Assisting Blinded Veterans Is Their Mission

Friday, March 1, 2013

(NAPSA}—Manyveterans have found that a sudden physical disability can change the course of their life. However, that change can often be as fulfilling as the path the person was on before the disability. The Blinded Veterans Associa- tion (BVA) credits these positive life changes experienced by blinded veterans, in large part, to the modern, world-class blind rehabilitation programs andser- vices of the Department of Veter- ans Affairs (VA). BVA has been a major catalyst for these programs since its founding in 1945. An Advocate For Service Soon after its founding, BVA urged membersof Congress to pres- Suzanne Bennatt received a Certificate of Appreciation for her work as a VIST Coordinator. Here, she is with BVA’s Executive Director Al Avina and National President Sam Huhn. veterans and encourage them to take full advantage of a wide sure the Veterans Administration array of VA benefits and services offered by the Team. Veterans Affairs—to establish encourage blinded veterans to come (VA)—now known as Departmentof VIST Coordinators invite and appropriate services for men and in for an annual assessment of their II who hadbeen blinded. When that effort stalled for a needsand a review of their benefits women returning from World War time, the organization went to the executive branch of government. That action resulted in an execu- tive order from President Harry 8. Trumanin 1947 that required VA to establish a residential Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) at the Hines, Illinois VA Hospital just outside Chicago. Some 66 years later, at BVA’s urging, an additional 12 BRCs now dot the national landscape. The VIST physical, social and psychological and potential benefits. They then recommend the appropriate services for veterans with visionloss. BVAregularly honors outstand- ing VIST Coordinators with Cer- tificates of Appreciation at nearly every national convention. This year, for example, recipients were Suzanne Bennatt of the Spokane VA Medical Center and Edward Richards of the Northport (N.Y.) VA Medical Center. Membership in BVA is open to Recognizing in the late 1960s all legally blind veterans who have served in the U.S. military. still experiencing the isolating whose blindness is service con- for greater help from VA. member of BVA to receive assis- ment in 1968 of the Visual Impair- which is alwaysfree of charge. that many blinded veterans were effects of blindness, BVA pressed The result was the establish- ment Services Team (VIST) con- cept. VISTs employ full-time Coordinators who identify eligible It is not restricted to veterans nected, nor must veterans be a tance from the organization, For more information, call BVA at, 800-669-7079 or visit the Asso- ciation’s website, www.bva.org.

--- PHOTOS ---

File: 20190816-172222-20190816-172221-83510.pdf.jpg

--- FILES ---

File: 20190816-172221-83510.pdf