Members of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) and all other interested individuals are invited and encouraged to attend a series of Town Hall meetings beginning next Tuesday, June 6, in preparation for the Association’s 78th National Convention later this summer. The Town Halls, hosted via Zoom, will provide members with an opportunity to learn about the convention location and venue, event highlights, and proposed bylaw amendments. Participants will also be able to engage directly with […]

Answer His Call Our attempts to “Answer Our Father’s Call” is to seek peace through collaboration. The essence of BVA’s national outreach program to locate and help fellow veterans sets the tone for the recently formed Spiritual Outreach Committee. We must work among different belief systems and be willing to understand each secular process. We must ask ourselves what it means to be a Chaplain, or in service to our Father, and what it means […]

As Memorial Day approaches, we at the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) remember with solemnity and gratitude the thousands of brave men and women who have willingly made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in defense of the freedoms we continue to enjoy. We include parents, spouses, children, and friends of the fallen in that heartfelt gratitude for their sacrifice, the magnitude of which can never be overstated or exaggerated. Ironically, it is these sacrifices that […]

Longtime BVA Mid-Atlantic Regional Group (Richmond Chapter) member and National Headquarters friend Herb Patterson of Sandston, Virginia, submitted a few thoughts to his fellow veterans during this past week leading up to Memorial Day. The message reflects Herb’s gratitude for blessings that typically go unacknowledged but which he highly values. With his permission, we are reprinting his thoughts here:      Another lovely day in the dark.  It is Wednesday, coming up to the end of […]

BVA members and their families are invited to attend in person the 75th anniversary commemoration of the Central Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, Building 113. The event, scheduled for Thursday, July 20, 11:00am-2:00pm, will feature an open house, tours, distinguished guests, and light refreshments.  The opening of the Hines facility on July 4, 1948, was a milestone in BVA’s early history. The organization’s founders and leaders, supported by National Chaplain […]

BVA regional group leaders and 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 earlier this week. The 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 announced the availability […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, May 31, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as the Weekly Wednesday Webinar shifts a few gears to welcome Willem Van de Mierop, a co-founder of AYES, Inc. and a developer of the mobile application known as OKO. The app assists the blind and visually impaired to receive the status of the pedestrian traffic light and to prevent them from veering outside of a crosswalk or other marked path.  Willem earned […]

For some Americans, Memorial Day has become confusing in recent years. Referred to often as the first unofficial day of summer and, with sunny, warm weather an opportunity to grill with friends and family, the opportunity to remember more than a million American lives lost in the defense of our freedom can be forgotten. If that is the case, wishing someone a Happy Memorial Day may not be appropriate.  If, however, the “Happy Memorial Day” […]

Representatives from Boundless will address the unparalleled selection of Assistive Technology and customer support options offered by the company to the blind and low vision. Remember to join the Blinded Veterans Association’s VetTech Team tomorrow (Wednesday, May 24) in the customary 2:00pm time slot (Eastern Time) via Zoom. We will welcome Dennis Moulton and Donny Osborn, Sales and Marketing Managers for the Oregon-based Boundless Assistive Technology. The link to the virtual session is located below. […]

BVA Happenings last week announced the appointment of Kennith Harvey of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group as BVA’s newly named National Chaplain. Before Chaplain Harvey found even a few free moments to get his feet a little damp in his new position, Mother’s Day came and left in a whirlwind. He has asked to share a message about mothers following that special day, considering the reality that gratitude for and tributes to mothers should have no […]