The Board found that the appellant was permanently incapable of self-support due to her congenital glaucoma and blindness prior to turning 18, but also noted her subsequent employment history. The Court ruled that the Board did not adequately address whether her current employment is solely for charitable or sympathetic reasons.
The deciding factor: The appellant's condition at age 18 was severe enough to meet SSA's definition of statutory blindness and she had been enrolled in a special school due to her vision impairment since an early age. Her subsequent employment history, including her short-term job as an x-ray technician, does not fully rebut the finding of permanent incapacity.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital glaucoma
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2012
- Citation
- 1212195
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1212195.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board found that the appellant, who was born with congenital glaucoma and became blind at age 22, was not permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining the age of 18. Therefore, she cannot be recognized as a helpless child of her father.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left leg disability is reopened, and the appeal is granted.
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