Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 03/31/2003

Dear Sgt. Shaft,
We need your strong endorsement for restoration of centralization of the Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS) at VACO to preserve the core values established by the founders of the BRS. Centralization is the only basic and effective approach that will provide overall uniformity and oversight of the blind rehabilitation programs and its logistics. The Blind Centers today are subservient to local VISN and regional hospital directors with ten different systems of rehabilitation training. This is compounded by the fact that currently, the BRS serves as a milk cow to fund programs unrelated to blind rehabilitation. The regional VISN managements and Hospital Directors have short changed the BRS programs by shortening the rehab training and precluded qualified instructors and instructor-trainee ratios and mandating the Golden Goose to lay more golden eggs by getting more veterans into the program.

The regional administrative staff must be aware that indigenous differences exist among service programs and as a result there exists many inequities in funding and staffing.

(1) The Blind Rehab program should be under the auspices of professionally trained rehabilitation specialists. It takes many arduous hours daily training to inculcate independent travel skills of safety. There is no cookie cutter approach to guiding human behavior. Blinded veterans require the specialized care that human complexity demands. Centralization of the BRS is the best insurance we can give to our veterans in order that their needs will be met to live an independent and productive life. Otherwise, the problems of the past will surface once again to plague the program. Today, the blinded veterans undergo a rigid shortened version of training. They do not have any time to perfect the long cane travel technique.

(2) Based on a 2000 report, the need for blind rehabilitation services has dramatically been increasing every year, with an expected increase of 37% over the next 15 years.

The prevention of the further erosion of the BRS can be averted by restoring the ability of the BRS to govern and staff under national guidelines and not local authorities. For almost ten years the BRS has been impotent. It is time for the long overdue restoration of centralization -- the absence of vigilant oversight and imposition of inequitable funding have been the cause of the drastic erosion that has taken place for the last ten years. Please, no more experimentation’s -- the BRS has proven its worth for over half a century. Its influence impacted blind programs nationally and even internationally on six foreign soils.

Respectfully submitted,
Stephen H. Miyagawa
Korean War Blinded Veteran

Dear Steve, 
History has shown us what works, a standardized, centralized, and comprehensive approach to rehabilitation for our American blinded veterans; a program dedicated to the individual blinded vet, his or her psychological adjustment to blindness, inclusion of family and of course, vocational testing, training and job placement.

I urge the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and his Undersecretary of Health to restore centralization of the VA’s blind rehabilitation program.

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued the following release regarding outreach to former Prisoners of War. We are trying to get the word out about this effort to contact ex-POW’s. Would you put this in your column?

Les Jackson, Executive Director
American Ex-Prisoners of War

Dear Les:
Am happy to print the following press release from DVA announcing an outreach program to inform all former POW’s about their benefits.

There are approximately 39,000 American veterans living today who were held captive as prisoners of war. Only about one-third are receiving disability compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to locate those ex-POW’s who have not been in contact in recent years to discuss potential benefits.

If you are this veteran, or know an ex-prisoner not receiving compensation, contact the nearest VA regional office and ask to speak to the POW coordinator.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs in your vicinity, or Les Jackson, Executive Director, Washington Office, American Ex-Prisoners of War. Phone: 202/530-9220; Fax: 202/223-8818; E-mail: jax99@erols.com.

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
I just wanted to write you in order to thank you for your service to veterans and as a way of handling my late father, Constantine Flevares. He, like you, was a recipient of the Purple Heart. He received disabling wounds in Korea while serving with M Company of the 187th ARCT. He was very proud of his service. He was Past President and Vice President Emeritus of his Regimental Association. He belonged to numerous veterans’ organizations and was active in promoting veteran’s causes. I believe much of my father’s dedication was for those who gave their lives. They provided him with much inspiration. He surely also worked for current disabled and other veterans. Thank you again for your service and God bless our veterans.

Sincerely,
Constantine Flevares
Laurel, MD

Dear Constantine,
Thank you and thank you so much for your Dad’s honorable service to our country.

Sgt.. Shaft...
I read a recent article by you in the Washington Times (I don't allow the Washington Post in my house). Your article involved "hate E-mail from Antiwar Protesters." This situation really ticks me off. Part of the solution is for us to overwhelm the bad stuff with positive stuff. At stake here are the emotions of our forces, their feelings, attitudes, concern for support, etc. I want to have them feel as good as possible while overseas and maybe putting their live on the line.

Sgt. ... what do we use as E- Mail addresses for our positive e-mails to our forces? Please advise me soonest. Once I know this I have lots of friends who will join the effort.

Best Regards,
Tom N, Bethesda

Dear Tom
Suggest you and your buddies use the following web site to send a positive greeting to our troops. http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html 

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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