[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 151 (Friday, December 8, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E2155]]



                  WINNERS OF THE OLIN E. TEAGUE AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2000

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, in a ceremony on Wednesday, September 13, 
2000, in the House Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing room, the 
Orientation and Mobility Section, Western Blind Rehabilitation Center, 
VA Palo Alto Health Care Facility, Palo Alto, California, received an 
Olin E. Teague Award for their efforts on behalf of disabled veterans.
  The Teague Award is presented annually to VA employees whose 
achievements have been of extraordinary benefit to veterans with 
service-connected disabilities, and is the highest honor at VA in the 
field of rehabilitation.
  The Section members, Miriam Emanuel, Scott Johnson, Julie Hazan, 
Richard Ludt, Patrick Ryan, Jennifer C. Smith, Candace Thelen, and Paul 
Thomas, Blind Rehabilitation Specialists; Charles ``C.T.'' Vasile, 
Supervisor Blind Rehabilitation Specialist, and Bill Ekstrom, Chief 
Western Blind Rehabilitation Center, were selected to receive this 
prestigious award in honor of their work to develop the first power 
scooter training program for low vision blinded veterans with 
ambulatory problems.
  Realizing that current support items such as canes, walkers, and 
scooters did not meet the needs of the less mobile, blind veteran, the 
team determined to find a solution. The team worked with specialists in 
Physical Therapy, Physical Medicine, and Prosthetics Service to study 
the various types of power scooters available for sighted individuals. 
In addition to their full daily schedules, the team members made the 
time to actually become power scooter travelers to learn to navigate on 
the scooters as sighted individuals. When they became fully 
knowledgeable of power scooter travel, they began to develop options to 
adapt the power scooter for use by blind veterans. Their enthusiasm, 
persistence, and creativity paid off. Two distinct power scooter 
programs were developed to meet the differing needs and capabilities of 
legally blind low vision veterans. These programs offer veterans a 
higher quality of life and a highly valued commodity--their 
independence.
  Mr. Speaker, the name Olin E. ``Tiger'' Teague is synonymous with 
exemplary service to the Nation's veterans. The late Congressman Teague 
served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee for 32 years, 18 of 
those years as its distinguished chairman. No one who opposed him on 
veterans' issues ever had to ask why he was called Tiger. He set the 
standards by which we can best serve all veterans. I know my colleagues 
join me in offering our deep appreciation to the Orientation and 
Mobility Section for their concern, dedication, and innovation in 
meeting the special rehabilitation needs of disabled veterans. We 
congratulate them for the excellence of their work and for the 
distinguished award they received.

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