The Bulletin Blinded Veterans Helping Blinded Veterans May-June 2020 General Omar Bradley BVA Advocate and Friend The Voiceye code in the top right corner of each page will read the text of that page on your Smart device. Please download the Voiceye App from Apple or Google and enjoy The Bulletin. In This Issue Cover Photo: A momentous determination in President’s Page .................................. 3 November 1946 by General Omar By Dr. Thomas Zampieri Bradley, at the time head of the Executive Director’s Message to Veterans Administration, changed Members .............................................. 4 forever the future of the Blinded By Joseph Bogart Veterans Association. The historic Legislative Update ............................... 5 decision is remembered in this issue of By Donald D. Overton, Jr. The Bulletin. See page 8. Historic National Convention .............. 6 Virtual Meetings ................................... 7 BVA Wins VA Recognition ................... 8 VOLUME LXXV, No. 3 BVA, BVUK Task Force ...................... 10 May-June 2020 Ceramic Tips “Amazing” in EDITORIAL STAFF Cane Navigation ................................ 12 By Mike Taylor Editor: Stuart Nelson Hasbrook Counted among BVA Assistant Editor: Kylie FitzGerald Early Stalwarts ................................... 13 Design, Pre-Press, and Printing: By Stuart Nelson Karen Smith Design, Master Print Around BVA ........................................ 16 Dole Foundation Selects Caregiver .. 22 Operation Peer Support News .......... 24 1101 KING STREET, SUITE 300 Auxiliary’s View .................................. 28 ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314 By Patricia Hail TELEPHONE: 800-669-7079 Headquarters Receives Carroll 202-371-8880 Correspondence ................................ 29 FAX: 202-371-8258 From the Veterans Services Staff ..... 30 WEBSITE: www.bva.org By Claudia Baldwin E-MAIL: [email protected] Extraordinary Feats without Sight .... 31 Combined Federal Campaign #10513 By Ed Henkler Chaplain’s Corner .............................. 33 Published bi-monthly by and for blinded By Johnnie E. Busch, Sr. veterans, and sent to all blinded Interviewing: A Healing Act ............... 34 veterans without charge. The Bulletin By Paschal Baute informs BVA members about their Of Note ............................................... 35 Association and the issues that affect Caregiver Corner ............................... 36 blinded veterans. By Caroline H. Sheppard Please send Bulletin submissions In Remembrance ............................... 37 to [email protected] or Final Thought ..................................... 40 [email protected]. 2 The Bulletin • May-June 2020 President’s Page by Dr. Thomas Zampieri As we navigate • Taking care of ourselves. All of us need to these uncertain times, I tend to our physical, mental, and emotional wanted to share how we well-being. are approaching things • Looking after those peers in BVA by at BVA. On March 18, BVA staff started extending some of our time and making working from home. The Board had to make phone calls or sending emails to them. If many decisions during our March mid-winter you need help, ask for it, and know that meeting, and the safety of our employees was there are many willing volunteers to help. vital. Working remotely is critical to continuing • Taking care of each other. In the context BVA’s efforts, which is a new adjustment of our mission and goals, this can mean for many; physical group meetings are gone, lending an extra hand in a regional group but we can still hold phone meetings. How project or an ear for listening to another we go about our work, how we treat each veteran. other, the impact of our efforts – all these are • Remembering to say thank you and to significant to our well-being, individually and practice patience, kindness, and openness collectively in BVA moving ahead. to fellow veterans and recognize that We would like to hear how you, at the caregivers are also stressed. These things regional group and chapter level, are adapting make a tremendous difference, even in and rising to new challenges. What’s small doses! working? Please share by sending an email Additionally, I’ve found that when times story of successes and how you have worked are tough, volunteer work feels good. It through this pandemic to Stuart Nelson at provides daily structure and purpose for the [email protected]. day today. Volunteering for BVA is a gift – a I hope that each of you, your loved ones, gift to and for the organization and a gift to us and your community, are well, in body and as we are rewarded personally for our service mind. and sharing of ourselves. If we already serve What can we do in the middle of it? I BVA and its members, we need not ask, “How do urge everyone to follow the advice and can I help?” The answer is this: Just keep procedures recommended by our medical doing what we’re doing. professionals and local officials. In the past Finally, what always brings me the greatest 20 years since I have been a member of comfort, energy, and gratitude is this – that BVA, we’ve gone through the 9/11 attacks, whatever we do, we do it together. I extend recessions, hurricanes, fires, and many other my appreciation to members and thank our disasters together. What’s worked has been staff for their commitment and dedication to this: our mission. The Bulletin • May-June 2020 3 Executive Director’s Message to Members by Joseph Bogart To all our BVA family must also postpone them. The 75th National and friends, I hope you Convention has been suspended but the are enjoying the warmer Veterans Day 2020 at Arlington National weather while being safe. We are facing Cemetery is still a go. challenging times never experienced by any Most of our readers know that I decided of our generations. The COVID-19 pandemic to resign as Executive Director to catch my is not only changing ways we do business but breath and determine what comes next. While also how we connect as blinded veterans. this is my last BVA Bulletin article as your We are seeing many of our members Executive Director, I will remain in service to embracing newer technologies for virtual our great organization. While my wife and I meetings, discussions, town halls, and staying take a break to determine our next adventure, connected. Our species is one that thrives we are still in the BVA family. I am eager to on communication and personal interaction. continue serving my fellow blinded veterans While some of us need that personal and their families in any capacity that my connection more than others during this skills will be of value. challenging time, we all feel the strain. Your BVA Headquarters is in good hands going BVA is stepping up to help keep everyone forward. Don Overton, your Director of informed. Government Relations, stepped up as the From the latest factual information coming Interim Executive Director. He is the right from VA to making sure we turn over every person to bridge us in this transition. We have stone before we act, your BVA Headquarters worked together well and he will continue and leadership is doing everything possible taking us onward and upward for a BVA that to ensure that we all stay informed, safe, will endure the trials and tests of time. Don connected, and served. We all deserve a works well with the other leaders of BVA to brighter tomorrow and have a vital mission continue providing the highest class of service to continue serving all veterans and their to all our BVA families and friends. families coping with sight loss. Many events within BVA have been cancelled or postponed because of the current pandemic. Others are being scrutinized on whether we can safely conduct them or 4 The Bulletin • May-June 2020 Legislative Update by Donald D. Overton, Jr. We hope VA’s compliance with website accessibility as this message required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation finds you and Act. And third, the continuation of VA your loved contracting with AbilityOne programs that ones well. As the world gradually emerges employ blind and visually impaired veterans. from this unique period of crisis, BVA’s An important new initiative BVA is Government Relations team remains fully championing calls upon Congress, VA, and operational and engaged with our elected DoD to request that the Assistant Secretary officials and public servants. We would like of Defense for Health Affairs (ASDHA) – to recognize and thank the countless service working with our United Kingdom (UK) professionals who continue reporting for duty Defence Medical colleagues, universities, – risking their health and welfare – to ensure and non-profit associations – sign a five-year that our families are safe and provided for. agreement establishing a Joint International We particularly wish to acknowledge Ocular Trauma Task Force. Ocular casualties the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continue to account for approximately 14.9 Frontline Health Care Workers, Blind percent of combat casualties, with a higher Rehabilitation Service professionals, and incidence during increased combat activity. our colleagues within the Military and Moreover, VA reports show that upwards of Veterans Service Organization community. 70 percent of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Collectively, we partnered to ensure that our patients suffer from visual symptoms. global stakeholder communities were cared Legendary British-American shared military for – and well represented – during a chaotic battlefield cooperation has resulted in a unique and unprecedented frenzied reaction to the level of interoperability and familiarity. This global pandemic. As we craft this message, extends to ocular casualty care, beginning the country remains in isolation, so we won’t with early battlefield treatment guidance fully realize the results of our efforts, but rest provided by the UK in World War I – and blind assured, we continue fighting the good fight rehabilitation programs at St. Dunstan’s – for for all those we have the honor and privilege U.S. casualties. of serving. This level of cooperation continues today, Much of the traditional congressional but largely through individual, unofficial legislative calendar has been scrapped so that efforts.