Hershel Woody Williams VA Medical Center

Visual Impairment Program

What is VIST? The Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center VIST Program helps legally blind and severely visually impaired Veterans and their families adjust to vision loss. The program objectives are to identify and inform eligible Veterans about services and benefits; to ensure that health care and rehabilitation services are made available; and to help those Veterans cope with the devastating loss of vision.

VIST Services

• To identify all legally blind and severely visually impaired Veterans residing within southwestern West Virginia, southern Ohio, and eastern Kentucky
• To assess for unmet needs related to vision loss
• To improve quality of life through the development and enhancement of skills needed for personal independence
• To educate the Veteran on available benefits and services, both VA and community
• To help the individual and family in adjustment and management of sight loss
• To provide special equipment and training needed
• To make appropriate referrals (See Referral Services below)
• To provide ongoing follow-up to the Veteran as needed.

Referral Services

Referrals for services may include, but are not limited to:

• Local Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Service (BROS) training (See BROS Service below)
• VA Blind Rehabilitation Training Programs, for more information please visit the VA Blind Rehabilitation Web Page 
• Computer training programs which are adapted for use by blind or visually impaired persons
• Local Low Vision Services
• Library of Congress Talking Book Program
• Issuance of Blind or Low Vision Aids

Veterans are often issued prosthetic/blind aids which may include optical devices such as hand magnifiers, electronic magnifiers such as CCTV, a large print or talking computer system, canes, talking watches, audible prescription readers, adapted recreational devices or other adaptive devices based on the outcome of the assessments by Low Vision Optometrist, BROS, and/or the VIST Coordinator.

BROS Service

The Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Service (BROS) is designed to complement inpatient blind rehabilitation services provided at the VA Blind Rehabilitation Centers, and provide blind rehabilitation to Veterans whose needs are best met in their local areas. The BROS conducts assessments and training in skills that will allow the Veteran to remain as independent as possible.

Referral to VIST

Any Veteran who is legally blind or severely visually impaired, even while wearing conventional glasses, and who is eligible for VA health care may participate in the VIST program. If you are unsure if you are eligible for VA health care benefits, please contact the VIST Coordinator to assist in determining eligibility. Referrals can be made by the Veteran, family, health care professional or other concerned individuals.

Who May Benefit from VIST Services?

If a Veteran requires the assistance of another person due to vision loss or exhibits any of the following functional deficits, a referral to VIST may be indicated:

• Difficulty reading mail, newspaper, medication labels or other standard size print while using conventional glasses.
• Difficulty performing activities of daily living, such as managing their medications, grooming, cooking, using the phone, telling time, etc., as a result of their visual impairment.
• Diabetic Veterans who have difficulty seeing to measure their insulin or seeing to check their blood sugar.
• Veterans who have difficulty traveling safely and independently as a result of blindness or visual impairment.
• Veterans who no longer enjoy leisure activities because of decreased vision.

VIST Coordinator

Dalene Renfroe, M.Ed.
1540 Spring Valley Dr.
Huntington, WV 25704
1-800-827-8244 Ext. 2847