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Mission

The mission of the Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) Program at the Lexington VA Medical Center is to coordinate a healthcare service delivery system that provides a continuum of care for blind veterans extending from their home environment to the Lexington VA facility and to the appropriate rehabilitation setting. These skill areas include orientation and mobility, communication skills, activities of daily living, manual skills, visual skills, computer access training and social/recreational activities. Freda B. Shipman, MSW, LCSW is the coordinator of the Lexington VAMC program. As the coordinator, it is my responsibility to identify the legally blind veterans throughout the state of Kentucky make referrals to community and VA programs and help veterans and families adjust to and manage the loss of their sight, resolve problems, provide professional counseling, arrange annual health care reviews and conduct educational programs related to blindness.
 
 

VIST Services
 
 

Services offered by the VIST program are available to both service connected and non-service connected veterans who are legally blind. The term legal blindness is, however, a deceiving one. The generally accepted definition is: central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, with ordinary corrective glasses; or, central visual acuity better than 20/200 in the better eye, and a field defect where the peripheral field at its widest diameter is less than 20 degrees. Eighty-five percent of legally blind veterans have some useable remaining eyesight. Thus, blindness is very individualized; and ranges from the older veteran whose vision gradually worsens due to macular degeneration or diabetes, to the serviceman who is rendered totally blind by traumatic injury. Each of these veterans requires individualized and specialized care and treatment suited to the cause of blindness, physical and medical condition, age, ability to cope with frustrating situations, learning ability and the overall needs and lifestyle of the veteran.

VIST Services include annual physical examinations (including lab, x-ray and EKG) optometry and audiological evaluations, prosthetic and sensory aides reviews, veterans' benefits review and psychosocial assessments.

Blindness is a treatable condition and the VIST program provides an avenue for treatment. The Visual Impairment Services Team is comprised of administrative and medical professionals who use a multidisciplinary approach to assist legally blinded veterans in improving their quality of living and restoring normalcy to their lives
 
 

Blind Rehabilitation

Loss of sight affects each person differently and is capable of hindering overall functioning including employment, recreation, social and family life, and communications. Since 1948, the VA has served as a national leader in Blind Rehabilitation providing adjustment training for legally blind veterans. This inpatient training is available to all legally blind veterans at a Blind Rehabilitation Center. The Blind Rehabilitation Centers offer a variety of skill courses to the veteran to assist with helping the veterans to travel better, do chores for themselves increase self-confidence and helping the veteran to make the best use of remaining sight. The training enables veterans to help each other to become more confident in their skills in order to stay as independent as possible. This training is unique to the VA and can be of benefit to any legally blind veteran regardless of sight level.
 
 

Referrals to the VIST Program

Any veteran who is legally blind and eligible for VA health care can participate in the VIST program. Anyone can refer a veteran to the VIST program. By far the biggest challenge ahead is identifying legally blinded veterans. Nationally it is estimated that there are over 93,000 legally blinded veterans, however only 27,000 have actually been identified. In Kentucky it is estimated that there are over 1200 in the state. We need your help in identifying and reaching the 900+, legally blinded veterans who do not know about our services. If you would like more information, write or call:
 
 

Mrs. Freda B. Shipman, MSW, LCSW