AUSTIN, Texas —
The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System will have a Black History Month program Tuesday morning at its Austin clinic.
The event starts at 10:30 a.m. and will feature a presentation about local Black history and give veterans a look at the different resources the organization offers.
According to a recent study from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Black veterans have the lowest approval rating for disability compensation.
Black veterans make up about 12% of all veterans, according to the latest census data. The GAO studied racial discrepancies with approving benefits. The study found Black veterans who apply for benefits for conditions like PTSD are getting approved the least – 61% of Black veterans get approved for benefits compared to 75% of white veterans.
Tuesday's event will highlight the diversity in services offered to veterans, including the office of civil rights and other services provided at this VA location.
A representative from the VA location said combining the history event with the resource event reaches a vulnerable population that might not otherwise know what services are being offered.
"Sometimes, you know, our sick and shut-ins, Black veterans, Hispanic veterans just don't have the opportunity to get here. So when we have events like this, you know, where they do come out, for their appointments and whatnot. It just showcases those things that we have available," Quentin Kimble Sr., an employee at the Specialist Center of Development & Civic Engagement, said.
The event is meant to show veterans the cultural diversity that makes up the different branches of the military and to highlight the diversity in services offered to veterans.
"It's just important for our veterans to know what resources we have available for them. A lot of times, those resources are not highlighted. But [there are] these are events that do push them to the front, and our veterans just find out what is available for them," Kimble said.
When the GAO completed its study, it also recommended the secretary of Veteran Affairs look into the root causes of those racial disparities and work to address them.