The U.S. Space Force (USSF) will celebrate its fifth birthday next Friday, December 20. This sixth branch of the nation’s military was established with the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act by President Donald J. Trump on December 20, 2019. USSF became the first new branch of the Armed Forces in 73 years. USSF originated as a result of widespread recognition that Space had become a national security imperative. On April 6 of this […]

Last summer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced plans to begin transitioning veterans to a more modern, streamlined online login process to access benefit and health care services. In 2025, veterans will transition from four sign-in account options (login.gov, ID.me, MyHealtheVet, and DS Logon) to two (login.gov, ID.me) in order to access VA.gov, VA mobile apps, and other VA online services. VA has been supporting the transition through consistent outreach and training to make […]

For many, the upcoming holiday season will be filled with joy and connection, but for others the season can stir feelings of loss or loneliness. The absence of loved ones or familiar traditions can make the season bittersweet, leaving some longing for comfort. It is in challenging times, however, that gratitude shines the brightest. Gratitude is not about denying grief but about finding hope in the small, meaningful moments around us. Focusing on positive things […]

Attention national park enthusiasts interested in helping the blind and low vision enjoy the parks more than ever before! The 2025 Descriptathon, dedicated to helping national parks become more accessible by creating audio descriptions for selected brochures, is earnestly seeking volunteers on the blindness spectrum. ACB, BVA, the National Park Service, and UniDescription (UniD) are all assisting in the recruitment effort. Teams are composed of people who are sighted and people who are blind or […]

“Always ready, always there” is the motto of the oldest units of the North American military. Long before there was a Constitutional republic, on December 13, 1636, the first militia regiments in North America organized in Massachusetts. Based upon an order of the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s General Court, the colony’s militia was organized into three permanent regiments to defend the colony better. Today, the descendants of these first regiments – the 181st Infantry, the 182nd […]

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 7, is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared would forever live in infamy.  Although events of that day 83 years ago are foreign to the several generations that have followed, the day is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by hundreds of thousands of Americans during four pivotal years in American history. Indeed, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the impetus behind the nearly […]

Under the direction of the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the Men’s National Blind Soccer team has begun a virtual soccer combine for interested blind and visually impaired players. The team, to be fully organized in 2025, will prepare and eventually compete in the 18th Summer Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. U.S. citizens of all ages and classified B1, B2, or B3 are invited to try […]

The Million Veterans Program (MVP) is a health research program inviting veterans to participate in improving health and wellness in the veteran population as a whole. What started as a dream in 2011 to enroll a million veterans is now a reality as more than 1,050,000 veterans have now joined the program. MVP studies the interactions between health and wellness, genes, lifestyle, military experiences, and exposures. Current research areas include the following: Alzheimer’s Disease and […]

Native American Heritage Day, now a national recognition, originates in the early 1900s. Between 1912 and 1915, Dr. Arthur C. Parker of the Seneca Nation first protested for an “American Indian Day” to be observed within the Boy Scouts of America. Fast forward 75 years to 1990 when President George H. W. Bush signed legislation introduced by then Representative Joseph Baca, Sr. (D-CA-32) that designated the day after Thanksgiving as American Indian Heritage Day. Two […]

BVA’s mainstay publication, the BVA Bulletin, began publishing in early 1946. For a brief period in the late 1940s and early 50s, a print version of the Bulletin was produced and mailed monthly. Appearing in nearly every issue of the early Bulletins, and continuing for more than 40 years, was a column by the legendary Kathern F. “Kay” Gruber. In 1945, Kay Gruber was appointed to be the Director of War Blind Veteran Services for […]