Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events

Monthly Assistance Allowance Program for Monthly Assistance Allowance Program for Disabled Veterans Disabled Veterans

Training in Paralympic SportsTraining in Paralympic Sports

December 2015December 2015

OVERVIEW

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• Public law110-389, Sec. 703, authorized VA to pay a monthly allowance to disabled Veterans training in Paralympics sports and created the VA Office of National Veterans Sports Programs & Special Events, which oversees the program.

• The allowance is only authorized for Paralympic sports certified by the International Paralympic Committee with active programs in the United States.

• Active duty military personnel are not eligible for the monthly allowance, but may qualify immediately upon discharge from the service.

• VA and the U.S. Olympic Committee initially partnered to manage the program and

increase Paralympic sport opportunities for disabled Veterans.

• Public Law 113-59 modified the allowance program such that VA partners directly with National Paralympic Committees, National Governing Bodies and High Performance Management Organizations to certify a Veterans eligibility for the allowance.

• More than 230 disabled Veterans have qualified for the allowance.

PARALYMPIC SPORTS - DEFINED

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• Paralympic sports are certified by the International Paralympic Committee for competition by athletes with physical disabilities in classified categories.

• Paralympic programs range from introductory and participatory to elite.

• Summer Paralympics include 24 sports spanning nearly 500 events.

• Winter Paralympics include 8 sports spanning nearly 70 events

• Sports that are not certified for Paralympic competition are considered adaptive sports.

What is the significance of whether a sport is a Paralympic sport?• By law, the VA can only pay a monthly allowance to disabled Veterans training

in a Paralympic sport, not adaptive sports.

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PARALYMPIC VS. ADAPTIVE SPORTS

 5-a-Side Soccer  Fitness  Sitting Volleyball

 7-a-Side Soccer  Goalball Skeleton

 Air Pistol  Golf  Sled Hockey

 Air Rifle  Hiking  Snowboarding

 Alpine Skiing  Hunting  Surfing

 Aquatics  Hockey (Ambulatory & Blind)  Swimming

 Archery  Judo  Table Tennis

 Badminton  Kayaking  Taekwondo

 Basketball  Nordic/Cross Country Skiing  Tennis

 Biathlon  Paddle Boarding  Track & Field

 Bobsled  Para-Driving (Equestrian)  Transitions

 Boccia  Paratriathlon  Ultimate (Disc)

 Camping  Powerlifting  Water Skiing

 Canoeing/Va’a  Power Soccer  Weightlifting

 Climbing  Racquetball  Wheelchair Basketball

 Curling  Rowing  Wheelchair/Quad Rugby

 Cycling/Handcycling  Running  Wheelchair Racing

 Dressage (Equestrian)  Sailing  Wheelchair Softball

 Fencing  SCUBA  Wheelchair Soccer

 Fishing  Shooting  Wheelchair Tennis

• Only those sports in black are certified for Paralympic competition.

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PARALYMPIC SPORT BY DISABILITY

Paralympic Sport Amputee / Dwarfism / Other Blind / Visually Impaired Spinal Cord Injury / Paralyzed / Wheelchair Traumatic Brain Injury / CP / StrokeIntellectual Impairment

Archery X  X X X  

Badminton X X

Basketball X   X    

Boccia       X  

Canoe / Kayak X   X X  

Cycling X X X X  

Equestrian X X X X  

Fencing X   X X  

Goalball   X      

Judo   X      

Paratriathlon X X X X  

Powerlifting X   X X  

Power Soccer X

Rowing X X X X  

Rugby     X    

Sailing X X X X  

Shooting X   X X  

Soccer*    X   X  

Swimming X X X X X

Table Tennis X   X X X

Taekwondo X

Tennis X   X    

Track & Field X X X X X

Volleyball X        

Alpine Skiing X X X X  

Biathlon X X X X  

Bobsled & Skeleton X

Cross Country Skiing X X X X  

Curling X   X X  

Sled Hockey X   X X  

Snowboard X        

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ALLOWANCE STANDARDS ARE SPORT SPECIFIC

• Visit http://www.va.gov/adaptivesports/ and click on “Training Allowance” to review sport specific standards.

• VA coordinates with applicable governing bodies to develop Military, Elite, and National Team standards in Paralympic sports.

• Veterans must meet the standard for their sport to qualify for the allowance payments. Standards vary in metrics, some examples being:

1) Boccia focuses on a placement relative to other athletes; 2) Canoe/Kayak focuses on performance relative to a specific metric such

as time, distance, or weight;3) Wheelchair Basketball focuses on coaches’ evaluations of Veterans at

selected events and selection the applicable athlete pool or team.

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PARALYMPIC SPORT GOVERNING BODIESParalympic Sport Organization Paralympic Headquarters Office Location

Alpine Skiing USOC U.S. Paralympics Division Colorado Spring CO

Archery USA Archery Colorado Springs CO

Badminton USA Badminton Colorado Spring CO

Biathlon USOC U.S. Paralympics Division / U.S. Biathlon Association Colorado Spring CO / New Gloucester ME

Bobsled and Skeleton USA Bobsled / Skeleton Colorado Springs CO

Boccia USA Boccia New York NY

Canoe (Va’a) / Kayak USA Canoe / Kayak Oklahoma City OK

Curling USA Curling Stevens Point WI

Cycling USOC U.S. Paralympics Division Colorado Spring CO

Dressage & Para-Driving (Equestrian Sport) U.S. Equestrian Federation Gladstone NJ

Fencing USA Fencing Colorado Spring CO

Goalball U.S. Association for Blind Athletes Colorado Spring CO

Judo USA Judo Colorado Spring CO

Nordic Skiing USOC U.S. Paralympics Division Colorado Spring CO

Para-Snowboard USOC U.S. Paralympics Division  Colorado Spring CO

Paratriathlon USA Triathlon  Colorado Spring CO

Powerlifting University of Central Oklahoma Edmond OK

Rowing U.S. Rowing Association Princeton NJ

Rugby (Wheelchair) Lakeshore Foundation Birmingham AL

Sailing U.S. Sailing Portsmouth RI

Shooting USA Shooting Colorado Spring CO

Sled Hockey USA Hockey Colorado Spring CO

7-a-Side Soccer (5-a-Side Development in Work) U.S. Soccer Federation Chicago IL

Sitting Volleyball USA Volleyball Colorado Springs CO

Swimming USOC U.S. Paralympics Division Colorado Spring CO

Table Tennis USA Table Tennis Colorado Spring CO

Taekwondo USA Taekwondo Colorado Spring CO

Track & Field (Athletics) USOC U.S. Paralympics Division Colorado Spring CO

Wheelchair Basketball National Wheelchair Basketball Association Colorado Spring CO

Wheelchair Tennis U.S. Tennis Association White Plains NY

Paralympic Sports in American Samoa American Samoa National Olympic Committee Pago Pago AS

Paralympic Sports in Guam TBD, Coordinate with VA Office of National Veterans Sports Programs & Special Events

Washington DC

Paralympic Sports in the Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Amateur Sports Association Saipan MP

Paralympic Sports in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Paralympic Committee  San Juan PR

Paralympic Sports in the U.S. Virgin Islands National Paralympic Committee, U.S. Virgin Islands  Christiansted VI

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• Allowance payments are the same amount as VA’s vocational rehabilitation and employment rates – and defined in 38 USC Chapter 31.

• The payment amount is adjusted on October 1 of each year and depends upon the number of dependents, as illustrated in the following chart:

ALLOWANCE PAYMENT RATES

Number of Dependents Full Time No Dependents $605.44

One Dependent $751.00

Two Dependents $885.00

Each Additional Dependent

$64.50

• As a VA benefit, payments are subject to federal and VA administrative, financial, and other applicable regulations.

• VA and sport governing bodies are responsible for ensuring only authorized payments are made. VA conducts audits of payments as applicable.

ALLOWANCE RECIPIENTS BY SPORT

APPLICATION / VERIFICATION PROCESS

• A sport governing body identifies a disabled Veteran who meets the eligibility criteria for that particular sport and collects necessary data to include:

- VA Form 0918a: Certifies active participation, - VA Form 0918b: Certifies eligibility and payment rate,

- VA Form 10091: Enables direct deposit to the Veteran’s bank account

• The governing body signs and submits documentation to VA (also maintains copies plus other relevant data such as Personal Monthly Performance Plan).

• VA verifies eligibility and submits payment for processing.

• Each month, VA and sport governing bodies contact allowance recipients and gather training data for national team members and emerging athletes.

COMPLETING FORM 0918A

• VA Form 0918a must be signed by the Veteran and sport certifying official indicating all requirements have been met.

• Form 0918a is required monthly for emerging athletes and quarterly for National Team members.

• Section A documents personal data on the Veteran.

• Section B documents basic information on Paralympic sport and site of training.

• Section C documents the period(s) of training and the type of training. Daily training is the most common and should be documented carefully to ensure accurate payment.

• Sections D and E are signed verifying accuracy of the data.

COMPLETING FORM 0918B

• VA Form 0918b is the application certifying the Veteran has met training requirements and calculating payment rate.

• Form 0918b is required to begin the program and anytime key data changes, such as a change in dependent status.

• Section A includes the Veteran’s personal data.

• Section B includes details on the Paralympic sport, the Governing Body, the site of training, and the official certifying the data.

• Section C includes data on dependent status both for spouse(s) and children. Ex-spouses have no direct effect on payment rate. The current spouse counts as one dependent and there is no consideration of spouse’s employment status. Dependent children are listed on the reverse side of Form 0918b.

• Veterans must submit a VA Form 10091 to establish direct deposit of all payments

• All information must be complete and legible. The most common error is illegible account and other data in the Financial Institution Information section.

• Once a Veterans account is active, there is no requirement to submit additional Vendorizing Forms. However, if a VMAA recipient changes banking accounts, a new Vendorizing Form must be submitted.

• A Veterans does not need to supply a DUNS number.

COMPLETING FORM 10091

QUESTIONS?

Visit www.va.gov/adaptivesports for additional information and follow @vaadaptivesport on twitter for news and updates.

VA Contacts: Mr. Michael F. Welch Michael.Welch5@va.gov

Mr. Joshua McCoyJoshua.McCoy2@va.gov