ORLANDO, Fla. — A program offered by the Orlando VA Healthcare System is helping veterans experiencing blindness or significant vision loss maintain their independence.
Air Force veteran Dwight D. Sayer has lost more than 90% of his vision. Today, he uses technology that reads his mail aloud, helps him operate electronic devices and allows him to navigate the Orlando VA Medical Center independently.
Sayer credits the healthcare system’s Blind Rehabilitation Program with giving him the skills and confidence to adapt.
“The blind rehab program saved my life,” Sayer said. “There’s always a way. It may not be the way you wanted, but there’s always a way.”
The program connects veterans with Vision Impairment Services Team coordinators and Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialists. Services are customized for each veteran and may include training inside the veteran’s home.
Specialists can teach veterans how to safely prepare meals, navigate with a cane, read medication labels, use smartphones and computers, return to hobbies or walk through their neighborhoods.
Gregory Manuel, a VIST coordinator who has worked in blind rehabilitation since 2008, said the program is about more than providing adaptive equipment.
“We’re there to help folks adapt to living with blindness and vision loss,” Manuel said.
Unlike rehabilitation programs that end after a set number of visits, the VA’s blind rehabilitation services continue throughout a veteran’s care. Specialists can adjust the training and resources as a veteran’s vision, living situation and personal goals change.
Dr. Ashley Brevil, supervisory social worker for the Orlando VA blind rehabilitation team, said the program can help veterans regain a level of independence they may have believed was permanently lost.
“This doesn’t have to be the end of your story,” Brevil said. “This is just one chapter.”
Since entering the program, Sayer has traveled independently around the country and advocated for other blind veterans. He encourages anyone experiencing vision problems to learn what services may be available.
“Anybody that’s got a visual impairment of any kind can’t afford to miss this program,” Sayer said.
Veterans experiencing blindness, low vision or vision loss that makes everyday activities more difficult can request a referral through their VA primary care provider, eye care provider, social worker or another member of their care team.
The blind rehabilitation team will determine eligibility and connect veterans with the appropriate training, services and resources.
More information is available through the Orlando VA Healthcare System.
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