BVA members and their families and friends who browse BVA Happenings are likely aware of the scores of entries that have been included regarding VA’s Whole Health initiative 2-3 weeks per month. A vital component of Whole Health is remaining socially connected, even when unique challenges related to sight loss can make sharing a hobby, catching up with a friend, or trying something new a little less comfortable at first. Perhaps even more since the […]

Building on its foundation as a beacon of hope and advocacy for more than 80 years, BVA will resume its efforts to empower the Association’s membership to make a difference in their communities by launching a new virtual Ambassador training class next Tuesday, September 16. Program participants will meet via Zoom on the first three Tuesdays of each month until February 24, 2026, with classes scheduled from 2:00-3:30pm Eastern Time. BVA Ambassadors and Requisite Training […]

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has deemed more than three-fourths of all Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) to be worthy of four or five-star ratings as part of the 2025 hospital quality ratings, VA announced last week. More than 90 percent of the rated VAMCs maintained or improved their 2024-star rating. No VAMC received a one-star rating. The ratings are based on five categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient […]

Patriot Day, known officially as National Day of Service and Remembrance, will be observed next Thursday, September 11, 2025, just as it has been every year since 2001 in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result of terrorist attacks on September 11 of that year. Although not a federal holiday, Patriot Day is observed with ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services nationwide. Because Patriot Day has been added to the Flag Holidays […]

Join next Wednesday’s (September 10) session of the VetTech and Educational Series as regular participants and newcomers welcome Case for Vision. The 3:00pm Eastern Time meeting via Zoom will examine assistive technologies for people with vision loss that can be used with devices they already use. Case For Vision creates compact, intuitive ways to read, watch television, and perform a host of other tasks and activities through devices with potential that may be largely untapped. […]

Tina Lemus and Celiann Gonzalez join fellow veteran and host Steve Baskis to reflect on their recent Team River Runner (TRR) experience near Grand Junction, Colorado, in the newest episode of Visions of BVA, the Association’s monthly podcast. Paddling with Purpose: Blind Veterans and Team River Runner went live on September 1. Steve, Tina, and Celiann (TRR staff and a veteran herself) together share personal stories of overcoming fear, building trust, and rediscovering confidence through […]

Some $45 million in taxpayer funds are being redirected from subsidies long provided to federal unions, an August 22 press advisory reported. The move stems from an August 6 VA announcement that the number of bargaining unit VA employees would be reduced from 375,000 to just 7,000. The funds, VA says, will return to veterans and their families, caregivers, and the other survivors served by the Department. Egregious examples have allegedly existed of taxpayer-funded union […]

To many and perhaps most Americans, Labor Day weekend means picnics, beaches, and the unofficial end of summer. Although the day is not usually a holiday for service members throughout the world, several factors connect Labor Day to those on active duty and to our nation’s veterans who have served in the past. For example, throughout history, few have labored more or under more adverse conditions than those fighting to defend freedom. In that sense, […]

More than a dozen BVA members, friends, members of the Affiliated Blind of Louisiana, the American Council of the Blind, and the American Legion were on hand as the Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group, Inc. continued its relentless Braille Flag campaign, presenting most recently a Bronze Braille American Flag to the Lafayette, Louisiana South Regional Library this past Monday, August 25. The flag was presented in honor of Catherine Calhoun Edgar, the mother of devoted Blind Rehabilitation […]

Please place on your calendar the upcoming VetTech Weekly Webinar next Wednesday, September 3, at 3:00pm Eastern Time, when VetTech enthusiasts will welcome Karthik Kannan, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Envision. Karthik will present the recently marketed Ally Solos Glasees. He uses engineering to turn the latest breakthroughs in the field of computer vision into meaningful applications for people with sight loss. His focus is currently on how to use AI to maximize the […]