VA Pittsburgh dedicates braille flag

In July, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System dedicated a touchable brass U.S. flag on its H.J. Heinz III campus. The flag was donated by District 11 of the Pennsylvania Moose Association (PMA).

The flag is mounted outside the Intermediate Low Vision Clinic in Building 71 on the Heinz campus. In the upper left corner are the flag’s raised stars. Raised horizontal lines represent the flag’s 13 alternating red and white stripes. The end of each stripe is embossed with braille dots indicating the stripe’s color. The Pledge of Allegiance is embossed over the smooth red stripes.

“There are more than one million Veterans with vision loss in the United States, with approximately 130,000 who are legally blind,” said Teresa Costa of the PMA. “The braille flag ensures that every individual, regardless of ability, can recognize and honor the American flag.”

More than a marker on the wall

Gina Palastro, VA Pittsburgh’s visual impairment services team coordinator, said the braille flag does more than just allow Veterans to experience the symbol of our nation through touch.

“This flag is more than a marker on the wall,” said Palastro. “It represents the spirit of our mission: that no Veteran is left behind, and that vision loss does not take away one’s identity, one’s patriotism or one’s dignity. Vision loss may change how someone sees the world, but it should never limit how they live in it.”

“By creating this tactile braille version, we are making a profound statement: that those who are blind or visually impaired are integral members of our community who deserve to experience and connect with these symbols in a meaningful way,” said Dr. Brooke Decker, VA Pittsburgh’s deputy chief of staff. “This flag serves as a testament to our commitment to making this possible.”

The American Braille Flag Project

The PMA donated the flag in support of the nonprofit American Braille Flag Project, which has a primary goal of placing touchable braille flags in VA facilities, cemeteries and other memorial locations. Other sites with PMA-donated braille flags include the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and VA medical centers across the nation.

For more information on VA’s blind and low vision services, visit VA Blind and Low Vision Rehabilitation Services.