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Take in the Depth and Breadth of Independence Day, Enjoy a Fabulous Fourth

BVA National Headquarters extends best wishes to all for an enjoyable Independence Day. Military.com reports that if there is a group of people who know how to do patriotic holidays with flair and style, it is military and veteran families. The site has a top ten list of what is most fitting for service members and veterans to do on Independence Day. To access the list and read more about the importance of Independence Day, […]

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Women Veterans Outreach Program to Brainstorm Upcoming Activities

The BVA Women Veterans Outreach Program will meet via Zoom next Thursday, June 27, at 6:00pm Eastern Time. The meeting will be conducted in the format of a roundtable in which participants will share ideas and suggestions for upcoming meetings and activities for the next fiscal year beginning July 1. Bring a few of those creative ideas with you to the meeting!  All blind and low vision women veterans are encouraged to attend this Thursday […]

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WayAround Highlights Next Week’s VetTech

Join the Blinded Veterans Association’s VetTech Team for next week’s Weekly Wednesday Webinar (June 26) via Zoom at 2:00pm Eastern Time. We will welcome Neva Fairchild of WayAround as she discusses the WayAround mobile app with a special focus on its use at the upcoming 79th National Convention.  WayAround is an app for your smart device that provides on-demand details about everyday things. The simple tag-and-scan approach lets you quickly and easily identify things around you. […]

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Honoring Service: Veterans’ Option for Burial at Sea

For veterans seeking a final resting place that reflects their deep connection to the ocean, the U.S. Navy offers the distinguished service of Burial at Sea. This ceremonial tradition allows eligible veterans, active-duty members, and certain family members to be committed to the sea with full military honors.  The process begins with a request from the veteran’s family, who must provide essential documents, including a copy of the death certificate, discharge papers, and a completed […]

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Final Town Hall Meeting to Determine Convention Rules and Credentials

The pre-convention Virtual Rules and Credentials Town Hall via Zoom will be held next Thursday, June 27, at 2:00pm Eastern Time. The meeting will constitute the final business Town Hall session before the in-person convention meetings in Jacksonville.  Although all BVA members are invited to attend next week’s Town Hall, moderators will be present to help ensure that only the designated participants who represent seated regional groups will be able to unmute their microphones. For […]

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Happy Father’s Day to Our BVA Dads

Father’s Day is a time to celebrate dads everywhere. However, those who served our country in uniform deserve special appreciation for the unique challenges they faced while serving and for the Father’s Days they may have missed with their children growing up. Unbeknownst to most of us in 2024, the history of Father’s Day involves a dad who was also a veteran.  The Father’s Day holiday was first introduced in 1910 in Spokane, Washington, by […]

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VetTech Next Week: Articulating Visual Information into Speech via Envision

Join the Blinded Veterans Association’s VetTech Team for its Weekly Wednesday Webinar on June 19 at 2:00pm. The Team will welcome Envision and the products that enable the unprecedented experience of unobtrusive access to the visual world and a new life of independence. Envision empowers people who are blind or who have low vision to access everyday visual information for themselves.  Not a BVA member? Not a problem! All VetTech sessions are open to everyone—blind […]

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Mental Health in Service Animals the Topic of Next Week’s Dog Handler Meeting

Marisa Gerlach-Blanco, Service Dog Program Manager at Dogs, Inc. (formerly known as Southeastern Guide Dogs), will address the topic of anxiety and depression in service animals after the loss of a handler, or the handler’s retirement from work, and how to medically treat the animal.  All past, present, and prospective dog handlers among BVA’s blind and low vision veterans are invited to attend this Tuesday’s virtual meeting of the Dog Handlers Group, scheduled for 4:00pm […]

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BVA Recognizes Juneteenth Holiday

Juneteenth National Independence Day, to be celebrated in 2024 next Wednesday, June 19, became the newest federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.  A combination of the words June and nineteenth, Juneteeth recalls the events of a day more than two months after the end of the Civil War and more than two years after Abraham […]

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BVA and Vision Rehabilitation Commemorations

This week, June 10-16, is Vision Rehabilitation Week. Three weeks from now the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS) will commemorate 76 years of residential programs beginning with the original dedication of the Hines Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) on July 4, 1948.  Unfortunately, fewer than 5 percent of Americans who could benefit from vision rehabilitation programs currently take advantage of them. For the more than a million veterans with blindness or low […]