Services for Blind and Visually impaired Veterans

There are many serving and retired veterans in the US army who are blind and visually impaired. This issue causes serious disability for the veterans as they are unable to perform their daily necessary activities. The number of veterans in the country that are visually impaired and blind is approximately equal to 130,428 and this number is increasing day by day.

Services for blind and visually impaired veterans

The impairment can be caused due to age-related issues and diabetes. Muscular degeneration among the veterans who have to perform heavy work is also one of the causes of impairment. The veteran affairs department provides a special program for veterans with visual ad blind impairment.

The veteran department is the first department in the state that assists the veterans completely and provides them with all the necessary medical and health care benefits.

Vision impairment services in outpatient program

Outpatient program is specially designed program for the veterans that provide its benefits for 2 weeks. Outgoing patient provides overnight stay and lodging for the veterans who require extra care for their impairment. The main aim of this program is to help the veterans learn to perform their daily activities easily and without the assistance of others.

Self-medication is also taught in this program. There are some other benefits of this program as well as it teaches the veteran to use the computer and communicate in daily life.

Clinics for low vision veterans

There are clinics for low vision veterans that provide basic eye care to the patients that are not sufficient. So, veteran affair department has decided to run a clinic where enhanced and modern technologies are used. The staff is well trained and specialized to deal with the veterans having low visions.

This benefit is provided to the veterans only who meet the eligibility criteria. This clinic not only provides vision enhancing devices but also treatment and instrument for blind.

Veterans with low vision can get benefits from such clinics as it will help them to enhance their remaining sight and live independently. There are certain devices available in such clinics that the low vision veterans can use to see properly.

Technology and guide for impaired veterans

Technology has become very important aspect of everyone’s life. It assists the ones who use it properly. Similarly technology is also available for the patients that have low vision or are blind. The technology helps the impaired to regain their independence and live normally like others.

Guide dogs are also available for blind people. Such dogs are not provided by the veteran affair department but training is given. Guide dogs are very helpful as they can walk the patient through hurdles and roads without getting hit.

VA rehabilitation centers

Rehabilitation centers are available in different states of the country that assist and train blind and visually impaired patients. The rehabilitation centers have designed special courses considering the blind people. These courses help the blind to perform their daily tasks with independence. Blind veterans can learn many different skills from veteran rehabilitation centers such as:

Visual skills
Communication with others
Manual skills
Skills to work with technology such as computer
Skills to perform recreational activities
Orientation and mobility skills
Learn to deal with mental and behavioral adjustments
Perform daily routine tasks without assistance

There are 13 such blind rehabilitation centers in the United State that assist the blind and visually impaired veterans. Veteran affair department has provided all of the above facilities for blind and visually impaired veterans who are in the service or are honorably discharged from the service. VA centers and clinics provide all the necessary treatment to the veterans.

Veterans Benefits