OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The health care system for Nebraska and western Iowa veterans has ordered machines to help deaf or blind veterans contact the federal Veterans Affairs Department. The VA’s Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System said last week that it’s ordered teletype machines, one of which will be placed in Omaha’s VA hospital, the Omaha World-Herald reported. The new devices will be tested beginning Friday, according to VA spokeswoman Jennifer Scales.

The VA for years has distributed teletype machines for free to help deaf, hearing-impaired or blind veterans make text-based calls from their home telephone lines. But some haven’t been able to schedule appointments or order medicine with the VA because the agency has lacked machines to answer if a veteran calls for help.

Nebraska Sen. Carol Blood contacted the director of the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, B. Don Burman, and other VA officials in Washington after learning about the communication difficulties for local veterans who are blind and deaf. She even wrote to President Donald Trump.

“Often (veterans) have a simple question they need to ask and must trek to the hospital,” Blood said in a letter. “Nebraska-Iowa veterans deserve better.” Burman recognized that the VA “is lacking in some areas where the hearing-impaired might be needing care from our system.” The VA is looking into creating a call center to communicate with deaf and hearing-impaired veterans across the region, he said.
Blood said she’s pleased that the agency has responded to her concerns.
“Within six weeks, we got action,” she said. “They realized it was a pressing issue.”