SGT. SHAFT: Care available for blind vets

Dear Sgt. Shaft:

As recent Veterans Day activities have reminded us of the sacrifices many Americans have made for our country, it is important to note that more than 1 million U.S. veterans have either a visual impairment or some other disability that prevents them from effectively reading standard print. Because of medical advances, todays soldiers increasingly are surviving but returning home with serious combat injuries that affect their reading ability.

As these brave young men and women embark on the journey of rebuilding their personal and professional lives, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) can help.

RFB&D has a 60-year history of serving U.S. veterans. Founded in 1948 to help blinded World War II veterans attend college via the GI Bill of Rights, RFB&D and its audio textbooks are helping more than 237,000 students and professionals who have print disabilities pursue educational and professional success. One of our newest members is retired U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Michael Jernigan, who was blinded by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq. Mike is rebuilding his life and attending Georgetown University using RFB&D audio textbooks. He recently filmed a public service announcement and video interview for RFB&D that can be accessed at www.youtube.com/record4bd.

For more information about our Learning Through Listening services for veterans and others with print disabilities, please visit www.rfbd.org/vet or call our Metropolitan Washington Unit at 202/244-8990. RFB&D was there to help our nations veterans in 1948, and we are here to help them now.

Betsy Paull OConnell, executive director

RFB&D Metropolitan Washington Unit

Dear Betsy:

Thank you for your service in thanking our special veterans for their service. I urge not only those eligible veterans, but anyone who requires your assistance to contact you.

Shaft notes

Congratulations to Fernando O. Rivera, director of the VA Medical Center in the District, and his employees for their recent recognition. Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake selected this group as a 2008 winner of the Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award. The Carey Award, one of the most prestigious national awards VA bestows, recognizes organizations that implement management approaches resulting in high levels of performance and service to our nations veterans.

This coveted award is based on the National Baldrige Quality Award criteria, used by thousands of organizations around the world to continuously improve efficiency and performance to become among the best in their field.

The D.C. VA Medical Center (DCVAMC) is one of the most visible and dynamic facilities in the VA system. Known as the “flagship of VA health care” for its consistently high results in quality of care, DCVAMC serves as a model of VA’s leadership in health care delivery and the application of electronic health records. This award-winning medical center has been recognized recently as one of the “100 Most Wired” hospitals by the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals and Healthcare Networks magazine and won VAs 2008 Olin E. Teague Award for excellence in rehabilitative care.

The Carey Award was named in memory of Robert W. Carey, a recognized VA quality leader and a champion for excellence in the federal government who served as director of the VA Philadelphia Regional Office and Insurance Center from 1985-90.

For more information about the DCVAMC visit www.washingtondc.va.gov/ or phone 202/745-4037.

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