The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) has released a statement lauding the U.S. AbilityOne Commission’s final rule issued last week that prohibits payment of subminimum wages on contracts within the AbilityOne Program. Under the rule, individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities and who work on AbilityOne contracts will earn at least the federal minimum wage, the applicable local or state minimum wage, or the applicable prevailing wage – whichever is highest. “This final rule […]

The National Board of Directors of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) has scheduled a final virtual townhall to review refinements to the revised national bylaws based on member input during the three sessions held last week. Please plan to attend the August 4 meeting via Zoom at 2:00pm Eastern Time. The townhall will be limited to a single meeting to include blinded veterans from all four districts nationally. “We are pleased to report that our […]

Blinded veterans, their families, and other friends of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) who are interested in attending the organization’s 77th National Convention August 22-26 (Monday-Friday) have just a few more days to register and make reservations at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Prospective attendees may complete their convention registration online here (CLICK here) or by calling Meredith at BVA National Headquarters at 202-371-8880, Ext. 304. Hotel reservations can be secured by using […]

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) National Vice President Paul Mimms presented a Bronze Braille U.S. Flag at the opening of a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Kansas City, Kansas, on July 8. Paul resides in the Kansas City area but a short drive from the new Clinic, which will offer primary care, labs, pharmacies, and both telehealth and behavioral health services. Present at the ribbon-cutting event was Senate Committee on […]

Extreme sports athlete, 2015 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and BVA member Lonnie Bedwell recently completed his long-planned ascent of Denali, the highest and most remote mountain peak in North America with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level. The team of five sighted guides and Lonnie reached the peak’s apex and made it safely down on June 22, a relatively fast trek of 14 days for Denali. The group had originally […]

The Independence Day holiday is one that I greatly look forward to every year. I love the outdoor summer reunions with family and friends, the parades, the barbecues, and the many other traditions in which I’ve enjoyed being a participant over the years. Like many of our veterans who have served overseas in defense of what this wonderful holiday means to us as Americans, I have sorely missed the Fourth of July when I have […]

Blinded veterans, their families, and other guests who have previously registered for the BVA 77th National Convention in Washington, DC, are invited to now register online for individual offsite activities throughout the week of August 22-27 (Monday-Saturday). Convention attendees can pick and choose from the various activities available. In addition, BVA members who have not previously registered for the convention at all may still do so here (CLICK HERE) prior to registering for the individual […]

Do you have what it takes to be a Blinded Veterans Association Ambassador? The second round of Ambassador training is fast approaching, as is the due date of July 1 for registration—next Friday, one week from today. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS) has identified more than 120,000 blinded veterans and 1.2 million veterans with low vision. A large percentage of these veterans either do not know about BRS or they […]

The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) has been asked by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts under Judge William G. Young to share the following notice with its membership regarding the settlement agreement of a class action lawsuit against Poly-Wood, LLC. The basis of the suit is failure to communicate information on online stores fully and equally to consumers who use screen reader auxiliary aids to access digital content. The notice, sent […]

For some, June 14 may represent little more than the 165th day of 2022 or a day signaling the summer solstice and the official beginning of the new season in the northern hemisphere just one week from now. For the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), the day is an opportunity to recognize Flag Day in the United States. It is no accident that June 14 is observed as Flag Day each year. On June 14, 1777, […]