Three smaller Fredericksburg, Virginia area Outpatient Clinics have now been replaced by a new 470,000 square-foot VA Health Care Center. Officials of the grand opening celebration, held earlier today, had invited members of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group to attend. Many blind and low vision veterans who have previously been served by the clinics or the main medical center in Richmond were expected to attend. The new facility will provide veterans of the Fredericksburg and Northern […]

BVA National Communications Strategist and Podcast Host Steve Baskis will release his semi-monthly podcast tomorrow, March 1, at 12:01am. In the episode, Steve sits with Debra Erickson, Executive Chef and Founder of The Blind Kitchen, an innovative online resource that empowers people with sight loss to cook safely and confidently. Debra shares her inspiring journey as the only blind student in her culinary school, the challenges she faced, and how she adapted to the fast-paced […]

Both the United States Navy Reserves and the Navy Seabees celebrate their birthdays next week. The reserve branch of the Navy got its formal start on March 3, 1915, when it was known as the Federal Naval Reserve. This would last until 1916 when the Reserve was reorganized and re-christened the United States Naval Reserve Force. At the start of World War I, approximately 8,000 reserve members served, but by war’s end those numbers had […]

March is Women’s History Month, commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Since 1995, U.S. Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month” although the annual celebration had its beginnings in 1981 with an original Women’s History Week Perhaps no better example exists of the contributions made and the glass ceilings broken by women in recent […]

Next week is National Consumer Protection Week, also known as NCPW. Each year during NCPW, government and nonprofit partners highlight information and resources that empower consumers to avoid scams and decrease their chances of becoming victims of fraud. The Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) will host a webinar on Wednesday, March 5, from 2:00-3:00pm Eastern Time highlighting unwanted call protection resources and information about common phone-based scams. BVA members and their […]

The January 31 issue of BVA Happenings announced the rejuvenating BVA Auxiliary (BVAA) annual scholarship program benefitting spouses and generational children (child, grandchild, great-grandchild) of current or deceased BVA members. Eligible students are urged to apply now to meet the May 1 submission deadline. Applications are available via the dropdown menu under “Resources” on the Auxiliary page at BVA.org Effective for semesters during 2025-26, two $2,000 Feldman awards and one valued at $1,500 are open […]

Earlier this month, Meta’s European Union Innovation Day 2025 brought together policymakers, technology leaders, and businesses for a series of panel discussions and product demonstrations in Brussels, Belgium. Representing BVA and the disability community on several levels internationally was BVA National Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr. Don was part of a panel discussion entitled “Right to Access: Shaping Policies to Unlock Assistive Technology in Europe,” where he addressed the potential of Artificial Intelligence for […]

Saturday, March 1 marks the beginning of Disability Awareness month. President Ronald Reagan was the first to recognize March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The purpose, he first proclaimed in 1987, was to increase “public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with disabilities” and to provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.” The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has included vision loss […]

BVA National Headquarters continues to accept applications for the 2025-26 Sue Cantrell Scholarship awards from spouses, children, and grandchildren of BVA members. The scholarships assist family members with their higher education tuition needs. Information and application materials for the four $2,500 scholarships were launched on the Scholarship Page of the BVA website in mid-December and will remain until the April 30, 2025 submission deadline. The scholarships are awarded on merit through an application process evaluated […]