Chicago Area Veterans Hospital Works With Blind Patients

HINES, IL - NOVEMBER 05: Jim Powell (R), who lost his vision from retinitis pigmentosa, gets help from Blind Rehabilitation Specialist Kristin Kirchwehm learning to use a GPS device to navigate at a park near the Central Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital November 5, 2009 in Hines, Illinois. The Blind Rehabilitation Center offers various programs to help blind veterans develop the skills they need for independent living. Powell began loosing his vision in 1972 when he was twenty-one-years-old. He made his first trip to the center in 1983. Veterans often make several trips to the center to learn new skills. The average length of a visit is four to five weeks. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)