HARTFORD — In 2021, Shelley Voigt was having a coffee hour with Congressman Joe Courtney in Waterford when a veteran stood up and asked why New York State was working to get his application for disability status approved. I asked him if he had come all the way to Albany.
That moment prompted Vogt, Hartford HealthCare’s liaison for veterans to Congress, to take action. Currently, veterans seeking that position have options in Connecticut.
That was one of the accomplishments Vogt noted after a two-hour forum on disabled veterans Thursday at the State Capitol that included leaders from health care, policy and community organizations. What is their purpose? Building on previous successes and developing multifaceted, statewide solutions to the problems veterans face every day.
“This is post-coronavirus and we need to put the wheels back on the bus,” Vogt said.
Vogt said among the priorities: Reducing veteran suicide. Improving public transportation access and funding for veterans. A stronger town assistance program for veterans in all 169 towns in the state. More advocacy and support programs. Funding for research into medical issues such as spinal cord injuries would also increase.
The forum will include medical professionals, local and state elected officials, and 20 nonprofit organizations such as the Tales of Hope Foundation, which serves the lesser-known cause of service dogs for veterans. More than one person attended.
Linda Brick, president and founding director of Tales of Hope, said the main goal is to create national standards for these dogs that include humane care. License and Certification. Improving current laws that protect service dogs and their veterans. Penalties for violations of existing laws denying service dogs and veterans access to public places, including transportation.
Brick said there is a need to insist that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pay for service dogs, including daily care and veterinary care. Access is also an issue, she said, as disabled veterans are often on waiting lists for two to three years to get properly trained service dogs from reputable organizations.
“These are just some of the issues that need to be addressed as a valuable life-changing resource for veterans with mobility and mental health disorders,” she said.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, a Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, was one of the elected officials at the event.
Bronin said the group will focus on how to better support disabled veterans and provide services to help them increase their speed and agility and connect them to the resources they need.
“All of our veterans deserve better support,” he said. “They deserve more than our gratitude.”
The group is scheduled to meet again on February 28th.
