Welcome again, our alumni and families.  This is a great time of the year with warm breezes and comfortable weather.  The azaleas and dogwoods are awesome in North Carolina.   We had a great time at our mini reunion and we had a great lunch.  We heard from Paul Whitten about what is happening in the VA blind services and we were able to see what kind of new adaptive equipment is available.  We should have pictures on the web site.  My wife and I were at a meeting earlier in the week at the blind center, so I went to Ft Gordon to get a hair cut.  On our way out, I met two soldiers who were there to get their AIT training.  They were interested in my guide dog.  Then we talked about Iraq and the possibility of them going there.  Even though they did not want to go there, they said they would go if they got the orders.  I told them that I was proud of them and I felt honored to talk to them.

     Many of our alumni are combat veterans, and I consider all of you heroes.  Even though those who are not combat veterans, but who would have gone if called.  I have met veterans who are very nice and compassionate people who were awesome combat veterans.  I love to hear their stories.

     Since we are blind center alumni, we are all fighting to overcome our blindness or visual impairment.  And many of you have overcome and are heroes.  Sometimes it is hard, but we hang in there and overcome each problem as we encounter them.  Many of us go through a time of depression, but we get through it and get to the other side.  Then we are able to encourage others going through what we have gone through.  As I have said often, we heal each other.  If you have a story about how you have overcome and you want to share it with us, give me a call or send me an email (john@whitecane.org)

John Sherrer, President, ABRCAA

Name Change for the Augusta VA:  On November 8, 2007, the President of the United States signed Public Law 110-112, designating the Augusta VA Medical Center as the “Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center”. On January 15, 2008, a rededication ceremony was held at our medical center honoring Congressman Norwood. Congressman Norwood was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995 and represented most of east Georgia at some point during his congressional career from 1995-2002. He volunteered for the U.S. Army and served as a Captain in the Dental Corps from 1967. In 1968, he served a combat tour in Vietnam with the Medical Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In recognition for his service under combat conditions, he was awarded the Combat Medical Badge and two Bronze Stars. After Vietnam, he was assigned to the Dental Corps at Fort Gordon where he served until his discharge in 1969. So remember, from now on the Augusta VA Medical Center is to be known as the Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

FREE Valet Parking Comes to Augusta: Yes, you read that correctly-FREE! On February 25, 2008, The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center began offering free valet parking for patients and visitors to the Uptown Division. Patients and visitors interested in utilizing the valet parking service can simply drive up to the main entrance of the Uptown Division where a uniformed attendant will give the driver a claim ticket.  All attendant-parked vehicles will be locked and the keys will be securely stored in a key cabinet.  Parking attendants may assist patrons when getting in and out of their vehicles as well as assist them with removal of wheelchairs and carts from their vehicles, if requested. Once the patron is ready to leave the medical center, they will present the claim check to the attendant who will return with their vehicle. After 3p.m. vehicle keys will be stored in the Police Department Control Room. In addition to valet parking, a uniformed attendant will drive a shuttle golf cart through all of the parking lots at the medical center picking up patients and visitors who park their vehicles themselves. This service will run from 7a.m. to 4p.m. At this time this service is only available at the Uptown Division.

Aiken Community Based Outpatient Clinic: Our new Aiken Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) opened its doors earlier this year to veterans in South Carolina. The new clinic is located at 951 Millbrook Road, Aiken, SC 29803. This location is near the Aiken Mall and the Odell Weeks Community Center. The phone number for the clinic is (803) 643-9016. Staff will see patients Monday through Friday from 8a.m. to 4:30p.m. The Aiken CBOC will provide exceptional primary care and mental health outpatient services coordinated by an experienced and compassionate health care staff. Specialty services, such as lab and x-ray will be provided through the Aiken Regional Hospital which is approximately a fifteen minute drive away.

Expansion of Blind Rehabilitation Services Nationwide: As you may have heard through national news announcements the VA has approved a major expansion of programs for blind and low vision veterans throughout the country. This includes up to three new blind centers, a large number of low vision programs, as well as expansion of BROS and VIST positions. In our network (which includes Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina) we will be adding low vision clinics at Atlanta and Columbia VA medical centers. In addition new BROS positions are targeted for VA facilities in Charleston, Columbia, Atlanta, and Birmingham. These are exciting times for the field of blind rehabilitation and will bring about significant improvement in VA services to blind and low vision veterans around the country.

TCF Program: The Augusta Blind Rehab Center has been approved by VA Central Office to receive two Technical Career Field (TCF) Interns later this year. The internships will last up to two years, and are designed to help the National Blind Rehabilitation Service in VA recruit future staff members to serve blinded veterans. One of the internships will be training with our VIST program, and the other intern will be training with our BROS program. We hope to have the interns recruited and selected by the end of the summer.

ABRC Expansion: In response to input from many blinded veterans and staff, the ABRC has been approved to expand our patient quarters! The expansion will result in individual bedrooms for each veteran participating in the inpatient program. Since we opened in 1996 the ABRC always had two double occupancy rooms. The planned expansion will result in some shifting of various classrooms and offices. The ABRC will be gaining additional space overall at the Uptown Division. Stay tuned for more details as the expansion progresses.

     It has been over or about 6 months since Charleston veterans have had a VIST Coordinator.  Karen Bays-Petty, did a great job for these Charleston veterans that only excellence is to be expected/accepted.   By 8 June 2008, that office will finally be filled by one of our known instructors within the Augusta Blind Rehabilitation Center – Vicki Stoughton.  Below lists a little history about Vicki…

     Vicki was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, raised in Kalamazoo Michigan, graduated from Loy Norrix High School in 1981 and was 49^th out of 373^rd graduate that year.  Vicki lost her sight in 1982 due to Diabetic Retinopathy.  After blind rehabilitation at the Michigan Commission for the Blind, Vicki went to Western Michigan for a B. S. in Health Education, completed a MSW from Western Michigan in August 1990 and worked for a Catholic Family Service for 1 year as a social worker.  Vicki went back to Western Michigan for her second Master's in Blind Rehab and completed in the winter of 1992.

Vicki met her husband, Lee, at Western Michigan University at a goal ball game.  Vicki and Lee were married May 7, 1993.  Two days later, the couple moved to Augusta, GA and started work at Augusta Technical Institute as a part time computer instructor and at Walton Options as a Rehabilitation Coordinator, until March 1994.  We then moved to Tucson AZ and was hired as the Blind Rehabilitation Specialist for Tucson Association for the Blind for 1 year.  Then the couple moved to Las Vegas and Vicki became a housewife and mother to Kyle, their son – born August 96.  Finally in December or end of 1998, the couple moved back to Augusta, Georgia were Vicki became a Blind Rehabilitation Specialist.  Combined with her skills of being a teacher, Vicki also has the knowledge of living skills, computers, Manual Skills and the GPS Trekker.  Hobbies are walking, swimming and loving her pets – dogs and cats.  Vicki is really looking forward to working with the veterans in Charleston!!

  Tentatively today we have

–  approximately  $   2,552.60

Noted:  Max Hearn, Treasurer

Veteran’s from all parts of North and South Carolina and Georgia arrived at the Augusta Blind Rehabilitation Center on the 25^th of April 2008.  The mini reunion kicked off on time with John Sherrer, President of ABRCAA greating everyone with kind words and salutations.  Paul Whitten, President of the Blind Rehabilitation Center, addressed good, great and future news for the Blind Rehabilitation Program.   The Mayor of Augusta Georgia proclamed the 25^th of April, Blind Rehabilitation Day for all ABRCAA veterans.  The plaque was posted in the Blind Rehabilitation Center Nurses Station Wall.  Next Helen Daubenspeck addressed news of the Annual Reunion in Myrtle Beach, SC to be held 6 – 9 November 2008.  The theme this year is Patriotic, “Welcome Home and Thank You for Your Service”.  Next came the instructors - Showing off the following devices for this year:

NOTE:  Some of these devices are not new this year but they should be mentioned to each veteran as being available at your local VA or by the Augusta Blind Rehabilitation Center.  NOTE:  This is not a complete listing of devices offered.  Ask your VIST Coordinator, Terry Thorne, Vicki Stoughton, or Todd Turansky. 

Visual Skills

Handheld Portable Video Magnifier

(For low vision users)

QuickLook - is a hand-held, full color, electronic magnifier with an integrated 4" (10.2 cm) TFT display. It can magnify text, photos and maps or just about anything. It's small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or a ladies' handbag, but big enough to make a difference. If regular print is too small to read, Quicklook can help.

Orientation/Mobility

(For persons with guide dogs)

GPS/Trekker – Trekker helps guide the visually impaired through their environment. It complements existing aids (white canes and guide dogs). It does not replace them. Sleek and discreet, Trekker provides information in the most natural way possible and allows users to record both vocal and written notes.

Living Skills

(for both blind and low vision users)

Kurzweil - NFB Reader - Hold the Reader’s camera over print—a restaurant menu, directions, or a memo from your boss—and snap a picture. In seconds you can hear the contents of the printed document in clear synthetic speech. Scan, read, and discard pages; store them for later reading; or transfer to a computer or Braille-aware PDA. The Reader even has a headphone jack so you won’t disturb your neighbors.

ICON - Introducing the Icon™ plus Docking Station —the revolutionary leap in fully-loaded mobile manager and notetaker for the visually impaired. Engineered with a two-part design, the Icon can be in your hand like a PDA, or, when plugged-in to the Docking Station, it can be on your lap or desk as a notetaker.  Either way, it's super-powerful, packed with applications and has a 40GB hard drive to store thousands of digital books and songs and dozens of your favorite audio books.

Large Print Calendar - Months open to a huge 11" by 17", extra large easy-to-read dates, monthly notes and appointments pages with bold lines 1/2" apart, laminated covers with pockets, size closed 9" by 11".

Talking Atomic Clock - This clock sets itself by picking up radio waves. Large digital display shows the time, day and date. LCD screen is 1-3/4" x 3". Simply press the button on top of the clock and a clear voice announces the time. Optional hourly announcement. Includes cassette with detailed spoken instructions. Requires 2 AA batteries (not included).

Talking Timer - A talking clock and timer that counts down and up. Both the count-down function of the timer and the talking clock talk you through the setting functions. It can be set for up to 23 hours, 59 minutes. If set for more than an hour, it will automatically announce each hour remaining until one hour is left. Then it will announce every ten minutes then every ten seconds and finally each second. The count-up timer function does not have a verbal mode. Measures 3.25 x 2.5 inches. Weighs 2.2 ounces and has a clip, a magnet and a stand. Batteries included.

Next came a free lunch catered by Jack’s Barbeque Buffet/5J’s Catering Service.  This was all possible due to the donation from ABRCAA.  Everyone had plenty of food to eat which included Baked Chicken Breast with Italian Dressing, Barbeque Pulled Pork, French Cut Green Beans, Red Potatoes, Toss Salad, Dinner Roll, Variety of Desserts, Coffee, Tea and Water.  Everyone lazily moved down to the Blind Rehabilitation Center where they visited with their favorite instructor(s).  All went well..  Oh, almost forgot, Roque and Peggy Reyna sold our official ABRCAA T-shirts, Caps and First Aid Kits and pushed for membership.  Until next year..  All is well in the world of the Blind.  Now ya'll behave until next time..