January 5, 2016

January Construction Update

Photo: Front of B500 as of January 2016
WBRC continues to watch the construction progress of B-500, the highly anticipated new home of the Polytruama and Blind Rehabilitation services on the Palo Alto VAPAHCS Campus.  Some of the building's features will include private bedrooms and bathrooms for inpatients, 3 large shared courtyards, a ‘green’ living roof, a greenhouse, and solar panels on the roof. 
Photo: The front entry to the glass atrium of B500
At 174,000 square feet, this new facility is the largest consolidated rehabilitation center in the VA and will include 24 beds for the polytruama program, 32 beds for the blind rehabilitation program, and 12 beds for the polytruama transitional rehabilitation program.  Currently construction crews are nearing completion of both the interior and exterior of the building.
Photo: The main courtyard of B500 as seen in the early evening with night lighting


The center will also have an outpatient physical therapy/occupational therapy clinic, an outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic, and clinical programs for Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans.  Construction is anticipated to be 100% complete shortly, with the building becoming operational in the Spring or Summer of 2016.  


CLICK HERE for construction updates

CLICK HERE to read the project's news release

December 31, 2015

A Look Back on 2015

Photo: '2016' written in colored sparklers


WBRC would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2016!

There were several big events for WBRC in 2015 including watching our new home [B-500] on the Palo Alto Campus take shape and near completion, hosting a PBS documentary film crew at WBRC for two days, congratulating our staff members on their many accomplishments including contributing content to a book published by AFB Press and earning their 35 year service award, and watching our Alumni thrive.  As we prepare for 2016, let’s take a look back at 2015 via links to some of our favorite WBRC Blog posts from the year:
 
Photo: Members of the WBRC Administration during their 2015 tour of B-500.

Photo: A WBRC Veteran is filmed while training on the NVT light panel.

 
Photo: WBRC RN Jeremy Adriano receives his 35 year service award.  Pictured left to right:
Linda Delarue, RN, Chief of Rehabilitation Nursing; Herminio J. Adriano, recipient, RN,
Assistant Nurse Manager at WBRC; Roschild Grullon, RN, Nurse Manager at WBRC;
and Elizabeth Freeman, Director of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System.

 
Photo: White Cane Awareness Walk participants pose on the Palo Alto City Hall steps

Photo: WBRC Staff review the building plans during a B500 tour in 2015.



November 9, 2015

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) Launches New Accessible Website

Photo: Screen shot of the BVA's new accessible website home page.


The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) has unveiled a newly redesigned, fully accessible, mobile-responsive website. Users can begin navigating the site at its Homepage, www.bva.org.  

“The new site will offer previously unavailable resources, tools, and other sources of information,” said BVA Executive Director Al Avina. “It will also allow our constituents to efficiently update records, register for events, and gain access to the assistance they may be seeking for themselves or other Veterans who have experienced vision loss.”

BVA’s previous site was designed before the Internet was easily accessible via tablet and Smartphone, and was not optimized for mobile users. The new site is mobile-reactive, automatically displaying a user-friendly version of the site on mobile devices.  The site is also designed for compatibility with most screen-reader applications to ensure that it is as accessible as possible for blind and low-vision users. The new design features BVA’s recently updated logo, a sleeker layout, and a more convenient navigation process.

All of the content from the old website, which spans more than five years, has been carefully preserved by BVA staff to offer a complete historical perspective on BVA’s past and present service to blinded Veterans.  Building on that foundation, the new site will feature in the coming months several useful functions for both Association members and the public, including a login section for members only where they will be able to personally update their information. An additional section will feature adaptive technology with reviews and guides written by BVA members and staff. 

“The site will continue to be a work in progress,” said Avina. “In the meantime, BVA is proud of the improvements that will better allow the organization to communicate effectively on all platforms with our members and the public.”