Leaders of BVA regional groups and BVA members interested in attending the Association’s National Convention August 14-18, 2023, are encouraged to read the full 2023 Official Convention Letter released and posted to the BVA website three weeks ago.  The letter includes the official notice required by the National Bylaws, convention highlights, frequently asked questions, important deadlines, and links to additional information. To access the letter, click here.  Convention Coordinator Meredith Buono-DaGrossa continues to emphasize the […]

BVA’s Town Hall this past Tuesday surpassed expectations for attendance and provided the impetus for many Association members to seek further information and/or register for the upcoming 78th National Convention August 14-18 in St. Louis. “My phone began ringing off the hook at the end of the meeting and it hasn’t stopped yet,” Convention Coordinator reported Wednesday morning.  The first Town Hall, hosted via Zoom, provided attendees with an overview of the convention location and […]

Perhaps it’s only coincidence, but perhaps not, that the date of the founding of our first military forces and the founding of the most powerful symbol of the freedoms of the United States of America is one and the same. Read more.  The U.S. Army was founded on June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year. Many believed at the time that the creation of the force would […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, June 14, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as the Weekly Wednesday Webinar welcomes Liz Whitaker, Product Manager for User Education and Outreach for Vispero. Liz will focus on working with PDFs. Whether you are reading a “how to” guide or completing a fillable form, reading and interacting with PDFs is a critical skill to learn. Fusion and JAWS, originated by Freedom Scientific, host an array of features that makes completing […]

This Monday, June 12, BVA recognizes all women veterans but especially our own blind and low vision women members and our Women Veterans Group! We thank them for their past military service and their current service to BVA. The first Women Veterans Day, also referred to as Women Veterans Recognition Day and Women Veterans Appreciation Day, was celebrated on June 12, 2018. Its significance dates to June 12, 1948, when President Harry S. Truman signed […]

Vets First Podcast is a research-based production that focuses on the VA healthcare system and its patients. The emphasis of the programs is individual lives and experiences in the context of VA care. The hosts, Dr. Levi Sowers, PhD, and Brandon Rea of the Iowa City VA Medical Center work to bridge the gap between state-of-the-art research and veterans themselves in a friendly, easy-to-understand format for the average listener. They also seek to assist researchers […]

Leaders of BVA regional groups and BVA members interested in attending the Association’s National Convention August 14-18, 2023, are encouraged to read the full 2023 Official Convention Letter released and posted to the BVA website two weeks ago.  The Official Convention Letter includes the official notice required by the National Bylaws, convention highlights, frequently asked questions, important deadlines, and links to additional information. To access the letter, click here.  Convention Coordinator Meredith Buono-DaGrossa has also […]

In this week’s BVA Happenings, Deputy Director of Government Relations Alek Libbin examines the relevance to our nation’s veterans of recent debt ceiling negotiations and the subsequent legislative actions completed late last night by the United States Senate. Before I discuss how the Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling deal affects veterans, allow me to explain the debt ceiling, its history, and its role in politics.  While the President collects taxes and spends money, he does so at […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, June 7, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as the Weekly Wednesday Webinar welcomes Orcam’s Michelle Mendez, National Sales Director, and Corinne Nero, Area Sales Manager. The two will discuss the award-winning Artificial Intelligence (AI) behind the OrCam MyEye Pro and MyEye Read. Such AI capabilities empower blind and low vision veterans to recognize everything from the written word and currency to family and friends. Do not miss this VetTech session! […]

At patriotic services, parades, and wreath-laying ceremonies, BVA members and their families throughout the country paused this past Monday to remember the ultimate sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have given their lives to preserve the nation’s freedoms.  At Arlington National Cemetery a mere 5.4 miles from the Association’s National Headquarters, Mid-Atlantic Regional Group member Lawrence Harrison (see photos) of Washington, DC, carried the BVA flag in a special “Parade […]