It’s
estimated one in five veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq suffers from traumatic brain injury, also known as
TBI. Two
years ago Vermont received a $951,000 grant to help veterans
suffering from TBI find jobs. But to
date only a handful of vets have taken advantage of the program. The
reasons for this illustrate the challenges facing service providers and vets
with brain injuries.
Working on a farm can be dangerous. The Occupational
Safety and Health Administration estimates that every day, more than 240
agricultural workers suffer an injury that results in lost work time.
Four years ago, a Korean War veteran from South Burlington began working to convince all cities and towns in Vermont to boost their property tax benefits for disabled
veterans. Now, he’s almost completed that mission.
Voters in 31 towns have decided to boost a
property tax benefit for disabled veterans. State
law allows towns to exempt the first $40,000 of a disabled
veteran’s property value from local taxes. But
up until a few years ago, many towns did not allow the full benefit.