NSITE, an initiative of the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), will soon launch two virtual training programs for the blind and visually impaired in the field of employment. The deadline to apply to participate in both programs is October 1. The focus of NSITE’s Sourcing Certificate Program focuses on the tools, resources, and research needed to recruit qualified candidates for employment while the NSITE Cisco Academy prepares participants to become Cisco Certified Network Associates […]

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is conducting virtual diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) listening sessions during August and September from eight separate locations. The meetings, which will be held as WebEx events, support Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government. Each of the eight locations will execute six virtual sessions to gather feedback on veterans’ experiences and perceptions related […]

On June 14, 2021, Philips Respironics, a major manufacturer of Positive Airway Pressure devices, better known as CPAP or BiPAP, announced a recall of 4 million of these devices. This announcement can be located (HERE). The recall is due to the breakdown of the foam used to reduce sound and vibration that could break loose and travel through the air hose and covers 95 percent of the Philips devices issued since 2009. According to the […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today the immediate processing of disability claims for asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis based on presumed particulate matter exposure during military service in Southwest Asia and other specified areas. The conditions resulting from the exposure must have been manifested within ten years of a qualifying period of military service. A VA internal process reviewed scientific evidence that concluded that particulate matter pollution is associated with respiratory conditions for veterans […]

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today a landmark policy change that will allow the 16 million U.S. veterans access to the American Forces Travel (AFT) website. According to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Patricia Montes Barron, veterans will join the 10 million active duty, Guard, and reserve service members, family members, DoD civilians, and other patrons who are already receiving this benefit. On average, customers save 35-40 percent […]

Lonnie Bedwell, National Geographic 2015 Adventurer of the Year, award winning author, motivational speaker, and member of the Blinded Veterans Association’s (BVA) Indiana Regional Group, will appear in one of two Sunday, June 27 (tomorrow) episodes of National Geographic’s new series “Breaking Bobby Bones.” The Bones-Bedwell episode will air at either 10:00 or 10:30pm Eastern Daylight Time. The series, a brainchild of television and radio personality Bobby Bones himself, tests his personal motto of “fight, […]

Dear Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) Members, Families of Members, and Friends: As you all know, our country is still dealing with COVID-19. Americans know firsthand the tragedies of this pandemic with nearly 600,000 deaths to date. That is more deaths than those from World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and 9/11 combined.  With only 64 percent of adults having received at least one shot, our country still has considerable work ahead in […]

Key accessibility features for blind and visually impaired users are now part of Home Box Office’s massive streaming service HBO Max, helping the users enjoy the same content as sighted viewers. The new service offers audio descriptions for content, which describes action on the screen beyond the dialog and sound effects, for some 1,500 hours of third-party content, HBO originals, HBO Max Originals, and Warner Brothers movies. Several other changes are also intended to improve […]

BVA Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr., recently appointed as a Scholar to the prestigious Policy Vets, appears on a podcast that became available today on the Policy Vets website and can also be found on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and several other popular platforms. Part 1 of the podcast series, entitled “How Service Animal Regulation Affects Veterans,” will be followed by a Part 2 airing next Friday, June 25. Policy Vets is a nonprofit […]

Professor Renata Gomes, Chief Scientific Officer at Blind Veterans UK and newly appointed Visiting Professor at Northumbria University, is to deliver a virtual public lecture on Blind Veterans UK’s research – sharing knowledge for the benefit of wider humanity. Sight loss, at any age, is life-changing: it is both physically and mentally challenging, causes many issues in different stages of life and it often co-exists with other challenges and disabilities. Blind Veterans UK conducts world-leading […]