By Larry Belote
Occupying the position of President of BVA, or serving on the BVA Board of Directors in another capacity, can sometimes open a few doors. For example, Director of District 6 Mark Cornell and I were invited to the Greater Houston Regional Group’s Christmas Party!
The Greater Houston Group, under the leadership of Roy Young, is a very effective one. The group has energetic officers, fine members, and a good partnership with the VIST Coordinator, the BROS, and the VA Blind Rehabilitation Center in Waco. In fact, Stan Poel, Acting Director of Blind Rehabilitation Service, was in attendance at the party with his wife, Wilma. It was fun to be there.
Many veterans and their loved ones approached me at the party. The personal stories related by a couple of them stand out and will remain etched in my mind.
One of the stories originated with a relatively young fellow (actually, he was roughly my age, but I think of that as fairly young). He had been an engineer. Sight loss forced him to stop working a few years back. He told me he had read my first President’s Page and was really impressed. No, he was not impressed with me, or with my writing style. He was, however, impressed with the idea of quick intervention referenced in my column.
The veteran mentioned how the first stages of sight loss had been devastating to him. Forced out of the workforce, he was depressed, feeling that all of the consequences of his situation could have been avoided had his onset of blindness occurred later. He eventually found his way to VA and met up with the VIST Coordinator. Shortly thereafter he attended a blind center and was the product of a very good program. He mentioned that his current VIST Coordinator, Bill Johnson, now has the authority to intervene locally, resulting in quicker responses.
The second veteran had recently taken computer lessons in his home area of Houston. He felt that this experience had opened up a new world to him, a world that had been closed since the time he had lost his sight. The second blinded veteran also gave high marks to his residential Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) training. He said that the experience was so positive that he would be willing to return to a BRC for Computer Access Training if his health allowed it. Unfortunately, his present condition has negated such an option thus far.
These two stories bring a couple of important points to mind. The example of the engineer illustrates the power and significance of early intervention. Fortunately, thanks in large part to BVA’s efforts throughout the past 60 years, the VA system continues to be more responsive now than in the past. One can only wonder what might have been had the intervention been even more immediate in these cases.
The second example illustrates the extent to which World War II veterans and their needs are often overlooked. Many wrongly believed at one time that by 2006 VA would not need to worry about this group, that there would not be that many WWII vets still alive. Nevertheless, the greatest generation is also a tough generation. With improvements in health care and the way in which members of this generation have cared for their health, many of them will be with us for many years to come as they live well past 90 years old. As these veterans do live longer, increasing numbers will face the tremendous health complications and challenges that come with aging. The impact of the challenges, such as how to provide Computer Access Training outside of a BRC, was not fully considered in the past.
I make these points in the context of my own experiences. I sit on a number of committees representing either BVA or Blind Rehabilitation Service. One of my missions as a VIST Coordinator is to send individuals to a residential BRC when appropriate. The BRC experience is indeed a meaningful one. I have, in fact, attended a BRC twice myself. It is an opportunity to receive practical training and interact with other veterans struggling to adjust to life with vision loss. In the therapeutic environment veterans can swap experiences, share notes, and learn from each other.
Despite my positive feelings about residential BRCs, I often hear rehabilitation options that are presented in black and white terms. I do not wish to make the same mistake in describing the benefits of residential training. The tendency to cast such black and white judgments, as in the case of the veteran in my second example, is not always conducive to the needs of our veterans. It may also reveal a misunderstanding of who actually comprises the blind and low vision veteran population.
The VA model of service delivery to blind and visually impaired veterans is shifting from an older model that was based largely on regional, inpatient blind centers to a more flexible and inclusive continuum of services.
The concept of “continuum of services” consists of services provided early on in the first stages of severe sight loss. Dr. Joe Maino, Director of the VA Visual Impairment Program to Optimize Remaining Sight (VICTORS), called this approach “Just In Time” intervention.
A three-tiered service delivery system consisting of BRCs, VISOR (Visual Impairment Services Outpatient Programs), and VICTORS exists today. On the front line are VIST Coordinators and BROS.
There is a wider range of service delivery points than ever before, including community agencies, to meet the needs of the individual blind and low vision veteran. This has meant change, and, although change is at times hard for all of us to accept, it is necessary. Change is the process of redefining what is done so that the needs of our veterans can be met.
The comments of the two veterans I mentioned are not unique or isolated to Houston, Texas. There are similar ones among us in every part of the country. One resounding fact was quite apparent: The veterans in Houston were very appreciative of Bill Johnson, BROS Randal Mays, and the expansion of services now available in the Houston area. It was refreshing to learn of this appreciation and the reasons for it.
I had a great time visiting with members of the Greater Houston Regional Group. This is a group full of energy and one definitely on the rise. The stories and experiences shared are a good reminder of whom VA needs to serve and why services are provided. That is why BVA is here—to listen to our members and to use the information they share to help shape and steer the services we need to receive. Later this spring I will be returning to Washington, DC, to address Congress. I have not determined exactly what I will say just yet, but it is the input of veterans like these that will affect the nature of my remarks. |
