State-run veterans nursing homes play a crucial role in providing care and support for those who have served in the military. These facilities are designed to meet the unique needs of veterans, offering a range of services tailored to their medical and emotional well-being. For many veterans and their families, these homes represent a vital resource for long-term care, rehabilitation, and companionship. VA provides support for and oversight of these facilities. Residency Requirements To be […]

In front of City Hall, the City of Houston celebrated area veterans on the morning of November 11 as part of its annual “Houston Salutes American Heroes” Veterans Day celebration. BVA’s Greater Houston Regional Group (GHRG) reported a feeling of elation to be a part of the event, which included entering a float (pictured here with the participants) in a parade that brought thousands of onlookers lining Houston’s downtown streets. Other participants in the Texas-sized […]

Join BVA in honoring the nation’s vital caregivers during the remaining days of National Family Caregivers Month. Family caregivers are often caregiving around the clock, meaning continuous dedication, organization, responsibility, and hands-on care for older adults and people with disabilities. A report issued jointly by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP revealed that more than 53 million family caregivers provide unpaid care, an economic value of more than $470 billion. While such valued sacrifice […]

Join the 2025 Descriptathon and help make national parks more accessible! The American Council of the Blind, the National Park Service, and UniDescription (UniD) are recruiting new volunteers to create audio descriptions for selected national park brochures. Teams are composed of people who are both sighted and those on the blindness spectrum. They will collaborate to describe maps, paintings, and visual images within park brochures. Because all meetings are held remotely, volunteers may find themselves […]

The City of Fredericksburg, Virginia, honored veterans with a walking procession from the city’s Memorial Park to the “Our Fallen Heroes War Memorial,” where this year’s annual ceremony was convened. On hand for the events with a wreath to present was BVA staff and Mid-Atlantic Regional Group member Michaun Harrison, who has also served for more than two years as the Secretary of the Fredericksburg Area Veterans Council. The voluntary Council seeks to restore and, […]

BVA National President Paul Mimms and National Program Coordinator Vernon Humphrey ventured to the Nation’s Capital this week to represent blind and low vision veterans throughout the country in a series of events on Veterans Day that occurred at both the White House and Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). Among such highlights was BVA’s participation in the flag processional and a VSO wreath laying at the Cemetery. With the BVA and U.S. flags firmly in waist-high […]

BVA members from Districts 1 and 2, many accompanied by members of their families, rose early on November 11 to proudly march down Fifth Avenue in the annual New York City Veterans Day Parade. The parade entry showcased their desire and dedication to honor the service and resilience of fellow veterans past and present. The effort of the group also represented a commitment to continue empowering other blind and low vision veterans nationwide. The parade […]

This Sunday, November 10, United States Marines around the globe will celebrate an astonishing 249 years of training and combat success, reaffirming their commitment to the Corps’ proud legacy of honor, courage, and commitment. The Marine Corps’ annual tradition celebrates the establishment of the organization on November 10, 1775, by the Second Continental Congress. The Continental Congress ordered that two battalions of Marines be raised for service as landing forces with the fleet. Marines have […]

Some 25 members of BVA’s Greater Houston Regional Group (GHRG) participated in the City of Houston’s White Cane Day celebration on October 15. The annual event, which brings hundreds of blind and visually impaired people into downtown Houston, is hosted by the Houston Council on White Cane Safety Day. The day’s activities seek to make the world more aware of the resilience of those who are blind or visually impaired. “In Houston and across the […]

Anyone familiar with Heartland Regional Group President Jeanie Murphy would not be surprised to learn that her Saturdays are rarely spent doing things for herself. More than likely, she is helping someone else or doing work for BVA. This past October 19 was no exception as she participated in the Fort Riley, Kansas Retirement Fair for the third time. “The retirement fair has always presented a great opportunity for us to promote BVA as well […]