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Make a Difference by Supporting Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service

In this issue of BVA Happenings, BVA Deputy Director of Government Relations Alek Libbin explains how BVA members can make their voices heard on the issue of autonomous self-driving vehicles. If you only watched national news, you’d think the federal government does 95 percent of everything and that the states just kind of exist on the side. However, state governments set welfare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) requirements, unemployment payout amounts and time periods, […]

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VetTech to Host OrCam in Final Pre-Convention Weekly Wednesday Webinar

Join BVA’s VetTech Team as session participants welcome OrCam’s National Sales Director Michelle Mendez and a representation of her coast-to-coast team of regional sales managers. Thanks to the skills and capabilities of these managers based throughout the country, individuals with sight loss can leverage the strengths of the MyEye Pro and MyEye Read as they attend in-person training sessions and experience courteous troubleshooting responses.  Do not miss this VetTech session! Participants will receive: An overview […]

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BVAA Members Invited, Urged to Attend National Convention Monday Meeting

In conjunction with the BVA National Board of Directors, the National Blinded Veterans Association Auxiliary (BVAA), with its currently constituted leadership and members, is invited to hold a business meeting at the 78th National Convention on Monday, August 14. The meeting has been scheduled for 1:00-3:00pm in Gateway B of the Marriott St. Louis Grand. The meeting has been scheduled for the purpose of electing BVAA officers for the upcoming fiscal year. All current BVAA […]

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Senators Act on BVA Legislative Initiative to Improve VA Accessibility

Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging Bob Casey (D-PA) and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), responding to BVA’s call for equal access for all veterans to programs, services, and information at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have introduced and cosponsored S. 2516, The Veterans Accessibility Act of 2023. BVA Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr. praised the bipartisan proposed legislation, at the same time affirming that veterans who have already sacrificed their sight […]

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Senators Act on Critical Need for Improved Accessibility to VA Resources

Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging Bob Casey (D-PA) and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), responding to BVA’s call for equal access for all veterans to programs, services, and information at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have introduced and cosponsored S. 2516, The Veterans Accessibility Act of 2023. BVA Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr. praised the bipartisan proposed legislation, at the same time affirming that veterans who have already sacrificed their sight […]

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VETTECH REMINDER FOR THIS WEEK’S SESSIONS: NEW OPPORTUNITIES VIA WAYAROUND, DOT, INC.

BVA 78th National Convention sponsor WayAround will present a tag-and-scan device while Dot, Inc. will describe the revolutionary DotPad’s capability for communication through touch. Don’t forget to join the Blinded Veterans Association’s VetTech Team via Zoom for a unique double dose of technology tomorrow (Wednesday, August 2) at both 2:00pm and 7:00pm Eastern Time. The Team’s Weekly Wednesday Webinar will welcome representatives from WayAround at 2:00 and a leadership team from Dot, Inc. at 7:00. […]

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BVAA Members Invited, Urged to Attend National Convention Monday Meeting

In conjunction with the BVA National Board of Directors, the National Blinded Veterans Association Auxiliary (BVAA), with its currently constituted leadership and members, is invited to hold a business meeting at the 78th National Convention on Monday, August 14. The meeting has been scheduled for 1:00-3:00pm in Gateway B of the Marriott St. Louis Grand.  The meeting has been scheduled for the purpose of electing BVAA officers for the upcoming fiscal year. All current BVAA […]

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Consider “Mindfulness Coach” in Pursuit of Whole Health

Although the term “mindfulness” is an abstract term, the concept as developed by VA is defined as noticing and paying attention to what is going on in the present moment without passing judgment on such events. A mindful person is a perceptive and sensitive one. Mindfulness has been shown to be effective in reducing stress, improving emotional balance, increasing self-awareness, coping with anxiety and depression, and dealing with chronic pain.  Mindfulness Coach is a mobile […]

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CVTA Act a Potential Boon to the Blind and Low Vision

The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility (CVTA) Act was reintroduced in both the U.S. Senate and House this week, done appropriately on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The sponsors were Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16).  BVA strongly supports the CVTA Act for the significant improvements it would make in the accessibility of communications, video, and technology for people with disabilities, including blind […]

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BVA Remembers Cost of Korean War, Observes Armistice Day Milestone

Yesterday, July 27, marked the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement to “insure a complete cessation of hostilities.” With it came a measure of peace and a return home for thousands of Americans. For many early BVA members who served in Korea and who returned home before the Armistice, the costs of the conflict would forever be real. While the bulk of BVA’s early members were veterans who lost their sight in World War […]