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Applications Now Accepted for 2024 Winter Sports Clinic

Please act as soon as possible to participate in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic scheduled for April 1-7, 2024, in Snowmass, Colorado! The world-class event, co-hosted by VA and Disabled American Veterans, is also supported by a host of private sector sponsors. Registration includes lodging, meals, and a variety of sports and recreation activities such as those enumerated below. Because a doctor must fill out a portion of the application and because demand […]

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VA Launches Online Resource Aimed at Combatting Veteran-Targeted Fraud

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the launch of VSAFE, which stands for Veteran Scam and Fraud Evasion. The initiative was revealed at Secretary McDonough’s press conference last Friday by VA Deputy Chief of Staff Maureen Elias, an Army veteran and military spouse whose own young family was once a victim of veteran-targeted fraud. VSAFE includes a coordinated online hub of resources that utilizes insights from across VA so that the Department speaks […]

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Government Shutdowns—What Really Happens and What They Mean

In this week’s BVA Happenings, BVA Deputy Director of Government Relations summarizes a handful of implications of a potential government shutdown beginning at 12:01am this Sunday, especially as such a shutdown relates to VA services and veterans’ benefits. For some time now we’ve been hearing about a pending government shutdown but not so much about what a shutdown means and how you would be affected. The short version is that the government has a budget […]

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Screen Reader Users Urged to Participate in Veteran Usability Study

The Veteran Usability Study is a great way to help VA improve the accessibility and usability of VA.gov and mobile applications such as VA Health and Benefits. The study is open to veterans, caregivers, and others familiar with how a veteran uses screen readers. Participants can receive a stipend ranging from $10 to $75 per study for participating.  Because VA seeks to understand the unique needs of blind screen reader users and make relevant digital […]

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VetTech This Week: Hadley’s 100-Plus Years of Successfully Empowering the Blind

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, October 4, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as the Weekly Wednesday Webinar welcomes Marc Arneson, Director of Community at Hadley. Marc will focus on Hadley’s current vision resources. For more than a hundred years, Hadley has created personalized learning opportunities that empower adults with legal blindness or low vision to thrive—at home, at work, and within the local communities and interest groups to which they belong. Hadley’s unique success has […]

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VetTech learns how the Hable One simplifies the iOS experience

Listen along during  this Blinded Veterans Association’s VetTech episode as we learn from Freek van Welsenis, co-founder of the Dutch start-up Hable One, and Jose Cintron of Florida Vision Technology, as they discuss the successful development of the Hable One, along with its simplicity and practicality. Hable One is small enough to carry with you wherever you go. Because it so greatly impacts devices such as Smartphones that are used at least daily and sometimes […]

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BVA Chief of Staff Reviews iOS 17 Release

In this week’s BVA Happenings, BVA VetTech Moderator and Chief of Staff Timothy Hornik summarizes the benefits of newly released accessibility features for blind users of Apple products. The company released the iOS 17 update earlier this week. A more extensive presentation of the improvements will appear in the upcoming issue of The Bulletin.  Notable Features of iOS 17 Assistive Access: This feature allows users to simplify the iOS interface. If there is one common complaint […]

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Red Dress Runners Grant Supports Braille Flag Donations in Louisiana

Every year on the second Saturday in August, the New Orleans Hash House Harriers (NOH3), who claim to be organized as a “local drinking club with a running problem,” host the Red Dress Run, a charity “run” in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Thanks to application materials submitted by former BVA National President and Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group member Joe Burns, also a member of the Red Dress Runners himself, a generous grant was awarded […]

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Applications Now Accepted for 2024 Winter Sports Clinic

Please act immediately to participate in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic scheduled for April 1-7, 2024 in Snowmass, Colorado! Learn more through your Visual Impairment Services Team Coordinator and apply online here by November 1, 2023. The world-class event, co-hosted by VA and Disabled American Veterans, is also supported by a host of private sector sponsors. Registration includes lodging, meals, and a variety of sports and recreation activities such as those enumerated below. […]

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Honoring Gold Star Mothers and Families

In 1936, Congress designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day. The observance continues today but includes the entire family, now officially designated as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day by proclamation of President Barack Obama in 2011 to honor parents and families of service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in defense of their country. The 2023 observance is this Sunday, September 24.  Gold Star mothers, fathers, and […]