WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – yesterday led a committee hearing with witnesses from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, a caregiver working with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, veteran advocates and veterans themselves about how VA can improve services for veterans living with spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI-D) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

“For many, a new and different journey begins the moment veterans return home or receive their life-changing diagnosis, one marked by physical and emotional hurdles that require specialized care, innovative technology, and a dedicated support system,” said Sen. Moran. “VA’s Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder system of care is a critical lifeline for these veterans, making certain that they receive quality care when needed.”

The witnesses for the first panel of the hearing were Shelly Hoover – a Navy veteran who has been living with ALS since 2013 and testified using Tobii Dynavox Speech Generation Device with eye gazing technology; Mandi Bailey – an ALS advocate, who lost her Army veteran stepfather to ALS; Mary Ward – a spouse and caregiver to her Marine corps veteran husband, who has been living with ALS for 15 years and Robert Thomas – an Army veteran and the National President for Paralyzed Veterans of America, which is the only veteran service organization dedicated to the veteran SCI-D community.

Sen. Moran’s questioning can be found here & here.

Click HERE to Watch Sen. Moran Opening Remarks