As evening approaches, panoramic view of Downtown Jacksonville from across the St. John’s River. Photo courtesy of Visit Jacksonville. BVA members and their families are encouraged to register as soon as possible for the 79th National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. The registration includes all BVA-specific activities and meetings that will occur July 7-10, 2024, including a Florida Regional Group 50th anniversary celebration hosted by the group to which all BVA members and their families are […]

More than 70 blind and low vision veterans participated last week (April 1-7) in the annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (WSC) at Snowmass Village in Aspen, Colorado. That number fortuitously included BVA National Membership Coordinator Teresa Galgano, who was there to sign up as a new member Jeffrey A. Hockett of Missouri City, Texas, the Association’s first ever Space Force veteran. The new memberships became official following a special April 6 meeting organized […]

Join BVA’s VetTech team this Wednesday, April 10, at 2:00pm Eastern Time, for our Weekly Wednesday Webinar. We will welcome James Bailey, Vispero’s Sales Director for the Southeast area and Liz Whitaker, the company’s Product Manager for User Education and Outreach. The webinar will present and discuss Vispero’s wide range of desktop magnifiers, beginning with the company’s Onyx and Ruby and extending to Freedom Scientific’s ZoomText and Open Book.              […]

“G”, BVA’s April Ambassadog. Thank you to my fellow Ambassadog Kent for the introduction and for onboarding me with the ceremonial frisbee toss last week. My name is G and I currently guide BVA member Arsenio. My dad, as I refer to him, served in the US Army earning the rank of staff sergeant serving tours in Germany and Korea. When his military career ended, he went on to become an X-ray Technician and had […]

Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) will participate as a bugler in a special Daily Taps performance at the National World War I Memorial in the Nation’s Capital this Monday, April 8, at 5:00pm Eastern Time. The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Doughboy Foundation invited Senator Tester to accompany descendants of the nicknamed “U.S. Army Hello Girls” at the performance.  Senator Tester is an original co-sponsor of the legislation […]

This Sunday, April 7, is World Health Day, celebrated annually as a global health awareness opportunity under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). Like VA’s monthly Whole Health themes promoted regularly in BVA Happenings, World Health Day draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people throughout the world each year. This year’s theme is “My Health, My Right.” The origin of the choice of dates stems from the founding of […]

Time is getting short to nominate a BVA member whose lifetime achievements symbolize what “blinded veterans helping blinded veterans” truly means, or what it means to be an effective regional group leader, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) volunteer, or VA blind rehabilitation specialist. Applications must be submitted online, emailed to membership@bva.org, or mailed via U.S. Mail to Blinded Veterans Association, PO Box 90770, Washington, DC 20090, by Friday, April 26. For additional information about the awards […]

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) of the Library of Congress has produced a three-section mini-bibliography containing programs and services for veterans in the areas of health care, insurance, education, and finances. In Section 1 of the mini-bibliography, general guides discuss the needs and challenges facing veterans and their families. Section 2 contains resource guides that provide specific information about programs. Section 3 consists of a series of articles about […]

Jacksonville, Florida, downtown skyline with Riverfront Park visible at forefront BVA members and their families should register soon for the 79th National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. The registration includes all BVA-specific activities and meetings that will occur July 7-10, 2024. To begin the registration process, visit the National Convention page here and then locate the Register Now button. Read more. As previously announced, all offsite trips and activities associated with the convention are being coordinated […]

Jerry Killion and Dayton, Texas, Mayor Martin Mudd Jerry Killion, a member of the Greater Houston Regional Group residing in the City of Dayton, Texas, was responsible for a proclamation from Dayton Mayor Martin Mudd declaring March 28 as Blinded Veterans Day in the city. Jerry himself initiated the effort to get the proclamation produced and publicized in his hometown.  The proclamation was issued on March 20 and reported in two local area newspapers, the […]