Blinded Vets Revel in Milestone,
Reflect on Future Challenges

Members of the Blinded Veterans Association across a spectrum that now spans 65 years joined together with their families, the organization’s national staff, vendors, presenters, and other friends for a lightning-quick week of urgent Association business, presentations on technology and aids for the blind, an exhibit hall of more than 45 booths, and visits to historical sites, museums, and special programs.

It all took place August 24-28, 2010 at Arlington, Virginia’s Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel just across the Potomac River from our Nation’s Capital and BVA’s National Headquarters building in the Chinatown District of the city. Several convention attendees made their way to check out the historic building.

Left to right, Massachusetts blinded veterans Randy Durrigan (Vietnam era), Cliff Fisher, and Earl Caudill. The latter two both served in World War II and attended a BVA National Convention for the first time.

The 357 total convention attendees, of which 147 were BVA members, were joined down the hall and throughout hotel guest facilities by a similar gathering of approximately 370 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Blind Rehabilitation Service officials who were simultaneously attending their own annual conference and using every available opportunity to check out the BVA exhibit hall.

“This convention is still one more BVA milestone that links veterans of today with those of yesteryear,” said BVA Executive Director Tom Miller. “Considering the challenges with which BVA has been faced during those 65 years, its longevity and continued ability to serve blinded veterans become increasingly significant with each passing year.”

Convention festivities also featured the traditional National President’s Reception and the Father Carroll Luncheon, highlighted by guest speaker Raymond Hazan, President of St Dunstan’s, BVA’s sister organization in The United Kingdom. Attendees of both the BVA convention and the VA BRS conference were treated at Wednesday morning’s Opening Business Session to stirring addresses from Assistant Marine Commandant General James Amos and White House Special Assistant for Disability Affairs Kareem Dale.

Loyal Gene Apple of the Regional Group was this year’s recipient of the Melvin J. Maas Award for Professional Achievement. Dennis O’Connell of the New York Regional Group received the Irving Diener Award for outstanding service to his regional group while Robert Keller, San Diego Regional Group, received the David L. Schnair Award for extraordinary voluntary service.

The Florida Regional Group retained the Golden Gavel Award for the fourth consecutive year. The gavel is presented to the regional group with the greatest increase in number of members for the previous fiscal year. The Silver Gavel Award, measured by the greatest percentage increase in membership, went to the Cape Cod and Islands Regional Group, one of BVA’s two most recently organized groups.

Convention delegates passed three new proposed bylaw amendments. Two other amendments proposed by the Association’s National Board of Directors failed to pass. The convention floor also voted to approve the first 17 proposed resolutions as a block and then approved an additional two, totaling 19. The National President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer will complete the second year of their two-year terms of office by unanimous approval of a vote cast by National Secretary Mark Cornell during the proceedings.

Sam Huhn’s election as Vice President at last year’s convention in Portland, Oregon, left a vacancy in the directorship of District 3. Neil Appleby, Pennsylvania Regional Group, filled the position on an interim basis for one year. Joe Parker of Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, was elected July 20, 2010 to fill the position for a full three-year term of office.

The Board also re-appointed Neftali Sanchez, Southern Nevada Regional Group, as BVA National Chaplain and asked Sandra Niccum, Southern Nevada Regional Group, to serve as National Sergeant-at-Arms for the upcoming fiscal year.

As part of BVA’s ongoing Operation Peer Support initiative, the Convention hosted 12 U.S. service members who haf lost their sight in recent combat operations in the Middle East or as a result of health complications. They were accompanied by a spouse and/or other family members. Nine previous Operation Peer Support convention participants returned for a second or third year on their own, among them British blinded service members Ben Shaw and Simon Brown.

The BVA 66th National Convention will occur at The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tentative dates for the gathering are set for August 16-20, 2011. Additional highlights and details of the historic 65th Convention, as well as plans for next year, will be recapped in the soon-to-be released Autumn 2010 BVA Bulletin. The issue will be available on approximately November 1. In addition to its online availability on the BVA website’s Bulletin page, the publication is produced in audio format for BVA members only. Print version and email copies are available upon request of Stuart Nelson, BVA Bulletin editor, snelson@bva.org.

Mittman Interview Provides Profiles of Hope, Courage

Master Sergeant Jeffrey Mittman (Ret), a BVA Life Member from New Palestine, Indiana, recently shared an abbreviated version of his life story in a detailed interview with Associates for World Action in Rehabilitation and Education (AWARE).

Jeff was wounded by a roadside bomb on July 7, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq. While still recovering from his injuries, Jeff and his wife, Christy, attended the BVA 62nd National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as participants in the Association’s Operation Peer Support initiative. Jeff will attend this year’s historic BVA 65 National Convention as both a BVA member and as a professional presenter representing National Industries for the Blind (NIB).

Read about Jeff’s long and challenging road through healing and rehabilitation, including a memorable first meeting with BVA Executive Director Tom Miller, to his new life as an inspirational public speaker, master’s student, and national account manager with NIB. Also included in the interview are tributes to the heroism and courage of Jeff’s wife Christy.

The interview and subsequent blogs responding to the interview are located on the website of AWARE, a registered nonprofit public charity founded in 1990 to provide information, resources, and education that can increase independence and enhance the quality of life for individuals with vision loss.

New Veteran Challenges Addressed by VA Vet Centers

A community-based program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing readjustment counseling to veterans who have served in combat zones or who have been victims of military sexual trauma or harassment.

VA Vet Centers, as they are called, also provide services to the family members of veterans. The Centers have connections within their respective communities to refer veterans to other services when appropriate. All services are free and without time limitation to the veterans and their families. Veterans are not required to have enrolled in VA in order to access Vet Center services.

The Vet Center program started in 1979 as a place to which Vietnam War Combat Veterans could go and talk with fellow Vietnam War combat veterans about their military experience. The idea of veterans helping veterans still holds true today as 70 percent of the Vet Center staff are veterans and, of that number, more than 70 percent are combat veterans.

Services at the Centers also include individual, group, marriage, family, and bereavement counseling. Assistance with problematic discharges can also be rendered.

Vet Centers’ confidentiality practices differ from those of VA Medical Centers. Vet Centers allow zero access to veterans’ information, including treatment notes, without written consent, unless the circumstances are such that a crisis must be avoided.

To locate a Vet Center, please visit http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/ or contact 877-WARVETS (877-927-8387).

View the VA Vet Center PSA below:

VA Concert to Air During Memorial Day Weekend

A special broadcast of the VA-National Medical Musical Group, a chorale and symphony orchestra that performs national and international concerts benefiting humanitarian and health causes, will air Sunday, May 30, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on CNBC-TV.

The broadcast was taken from a November 2009 Veterans Day concert of music and readings, “Healings for the Nations,” at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

BVA is one of several Veterans Service Organizations that promote and support the work of the all-volunteer musical group, which consists of VA medical personnel from throughout the country who pay their own expenses to perform at various venues each year. BVA Executive Director Tom Miller welcomed attendees to the November concert at the Basilica and will likely appear in the CNBC broadcast.

The broadcast event follows a special screening at the French Embassy in Washington on March 28 for an invited audience of ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps, members of Congress, and members of the French–American Chamber of Commerce.

Guests will also include veterans such as Tom Miller and a number of medical leaders. The French Ambassador, Pierre Vimont, will host the event, with TV newscasters Bill Kurtis and Maureen Bunyan serving as Masters of Ceremonies.

Additional information about the VA-National Medical Musical Group is available at www.medicalmusical.org. For more information about the “Healing for the Nations,” please see the following news clips:

1.      WJLA-7 News, 11/4/09: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx2o8J3rGgM (1 minute). 
2.      VA News, 11/16/09: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlF5dQyXa9I (5 minutes).
3.      Newschannel 8 interview with Dr. Victor Wahby, 11/3/09: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwD7yPdF848 (5 minutes).
4.      VA News, 5/19/08: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsqMYhkVQUc (5 minutes).

Blinded Veterans Outline 2010 Legislative Priorities

Emphasizing the organization’s concern for seamless transition issues, vision research funding, elimination of disabled veteran co-payments, vision loss connected to Traumatic Brain Injury, and an annuity that is unfairly subtracted from federal pension checks, BVA National President Dr. Roy Kekahuna testified on March 4 before a joint session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs.

“Four states currently provide small annuities to blinded veterans and for years these annuities have been considered income instead of gifts,” said Dr. Kekahuna in reference to the unfair subtraction of the annuity from federal pensions. “We urge introduction of a Senate bill to correct this injustice.”

The testimony was the pinnacle event of a busy week for BVA’s Legislative Committee and its full Board of Directors. The Committee, consisting of Dr. Kekahuna, National Vice President Sam Huhn, Treasurer Dr. Steve Beres, and Director of Government Relations Dr. Tom Zampieri, scrambled from one appointment to the next during two action-packed days on Capitol Hill and at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Central Office.

BVA’s Board of Directors also conducted a full slate of mid-winter meetings March 3-5. The only break during the three days was a short bus trip to the Cannon House Office Building’s main hearing room, where BVA shared the witness table with national officers of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, Military Order of the Purple Heart, American Ex-Prisoners of War, Military Officers Association of America, the Air Force Sergeants Association, and the Wounded Warrior Project. BVA Field Service Representatives and National Headquarters staff also attended the hearing.

On March 16, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) followed up on BVA’s aforementioned recommendation by introducing the Veterans’ Pensions Protection Act. In addition to the reference made during the testimony, BVA’s Legislative Committee had, earlier in the week, urged Senate offices to sponsor and support a bill that would allow blinded veterans to keep their entire pension from VA when a state annuity had been granted.

“Blinded veterans have given more for their country than most could ever imagine,” said Senator Kerry after introducing the bill. “It defies common sense and common decency to think that red tape would be allowed to deny them the benefits and care they’ve earned.”

The House version of the Veterans’ Pensions Protection Act, H.R. 3485, has been approved in the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs and is cleared for full Committee vote sometime in April.

“BVA appreciates Senator Kerry’s strong interest and leadership in a cause for which BVA has been fighting now for some 20 years,” said Dr. Zampieri. “We are grateful to the Senator for introducing legislation that will, in the future, make it impossible for these state annuities to be considered as income for pension purposes.”

BVA Recognizes Illinois Representative

Blinded veterans and their families stand to benefit in the short and long-range future from successful passage of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives in 2009 by Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson (D-IL-11).

Congresswoman Halvorson also helped garner the necessary support for the bill, ensuring its eventual passage in both the House and Senate last November as H.R. 6445 and S. 1963, respectively.

In a brief ceremony in her Capitol Hill office on January 28, BVA Executive Director Tom Miller and Director of Government Relations Tom Zampieri thanked Congresswoman Halvorson for her attentiveness to the legislation by presenting her with the Association’s Legislative Recognition Award.

“America’s blinded veterans appreciate Representative Halvorson’s efforts during the 111th Congress to ensure passage of H.R. 6445,” said Tom Miller. “We recognize her perseverance and leadership to remedy what has been an insurmountable obstacle for many of them in the past.”

The legislation proposed the elimination of co-payments required of catastrophically disabled veterans who are nonservice-connected and who must pay for inpatient rehabilitation services. In the past, blinded veterans eligible to attend a resident Blind Rehabilitation Center have often not been able to do so because they could not afford the required co-payment.

Presidential signing of the bill was expected shortly but still pending as of February 5.

BVA Honors Nation’s Veterans

Blinded veterans and their families throughout the country, independently or through activities organized by their regional groups, joined National President Dr. Roy Kekahuna on November 11 in honoring U.S. service members who have sacrificed to preserve America’s freedom.

Parades, memorial services, and social gatherings were all part of the activities, which occurred in a host of different settings and conditions.

Left to right, Jim Vale, Christina Hitchcock, and Steve Matthews find shelter inside Arlington National Ceremony's Memorial Amphitheater prior to Veterans Day ceremony.

“For us who enjoyed the day in the Nation's Capital, Veterans Day 2009 was an especially memorable and emotional day and, in my case at least, the rain did nothing to hamper its profound significance,” said National President Dr. Roy Kekahuna.

Roy was one of about 25 National Commanders and Presidents representing organizations belonging to the Veterans Day National Committee (VDNC). As such, following the White House Breakfast, he witnessed from a tow line the traditional Presidential wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. He also sat immediately the podium from which President Obama, Secretary Shinseki, and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) National President Gene Crayton addressed the standing-room-only gathering at the National Veterans Day Observance that followed.

PVA Director of Government Relations Carl Blake, center, takes time out at the Veterans Day reception hosted by his organization to greet BVA National President Dr. Roy Kekahuna and Executive Director Tom Miller.

In a steady, soaking rain following the ceremony, Roy also stood with Washington Regional Group member Jim Vale as they awaited their turn in line to present the BVA wreath.

“I definitely got very wet and cold, but it was an honor for me to have an opportunity to participate in something like this,” said Jim. “It’s a memory I’ll always have for the emotion it evoked in me.”

In the Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater, President Obama praised the nation’s veterans and their families for their fierce loyalty and willingness to sacrifice all for the freedom and well-being of their countrymen.

“We honor your service and we are forever grateful,” he said. “So to all of you, to our veterans, to the fallen, and to their families: there is no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice.”

The United States Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants provided a variety of patriotic musical prelude numbers, a special selection of “America the Beautiful,” and accompaniment for audience participation in a rendition of “God Bless America” prior to the retiring of the colors.

National Headquarters staff Tom Miller, Christina Hitchcock, Steve Matthews, and Stuart Nelson accompanied the visitors to the traditional VDNC reception, hosted this year by PVA at the renowned Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, several members of the Sooner Regional Group walked 14 blocks in a Veterans Day parade, passing out candy to elementary public school children along the way. The children were released from school as part of a day-long program to learn more about the meaning of Veterans Day.

Tulsa residents and Sooner Regional Group members march the entire route of their city’s Veterans Day parade. At far left with white cane and in uniform, World War II veteran Winifred Dudley, followed by. Jerry Letzkus (cane) and David Dowland, assisted by guide dog Nacho.

“There was a large parade crowd and they were very vocal to us, thanking us each block for our service,” said Sooner group member Jerry Letzkus. “It was heartwarming and memorable.”

A bus transported the parade participants from their meeting place at the VFW post, where they were fed breakfast, to the beginning of the route. Following the parade, the same bus took them to the American Legion and a barbecue lunch.

At Fairhaven, Massachusetts, Veterans Day parade, left to right, Rhode Island/Southeast Massachusetts Regional Group Treasurer Randy Durrigan, President Ken Long, and Cape Cod Islands Regional Group President George Bianculli.

BVA Scholarships to Assist
Blinded Veteran Dependents

BVA will award six Kathern F. Gruber scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year, according to Brigitte Jones, BVA National Administrative Director. The six scholarships are valued at $2,000 each.

The BVA Scholarship Committee will also select three alternates in case any of the awards cannot be accepted once they are awarded.

Gruber scholarships are limited to spouses and dependent children of blinded veterans, but the blinded veteran in question does not have to be a BVA member. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit by the Committee.

The awards are for a single academic year of study. However, recipients can re-apply to receive them a second, third, or fourth time.
Requests for scholarship applications can be addressed to BVA National Headquarters, Attn: Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program, 477 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. They can also be addressed to Keleeba Scott at 202-371-8880 or kscott@bva.org. Information and applications can also be downloaded here in Word format:

[Press Release] [Application]

Completed applications must arrive at BVA National Headquarters no later than Friday, April 16, 2010.

Momentous Gains for
Operation Peer Support

The BVA 64th National Convention hosted recently blinded U.S. service members and their guests for the fourth consecutive year, thanks to generous financial support from the Allergan Foundation, Health Net Federal Service, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, National Industries for the Blind, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, the American Optometric Association, Revision Eyewear, and Envision. Hosted by BVA this year were 11 service members and nine family members or friends.

Participants in Operation Peer Support were: Steve Baskis of Golconda Illinois; Scott Carruthers of Eden, Vermont; Douglas Cereghin of Salmon, Idaho; Mark Cobb of Murrieta, California; Ken Davis of Hillsboro, Oregon; Raymond Fleig of New Lisbon, Wisconsin; Sean Johnson of Aberdeen, South Dakota; Andrew Lessard of Coppers Cove, Texas; Alexander Perez of Tampa, Florida; Scott Thorne of Escondido, California; and A.J. Tong of Yelm, Washington.

Former participants returning to the convention on their own were Dave Kinney from Deland, Florida, and Travis Fugate from Hindman, Kentucky. Honorary BVA life membership status, which, according to Tom Miller has been the rarest of occurrences in BVA’s 64-year history, was conferred on the two returning Brits, Simon Brown of Morley, West Yorkshire, and Ben Shaw of Prestonpans, East Lothian. An attendee from last year, Craig Lundberg of Liverpool, was also granted honorary membership. The BVA Board of Directors took the action in their final business meeting Saturday afternoon.

Highlights of the week included informational sessions relating to education, rehabilitation, and employment. Four outstanding recreational activities were coordinated by Steve Beres and directed by Team River Runner (TRR) and the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). Participants went kayaking on Monday and enjoyed a daylong Thursday river run courtesy of TRR. USABA hosted the rock climbing and tandem biking activities on Saturday.

“We plan to invite all of our past OPS attendees to our convention in Washington next year,” said Tom Zampieri. “We hope that it can be a reunion of sorts and provide a greater opportunity to move the concept and practice of peer support to an even higher level.”

See Team River Runner video of water activities at BVA 64th National Convention courtesy of Sam Drevo, www.northwestpaddling.com, 503-887-5033.

#####

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Stuart Nelson (202) 371-8880

Blinded Veterans Applaud Passage of
Landmark Appropriations Legislation

WASHINGTON (October 9, 2009)—The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) commended the House of Representatives for providing final approval to long-awaited legislation that assures sufficient, timely, and predictable funding for veterans health care programs.

An equivalent Senate bill to the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, H.R. 1016, is expected to quickly pass following yesterday’s House action.

“This historic event is the culmination of years of work to reform the budget process for funding VA health care and will dramatically improve VA’s ability to manage the delivery of high-quality rehabilitation services,” said BVA Executive Director Tom Miller following the 419-1 vote. “Veterans health care will no longer be a victim of Congress’ failure to pass a budget on time, as has been the case for most of the past two decades.”

The legislation authorizes Congress to approve VA medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year instead of for the upcoming year only. In practice, it gives VA an additional year to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to a larger number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions.
BVA Director of Government Relations Tom Zampieri said the legislation would benefit his organization’s constituency in several specific ways.
“In addition to adding transparency to the VA budget process and removing partisan politics from future veterans health care funding, VA Blind Rehabilitation Service can now implement initiatives and staff residential and outpatient blind centers without the delays that previous budgetary issues have caused,” he said. “Predictable, timely budgets will most certainly improve the care of America’s blinded veterans.”
BVA is one of nine Congressionally chartered Veterans Service Organizations comprising the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform. The partnership has been united in seeking reforms to the current budget process since 2000 and for some 20 years has worked for a variety of reforms to ensure that veterans receive the health care they have rightly earned as a result of their service.

“We acknowledge the tireless efforts and dedicated persistence of our colleagues in the partnership that have finally paid off,” said Zampieri. “We are also grateful to VA House Committee Chairman Bob Filner for sponsoring the legislation earlier this year and to the many other Congressional leaders who played key roles in this success.”   

The Blinded Veterans Association has assisted blinded veterans and their families in adjusting to life without sight and in regaining confidence and independence since 1945. The organization of now 11,000 members was originally founded in Avon, Connecticut, by combat blinded veterans of World War II. For more information, visit www.bva.org.   

Upcoming Recreational Programs for Blinded Veterans

The following is a listing of upcoming sporting events, camps, programs, and activities for blind and visually impaired veterans and service members for the remainder of Calendar Year 2009. This list is by no means inclusive. Where possible, links to appropriate websites and points of contact have been included. Please share this information with state agencies, nonprofit organizations having a vested interest in veterans who are blind and visually impaired, and veterans themselves and their families. Information comes courtesy of John Potts and Rich Cardillo of the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). For general information about recreational programs such as the following, contact John at 719-534-3805 (jpotts@jsaba.org) or Rich at 719-630-0422, Ext 15 (military@usaba.org).

National Disabled Veterans 2010 Winter Sports Clinic (dates to be determined, same location as 2009)—The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is the world leader in promoting rehabilitation by instructing veterans with disabilities in adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing, and by introducing them to a number of other adaptive recreational activities and sports. For many newly injured veterans, including the increasing numbers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Clinic offers perhaps a first experience in winter sports since the time of an injury and provides the inspiration necessary to take recovery and rehabilitation to a higher level. Additional information is not yet available. At some time in the near future it will most likely be located at http://www1.va.gov/vetevent/wsc/2010/default.cfm.

Lakeshore Foundation’s Lima Foxtrot Operation Endurance Program (dates to be determined)—The Operation Endurance Program enables local servicemen and women who have sustained a severe injury during active duty to access Lakeshore’s membership programs at no cost. These severe injuries include, but are not limited to, loss of vision, spinal cord injury or paralysis, loss of limb, permanent disfigurement, severe burns, or traumatic brain injury. Additional information is again at www.lakeshore.org.

BVA Partners with Census Bureau

BVA is one of 300 organizations nationwide to partner with the U.S. Census Bureau in an effort to promote participation in the 2010 census.

The goal of the Census Bureau’s partnership program, one of many census campaigns, is to combine the strengths of local governments, community-based organizations, schools, media, and businesses to ensure a complete and accurate 2010 Census.

As a partner, BVA is receiving promotional materials, regular updates, and data assistance while encouraging members, friends, employees, website visitors, convention attendees, and Bulletin readers to complete and mail their questionnaires.

More than $300 billion in annual federal funds are awarded to states and communities based on census data, amounting to more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period. The data also guides local decision-makers in important community planning efforts, including the building of new roads, hospitals, and schools. It also determines how many seats each state will have in Congress and the redistricting of state legislatures, city and county councils, and voting districts.

War Supplemental Amendment Provides for VCE Facility

Key members of the House and Senate pushed successfully for an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2009 Military War Supplemental bill, eventually resulting in $4,052,000 for the construction of the long-awaited Vision Center of Excellence (VCE) facility.

Title X, Military Construction, was passed by both chambers on June 16. It provides for 3,933 square feet of office space for 28 staff members in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (formerly the National Naval Medical Center) in Bethesda, Maryland. The space must be converted to meet VCE specifications while also relocating existing tenants.

“BVA is grateful for the support of so many Members of Congress and their staffs in persevering to bring this effort to fruition,” said Tom Zampieri. “We are pleased that the facility will finally be operational soon in order to improve the care of military personnel and veterans affected by eye trauma, principally those experiencing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Visual Syndrome.”

Of particular influence in getting the amendment inserted into the War Supplemental were Representatives Glenn Nye (D-VA-2), Tim Walz (D-MN-1), John Boozman (R-AR-3), Michael Michaud (D-ME-2), Denny Rehberg (R-MT-1), Harry Teague (D-NM-2), and Zack Space (D-OH-18).

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Ron Wyden (D-WY), Mark Begich (D-AK), John Kerry (D-MA), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) provided the much-needed support for passage of the amendment in the Senate.

“BVA is also indebted to the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Optometric Association for their constant support through a long and arduous process,” said Tom.

The proposed location for VCE allows for collaboration and synergies with the vision care providers and patients in the National Capital Region. It will also allow VCE to best meet its Congressional mandate by being in close proximity to the new National Intrepid Center of Excellence for TBI, the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the Uniformed Services University, and the National Military Advanced Training Center, the latter of which is a facility for the reintegration and rehabilitation of injured service members.

Vision Center of Excellence Needed Now

“The Vision Center of Excellence will help thousands of service members returning with eye injuries, as well as veterans of previous generations, by coordinating their follow-up care and developing programs for vision research,” Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) blinded veteran Travis Fugate told a Subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Testifying at a March 17 hearing of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation in response to delays in the Center’s implementation, Travis emphasized the importance of quick action.

“Why the Department of Defense cannot find the $5 million to get this set up is beyond me,” he said. “Funding should no longer be an excuse, and movement on VCE should come today.”

Accompanying Travis at the witness table were Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF, Afghanistan) veteran Gilbert Magallanes and wife Sherry, OIF veteran David Kinney, and BVA Director of Government Relations Tom Zampieri. Each of the five provided oral and written testimony and responded to questions posed by Committee members. Travis was introduced at the hearing by his own representative in Congress, Representative Hal Rogers (R-KY-5).

“We hope that this Subcommittee can understand the deep sense of frustration that we have felt over the course of the past 13 months since the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) established VCE,” said Tom. “With the large numbers of veterans suffering direct eye injury from battle and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) visual dysfunction, further delay is unacceptable.”

Left to right, Travis Fugate, David Kinney, Sherry Magallanes, Gilbert Magallanes, Tom Zampieri. The three OIF-OEF veteran witnesses at the table attended recent BVA National Conventions as part of the Association’s Operation Peer Support program.

Also testifying on a subsequent panel at the same hearing were Dr. James Orcutt, VA Chief of Ophthalmology; Dr. Madhulika Agarwal, Chief Officer of VA Patient Care Services; newly appointed VCE Director Dr. Donald Gagliano; newly appointed VCE Deputy Director Dr. Claude Cowan; and Dr. Jack Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Clinical Policy and Programs. The panel discussed VCE’s strategic plan and how its efforts will ultimately help those who have experienced eye blast injuries.

The Vision Center of Excellence and Military Eye Trauma Registry were authorized in the FY 2008 NDAA, enacted in January of last year as Public Law 110-181 and intended as a Defense Department program in coordination with VA. The original sponsor of the legislation was Representative John Boozman (R-AR-3). Although the VCE/Eye Trauma Registry provision was authorized, confusion has abounded over both funding and ultimate responsibility for implementation.

The same Subcommittee held a previous hearing on April 2, 2008 regarding visual dysfunction associated with TBI and ways in which VCE would improve the spectrum of care for eye-injured service members. Subcommittee members this time expressed a sense of urgency that VCE get off the ground immediately and that the necessary assistance and oversight be fully provided by Congress, VA, and DoD.

“While I am confident that VCE will ultimately provide care for our veterans, I am disappointed to learn that delays leave veterans feeling as if they have been left in a void and they do not know where to turn for treatment,” said Subcommittee Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ-5). “It took Gil Magallanes almost seven years to be introduced to his Visual Impairment Services Team Coordinator, which is an unacceptable wait for veterans.”

House VA Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA-52) issued a separate statement following the hearing, expressing similar support for VCE and echoing BVA’s preoccupation with the delay in its implementation.

“Transmission of electronic medical records between the Pentagon and VA is critical for the continuum of care of our wounded warriors,” he commented “The Vision Center of Excellence is intended to ensure that veterans receive state-of-the-art treatment without having to deal with the overly bureaucratic process during rehabilitation, and we cannot wait any longer to put this plan into action.”

The March 17 hearing could be seen via live webcast and is now archived for online viewing and listening. Written statements of members of both panels are also available.

BVA Outlines Urgent Priorities before House and Senate Committees

“Establishment of the Vision Centers of Excellence and Eye Trauma Registry (VCE) mandated by legislation more than 13 months ago is now long overdue,” said BVA National President Norman Jones, Jr.

Testifying before a joint session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs and their staff members on March 5, Norman urged bipartisan support from Members of Congress in ensuring prompt implementation by the Department of Defense of Section 1624 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2008.

“As a new generation of seriously eye injured Soldiers and Marines returns from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, our combined efforts will be extraordinarily important in providing them with the full continuum of high-quality care and benefits they have earned,” he said.

“We urge full Committee hearings and work with the Armed Services Committees to establish all of the required NDAA Centers for both hearing and vision so that our returning service members will begin to experience the long-awaited ‘seamless transition’ to VA health care.”

Consistent with BVA testimony presented each of the past two years, Norman also elaborated on BVA’s concerns about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from Improvised Explosive Device blasts. He also referred to Post-Traumatic Vision Syndrome, which involves temporary or permanent loss of vision associated with TBI.

“Veterans with neurological vision dysfunction as a result of moderate to severe TBI will require long-term VA eye care follow-up in low-vision clinics,” said Norman. “BVA believes that VCE is where vital research, best practices, and outcome measures can be developed and refined for the TBI-wounded who face vision dysfunction.”

Also included in the BVA oral presentation and written document, submitted for the Congressional Record, were general concerns about adequate funding of recently expanded VA outpatient rehabilitation services, support for the recently introduced (February 12) Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009, and a statement commending Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18) for reintroducing legislation in January that would establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in blind rehabilitation (Vision Impairment Specialists Training Act, or H.R. 228, known last year as the VISTA bill under a different bill number).

The testimony further provided BVA’s views on the state of various VA blind rehabilitation services, including residential Blind Rehabilitation Centers, Visual Impairment Services Teams, Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialists, and Visual Impairment Centers to Optimize Remaining Sight. It contained a brief plea for bipartisan support for a second newly reintroduced bill the previous day—this one by Representative Debbie Halvorson (D-IL-11). The legislation proposes elimination of co-payments by blinded veterans attending inpatient blind rehabilitation programs.

The 12-page written document also offers perspectives on VA low-vision and eye-injury research, comments on the persistently high backlog of rating VA claims, and a reference to previously proposed legislation affecting pension benefits for blinded veterans receiving a state annuity in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. It concludes with a list of 12 specific recommendations to which Norman made reference during his oral remarks.

Presenting first at the hearing, Norman was joined at the witness table by Dr. Charles Stenger, Legislative Consultant for American Ex-Prisoners of War; Kathy Upchurch, National President of Gold Star Wives of America; Patrick Campbell, Chief Legislative Counsel for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; Ira Novoselsky, National Commander of Jewish War Veterans; Randy Pleva, National President of Paralyzed Veterans of America; and Dawn Halfaker, Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors of Wounded Warrior Project.

Also present for the testimony proceedings were members of the BVA National Board of Directors, all of whom traveled to the Nation’s Capital for the mid-winter Board meetings March 4-7 in conjunction with the testimony. Meetings included an all-day retreat on the subject of fundraising, a review of BVA’s financial status, and reports from the Field Service Representatives and National Headquarters staff. Newly appointed interim District Directors David Van Loan (District 1) and Roy Young (District 6) attended orientation sessions conducted by headquarters staff earlier in the week.

For members of the BVA Legislative Committee—Norman Jones, Roy Kekahuna, and Dr. George Stocking), meetings began March 2 with newly appointed VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki and Director of Blind Rehabilitation Service Gale Watson amid a Nation’s Capital late-winter snowstorm. Appointments with Members of Congress and their staffs followed the next two days.

BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION

For Immediate Release

Contact: Stuart Nelson
(202) 371-8880

Blinded Veterans Commend Reintroduction of
Advance Appropriations Legislation

WASHINGTON (February 12, 2009)—Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) Executive Director Tom Miller today praised the chairmen of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees for reintroducing advance funding legislation for health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The legislation would authorize Congress to approve VA medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year instead of for the upcoming fiscal year only. An advance appropriation would provide VA with up to a year in which to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to an increasing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions.  

“BVA enthusiastically supports this bipartisan legislation that will change the age-old problems inherent in the current budget process that ultimately resulted in severe delays and underfunding,” said Miller following a Capitol Hill press briefing that unveiled the legislation.
The briefing included statements by House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), Senate Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI), National Legislative Director for Disabled American Veterans Joe Violante, Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Paul Reickhoff, National Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees David Cox, and Former Deputy VA Secretary Hershel Gober. Also offering were remarks were co-sponsors of the legislation: Representatives John Hall (D-NY) and Michael Michaud (D-ME), and Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mark Begich (D-AK).   

“Today hopefully marks the beginning of a change in the way our Nation cares for those who have bravely defended it,” said BVA Director of Government Relations Tom Zampieri. “If passed, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 will significantly improve the ability of our veterans, and in our case those with vision loss, to access quality health care independent of a budgetary process that has, sadly, seen delays 19 of the past 22 years.”
Zampieri said that the sufficient, timely, and predictable funding mechanism inherent in the legislation would result in improved health care with greater transparency in its delivery.  

“Passage of this landmark legislation would also protect veterans from the political infighting that accompanies each round of the budget process in Washington,” he said.

BVA is one of nine Congressionally chartered Veterans Service Organizations comprising the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform. The partnership has been united in seeking reforms to the current budget process since 2000. 

The Blinded Veterans Association has assisted blinded veterans and their families in adjusting to life without sight and in regaining confidence and independence since 1945. The organization of now 11,000 members was originally founded in Avon, Connecticut, by combat blinded veterans of World War II. For more information, visit www.bva.org.           ###

CHARTERED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

Newly Released TV Spots
Highlight BVA Service

BVA is the subject of two separate television productions to be aired nationally and in regional markets in April and May. The spots were produced by Vision Media’s National Report Series.

The first production is a two-minute commercial slated for national distribution next month. Regional airings will be broadcast approximately 400 times in many of the top 200 designated marketing areas beginning in May.

A longer eight-minute educational public television segment, referred to as a corporate awareness piece, will be sent to National Report Series affiliates in May. Affiliates include several international outlets.

BVA will receive a detailed airing report that highlights the reach and frequency of the distribution as soon as the airing schedule is finalized, which is typically 1-2 weeks prior to the national two-minute airing.

Both of the two spots include information and footage of Field Service Representatives helping fellow blinded veterans. The longer segment details the causes of blindness for today’s veterans, the services available to blinded veterans, and how BVA assists them in accessing such services.

The corporate awareness segment, digitized and encoded for the Internet, can be viewed below.

DVD copies of the corporate awareness segment can be requested by calling Stuart Nelson at BVA National Headquarters, 202-371-8880, Ext. 3316.

Gagliano to Head Centers of Excellence

The Pentagon announced November 6 that the first Director of the historic and long-awaited Vision Centers of Excellence (VCE) would be Army Medical Corps Colonel Donald A. Gagliano, a medical doctor, retinal ophthalmologist, and a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives. He was named to the position by S. Ward Casscells, M.D., the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

Dr. Gagliano has most recently served as Director of the Clinical Investigations Regulatory Office in the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Dr. Gagliano assumes the VCE directorship with a most impressive resume that includes distinguished military training and experience, management experience at multiple levels, and a career in military medicine, research, and academia.

Dr. Gagliano has led soldiers at every level of command, most noteworthy of which is his command of the 30th Medical Brigade in Iraq from February 2003 until February 2004. He simultaneously served as the CJTF-7 Surgeon with responsibility for planning, integrating, and executing coalition combat health support in Iraq during the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 30th Medical Brigade was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for exemplary performance during Dr. Gagliano’s command.

BVA and the American Academy of Ophthalmologists (AAO) enthusiastically endorsed Dr. Gagliano’s candidacy. On November 5, several representatives from various Veterans Service Organizations assembled with Dr. Gagliano at AAO to express their concerns and suggestions regarding the center.

Dr. Claude L. Cowan, Jr. has been selected as the VCE Deputy Director. He has most recently worked as an ophthalmologist at the VA Medical Center in Washington, DC, and is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at both George Washington Medical Center and Georgetown University Medical Center.

Dr. Cowan received his bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University and his medical degree at Howard University. He did his residency at Freedman’s Hospital, which converted to Howard University Hospital while he was in his residency. He then completed three fellowships at the Wilmer Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, studying Flourescein Angiography and Neuro Ophthalmology, External Ocular Diseases, and Anterior Segment Surgery.

Both Dr. Cowan and Dr. Gagliano will be in charge of a combined clinical, administrative, and information technological registry involving four military clinical VCE locations and several VA Medical Centers that provide specialized services to wounded OIF and OEF service members.

The advent of the VCE is a dramatic and important event for BVA, bringing together in cooperation the Department of Veterans Affairs and all branches of the Department of Defense to track serious eye injuries and eye diseases, to update clinical progress in a timely and accessible manner, and to jointly arrange and collaborate on vision research studies. It is charged specifically to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat, and rehabilitate military eye injuries.

The creation of the Centers is essential to provide the best possible surgical and rehabilitative eye care available to military personnel. BVA is confident that a system is now in place to track TBI cases as they relate to visual impairments, an issue that has been a source of great concern since 2003 when evidence of war-related eye injuries first became apparent.

BVA is deeply grateful to the many parties within the vision community that, together, strongly supported the Military Eye Trauma Treatment Act that got everything started in 2007. The Association also expresses thanks to Congressman John Boozman (R-AR) for sponsoring the legislation.

USCIS Reaches Out to BVA

Jonathan Scharfen (center), Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, invited BVA to the agency’s headquarters in Washington, DC, to discuss potential employment opportunities for blinded veterans within USCIS. Participating in the September 16 meeting were, left to right, BVA Director of Government Relations Tom Zampieri, National Field Service Director Steve Matthews, and Executive Director Tom Miller. Photo courtesy of USCIS Office of Communications.

Popaditch Book Recounts Life-Altering Experiences

Nicholas and April Popaditch, as well as then 13-year-old Nick, Jr., were among the 37 convention guests of Operation Peer Support at the BVA 62nd National Convention in 2007.

Blinded Marine Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch, an Operation Peer Support participant at the 62nd National Convention in Albuquerque, is now a published author. His book, Once A Marine, published by Savas Beatie, is an inspirational memoir of his combat experiences in the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The book is a real-life, no-holds-barred account of what it is like to be a U.S. Marine in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Once A Marine also highlights Nick’s injuries and the courage required of his family during his recovery. Nick was struck in the head by an enemy rocket-propelled grenade during a firefight with enemy insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq, on April 7, 2004. The grenade was fired from a rooftop into the commander’s hatch of his tank, resulting in numerous shrapnel wounds to his head and neck. Nick was med-evacuated to Germany and subsequently stateside. His right eye was removed and his remaining eye was declared legally blind. His right ear and nose sustained significant damage and an implant was placed in his skull.

“I am excited about the release of Once A Marine and hope it serves to thank the members of BVA who helped me and to give strength and sound counsel to those who come after me,” he said. “Thanks for everything you have done for me and my fellow veterans.”

Nick credits BVA members for helping him obtain the help he needed most in his recovery process. 

“After I was wounded, some of the first to assist me were blinded veterans,” Nick said. “Navigating the VA system is tricky, but I’ve always received sound advice from those who have gone through this before me.”

BVA members and friends met Nick Popaditch, his wife, April, and Nick, Jr. at the 62nd National Convention in Albuquerque. Nick came to the convention as part of the Association’s Operation Peer Support initiative.

Once A Marine has its own website at www.onceamarine.com. To view its book trailer, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDpg7FC0sl.

Student Production Addresses BVA History, Vital Issues

Leander Schaerlaeckens, a graduate student studying broadcast journalism at The American University in Washington, DC, has produced a documentary that highlights BVA's mission and the organization's past and recent successes. The video focuses on the means by which BVA has helped blinded veterans overcome their challenges and lead productive, successful lives.

The eight-minute, 30-second segment features interviews with BVA Executive Director Tom Miller and World War II blinded veteran Dr. Louis J. Blumen at BVA National Headquarters. Schaerlaeckens also interviewed OIF serviceman Jeffery Mittman at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Click here to view the documentary.

RFB&D Reaches Out to Blinded Veterans

A nonprofit organization distinguished by nearly 60 years of service to individuals with print disabilities is expanding its outreach to include a greater number BVA members and other blinded veterans.

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®), founded in 1948 to help soldiers blinded in World War II take advantage of the GI Bill to obtain an education and rebuild their lives, has an extensive library of more than 30,000 digitally recorded textbooks.

According to Mark Zustovich, Media Relations Association for RFB&D®, the organization is a lending library that charges only an annual nonprofit membership fee to provide access to the library’s resources. In a visit with Tom Miller, Tom Zampieri, and Steve Matthews at BVA National Headquarters in late November, RFB&D® Vice President of Government Relations Julie Moeller further explained the potential benefits of the services to blinded veterans interested in furthering their education, both formally and informally.

Besides serving students with visual impairments, RFB&D® has clients with learning disabilities or physical disabilities that make reading standard textbooks difficult or impossible. Some 150,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond are the present beneficiaries. All of the accessible titles are recorded by more than 7,000 volunteers working in 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

“With the ongoing situation in Iraq and in other places around the globe, we feel our services are more relevant and important than ever,” said Zustovich. “Getting the word out to veterans about our audiobooks will help them begin or continue their education and follow other life pursuits with independence, confidence, and success.”

RFB&D® was originally known as simply RFB®. It was founded by New York City philanthropist Anne McDonald in the attic of the Yorkville Branch of the New York Public Library. Several letters from veterans blinded during World War II inspired the idea as they described their frustration at not being able to pursue a college education because college texts were not readily accessible.

For more information about RFB&D® services and membership, go to www.rfbd.org, call Barbara Zustovich at 609-520-8017, or write to Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®, 20 Rozel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.

“Shades of Darkness” Still Available

George E. Brummell, National Director for the BVA Field Service Program for ten years and a current member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group, is the author of a recently released autobiography.

Shades of Darkness recounts George’s early life in a small, segregated farm community on Maryland’s eastern shore, followed by tours of duty in Korea and Vietnam. The book documents George’s quest for education, service, and athletic achievement, the latter of which included a 1,200-mile tandem bicycle ride from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City with World Team Sports in 1999. George is the 2005 recipient of BVA’s most prestigious honor, the Major General Melvin J. Maas Award for Professional Achievement.

For more information about Shades of Darkness, go to www.georgebrummell.com. The book can also be secured immediately by sending a check for $20.50, which includes shipping and handling, to Pie Publishing, 2914 Fairland Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904.