red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

Amazon Prime Day Offers Chance to Help Blinded Veterans

Make a difference in the lives of blinded veterans and beat the holiday hustle at the same time while you shop Amazon Prime Day deals October 13-14! The online retailer’s annual shopping event brings prices that have been slashed on thousands of products from small businesses and top brands. AmazonSmile is a simple way to make a financial donation to BVA while shopping these Prime Day deals. Simply use https://smile.amazon.com/ch/53-0214281 while shopping or shop with […]

red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

VA Director of Ophthalmology Services to Address BVA Virtual Session

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Program Director of Ophthalmology Services Glenn C. Cockerham, MD will speak at a Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) webinar October 15, National White Cane Day Awareness Day, at 12:30pm Eastern Daylight Time. BVA members, their families, VA employees, and other stakeholders in the field of blind rehabilitation are invited to attend Dr. Cockerham’s briefing. He will explore current research trends and advances in the field of ophthalmology and provide an […]

red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

BVA Provides a Veteran Voice at National Academies Health Care Workshop

The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) took a leading role this past summer at the Workshop on Veterans’ Access to Health Care presented by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The two-day virtual workshop afforded BVA Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr. the opportunity to represent the interests of veterans and Veterans Service Organizations during the program. The event examined patient-centered methods to optimize access to high-quality health care for veterans. It featured invited […]

red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

Aira Has Begun Its 2020 Get Out the Vote Promotion!

From October 2 until election day November 3, Aira is donating 120 minutes per U.S.-based Explorer for access calls relating to voter registration, preparing to vote, and the act of voting itself. Blinded veterans currently using Aira services as Explorers can utilize this promotion as follows: Preparing To Vote:• Researching 2020 candidates, propositions, and ballot initiatives• Registering to vote• Reviewing sample ballots Voting: • Navigation to and through physical polling locations• Coordinating transportation to a […]

red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

Expansion of VA Caregiving Program to Benefit Blinded Veterans and Their Families

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the implementation of Phase 1 of its expansion and enhancement of the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). The program offers clinical support for caregivers of eligible veterans who are seriously injured, including educational support, a monthly stipend, health care coverage, and certain beneficiary travel to qualifying family members. Through this expansion, VA will give additional family caregivers, including those of blinded veterans, access to […]

VA Director of Optometric Service to Address BVA Virtual Session

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Director, Optometric Service, John C. Townsend, OD, FAAO, will speak at a Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) virtual session via Zoom September 28 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. BVA members, their families, VA employees, and other stakeholders in the field of blind rehabilitation are invited to attend Dr. Townsend’s briefing. During the hour-long session, he will address the status of VA eye care and the vital role optometrists play in […]

Yonaka Trent Honored as District 3 Member for the Month of September

Ms. Yonaka Trent is a United States Army veteran who served eight years as a Military Policewoman. Yonaka’s duty stations consisted of the following: Fort McPherson, Atlanta Georgia; Hunter Army Airfield, Savanah, Georgia: Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany; and Kaiserslautern, Germany as a Military Customs Inspector. Currently, Ms. Trent resides in Clayton, North Carolina, where she is loved by her two children and five grandchildren. Yonaka joined BVA this year and is an asset to this […]

Pauletta “PJ” Sisk Honored as Women’s Veteran for the Month of September

Pauletta (PJ) Sisk is a former United States Army Medic. Pauletta is a Life Member of the Blinded Veterans Association and an active member of the Tennessee Regional Group. She is also an alumni member of the Outta Sight Clinic Kayak Team of Montana. Pauletta resides in Kingsport, Tennessee, where she participates with Washington County Disabled Veterans Chapter, volunteering countless hours with her service dog Pilot. Pauletta has lost a great deal of vision but […]

Veterans Urged to Take Precautions Against Flu

As the summer winds down, medical professionals are becoming increasingly concerned aboutthe onset of the flu season as COVID-19 diagnoses and complications persist. Although the science as to how the two viruses may co-exist is still not established with anyreasonable certainty, significant COVID-19 interventions such as hand washing, masks, anddistancing are believed to be just as valid for influenza as they are for COVID-19. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching an aggressive influenza […]

red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

August Virtual Sessions Enlighten BVA Members and Friends

BVA’s 75th National Convention became a causality of COVID-19 when the decision to cancel the gathering was made on May 8. In lieu of the annual convention, BVA hosted a series of successful virtual Zoom webinars on Zoom on August 10, 12, and 18-20 that were also live streamed on Facebook and drew audiences in the hundreds. We kicked off the series with an Introduction to Zoom on August 10 in order to help our […]