The VA has introduced a new feature that allows blind Veterans to independently read their VA benefits decision letters online through the VA Health and Benefits mobile app. This development improves accessibility for visually impaired Veterans, eliminating the previous ten-day wait for decision letters to arrive by mail.
According to the VA’s Office of Blind Rehabilitation Services, there are approximately 130,000 legally blind Veterans and over a million Veterans with low vision, hampering their ability to carry out essential daily tasks in the United States. These visual impairments stem from many causes, including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, stroke, and diabetic retinopathy in older Veterans. Additionally, Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan may suffer from vision issues resulting from blast-related brain injuries, including blurred vision, double vision, sensitivity to light, and difficulty reading. It’s estimated that up to 64 percent of Service Members with traumatic brain injuries also experience vision problems.
Claudia Baldwin, a retired Staff Sergeant and blind Air Force Veteran with over 15 years of experience addressing accessibility concerns alongside the Blind Veterans Association and the VA, expressed her enthusiasm for this change. She highlighted the new ability to access rating decisions through the app, and she emphasized the importance of this development for blind Veterans who previously couldn’t read extensive paper documents and often faced difficulties accessing essential programs and information.
By downloading a PDF file from the VA Health and Benefits mobile app or using their web browser, blind Veterans can now access their decision letters. They can then use third-party apps like VoiceOver on iOS to listen to the file’s contents. The VA is dedicated to simplifying the process for Veterans to explore, apply for, manage, and track their VA benefits, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility for all Veterans.
To achieve this, VA’s Office of Information and Technology adopted an “accessibility beyond compliance” approach, which makes accessibility an integral part of the development process from the outset rather than an afterthought. The OIT team conducted extensive feedback sessions with blind and low-vision Veterans using the VA Health and Benefits mobile app, continually working to improve its accessibility.
Furthermore, VA’s Section 508 Compliance team, in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, ensures that VA products and services are accessible and usable by all Veterans, including those with disabilities. This law requires federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities, except where an “undue burden” is imposed.
As the VA remains committed to improving accessibility, it encourages Veteran participation in research and feedback sessions to enhance its digital tools and services for the entire Veteran community.
Veterans interested in contributing to this effort can sign up for research feedback sessions on the Veteran Usability Site here.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.