health care issues since many of
our members need and use these services. Several use the services
provided by the CHOICE program. Two CHOICE bills passed; unfortunately
we believe the CHOICE program is under-funded.
Attitudinal Barriers
An important priority is the removal of barriers, architectural and attitudinal.
We provide a consulting service to anyone concerned with architectural
barriers and do public relations work to remove attitudinal barriers.