The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic in Pensacola, Florida, will receive a Bronze Braille American Flag from the Emerald Coast Regional Group in recognition of National Blinded Veterans Day.  “This flag will be installed onto one of the columns directly outside the entrance of the clinic,” said Pensacola Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) Coordinator Alyssa Lucas, organizer of the live event. Following the flag presentation, veterans and their families will participate in demonstrations […]

At 8:45am on March 28, 1945, approximately 100 recently returning World War II service members and veterans gathered for a much-publicized meeting at Avon Old Farms Army Convalescent Hospital. The minutes of the meeting recorded that the group assembled, all young men at the time, were recovering from combat injuries, the most notable of which was their loss of sight.  Time spent at the Connecticut facility also consisted of a program of instruction and practical […]

BVA’s Awards Program honors annually the extraordinary professional achievements of a blind or low vision veteran, the outstanding level of service of a BVA member to their regional group, and a volunteer who has served blind and low vision veterans with unusual dedication and enthusiasm. The recognitions are, respectively, the Melvin J. Maas, Irving Diener, and David L. Schnair Awards.  The program also recognizes, through annual Certificates of Appreciation, the professionals who go the extra […]

Dr. Heejo Han, an experienced Alexandria, Virginia, dentist with a unique approach to serving his patients, recently opened his own dental practice with his wife, Amelia, after years of working in a corporate-owned setting. Dr. Han has offered to partner with BVA as a sponsor of future recreational rehabilitation activities and to donate $5 to the organization for each new patient he receives in the foreseeable future. Dr. Han and BVA are essentially neighbors! The […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, March 22, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as we welcome Mathieu Paquette, Product Manager at Humanware. Mathieu will discuss the recently launched Stellar Trek, the latest in standalone Orientation and Mobility devices for the blind that combines pinpoint accurate GPS capabilities with turn-by-turn navigation. Even more important, impressive, and specific to the Stellar trek is the new AI assistance that recognizes addresses and doors so that veterans with vision loss […]

Don’t forget next week’s meeting of the BVA Dog Handlers Committee! The 4:00pm Eastern Time session via Zoom on Tuesday, March 21, is open to all veterans with sight loss who are interested in topics and issues related to guide dogs. The Committee meetings are regularly scheduled for the third Tuesday of each month in the same time slot and generally last approximately 90 minutes. Veterans who do not currently have a working guide dog […]

Robert A. “Bob” Bottenberg, BVA’s ninth National President and a dedicated member of the Association both nationally and locally for more than 60 years, passed away March 11 in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 98.  Bob was blinded by German mortar fire in April 1945 when he was 20 years old and only 2-3 weeks after BVA’s founding. His injuries occurred as he was serving as squad leader with the 25th Infantry Regiment, […]

Prospective attendees of the BVA 78th National Convention may now register with BVA and also secure their hotel reservations for the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel August 14-18, 2023. Read more. Those planning to attend this year’s activities—highlighted by educational sessions, an increasingly popular and busy Exhibit Hall, and the official BVA business sessions—can now register on the BVA website and link to a hotel reservation form that will allow them to reserve a room […]

BVA’s VetTech Team welcomes Brian Moon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Perigean Technologies, to the March 15 Weekly Wednesday Webinar at 2:00pm Eastern Time. Perigean Technologies spearheads VA research efforts to understand how veterans and caregivers interact with VA websites and mobile applications.  Brian will address the Veteran Usability Project and its implications for BVA and veterans with sight loss. He and the VetTech team will emphasize the following:                                                                        What the Veteran Usability Project […]

BVA has provided written support for two significant pieces of legislation introduced recently in the initial weeks of the 117th Congress, the “Helping Heroes Act of 2023” and the “Air Carrier Access Amendments Act,” that could positively impact many blind and low vision veterans and their families for years to come.  The Helping Heroes Act, introduced on March 3 by Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Patty Murray (D-WA), recognizes the work done by some 2.3 […]