Visionary Solutions Newsletter #5

Florida veteran pleads guilty to faking blindness, defrauding Veterans Administration (The Baltimore Sun, May 11th 2026)

On May 11^th 2026, Floridian Veteran Jerry Smith pleaded guilty in court after being caught faking his blindness to gain financial aid from the Veterans Administration. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Smith received a total of $244,953.70 in benefits. This is considered a serious case of fraud, and according to the Military Officers Association of America, cases like these costed former service members about $580 million this year alone.

Jerry Smith, 73, was a welder and a part of the United States Air Force in 1970, and now works in New Smyrna Beach, Florida as a school guardian for Spruce Creek High School. He was spotted in the high school security footage walking around normally while observing passing students and parents. While Smith does have some blurred vision as a result of his service, he falsely represented himself as legally blind despite being able to walk and drive around normally. Official sentencing has not yet been scheduled or declared, but Smith could face up to 10 years of federal prison for his crime, unless he could pay back his aid to the Veterans Administration to avoid time in jail (this situation is known as “making restitution”).

Read full story here: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/florida-veteran-pleads-guilty-faking-175600744.html

Harnessing the Power of Music for Students with Disabilities (The74, June 26 2026)

Author Saira Shah shares her experience with how much of an impact music has on disabled people, such as her uncle from India who lives with cerebral palsy. She notes that while he is dependent on others for daily life and doesn’t speak much, he immediately lights up when he hears music, swaying to the rhythm and smiling. This observation is based off actual science. In Senegal, a 2024 study found that music therapy improved motor skills for disabled youth as well as diminished social discrimination by fostering inclusion. However, access to music therapy is deemed difficult for disabled people, as a 2025 study found that there is a lack of proper resources and training for inclusive music education. This means that those who seem to benefit more from music therapy are the least likely to actually receive it.

Saira Shah describes that she discovered what access looks like thanks to Daniel’s Music  Foundation (DMF), a New York City organization focused on music being a right to experience, not a privilege. The Foundation also offers free classes both online and in-person. Inspired, Shah would later create the organization Harmony Without Borders, meant to support DMF through cross-cultural musical appreciation. Shah witnessed how music engaged movement, emotion, memory, and learned patterns, and stresses the importance of inclusive music and art as well as defending the funding for this opportunity.

Read full article here: https://www.the74million.org/article/harnessing-the-power-of-music-for-students-with-disabilities/