The Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Doris Miller Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center received a tactile, braille American flag Friday afternoon.
"Our society is such a visual society. Many things in it are not accessible. This tactile flag is a great example of bringing something that's important to the veterans back to them where they can access it," Chris Bosely, Chief of the Blind Rehab Service at the Waco VA, said.
The flag was donated by the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. It is one of four braille plaques in the state of Texas.
At the presentation, Pamela Baker, regent of the Betty Martin Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, told the veterans,"It's for you and it's to honor your and all of the service you have done for our country."
The tactile flag informs the blind of the colors of its stripes and stars, as well as the Pledge of Allegiance in raised print, according to the Waco VA.
"It's amazing. It's an honor," Charles Smith Jr., a veteran in the Blind Rehab Center program, said. "It was totally overwhelming. It was more overwhelming when I started actually touching it and feeling [the plaque]."
David Gray, a former fireman in the United States Air Force, has been at the Waco VA Blind Rehab Center for three weeks. He said the center has helped him immensely.
"They're not able to give me back my vision, but they've given me back my life. They've made it to where when I leave here I'll be able to get around and do things that I wasn't able to do before," Gray said.
The rehab center is one of 13 facilities across the United States. It provides inpatient training to veterans who are legally blind.
For more information about the program, click here.
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