Pending the anticipated confirmation soon by the full Senate of Doug Collins as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Trump Administration this week appointed Todd Hunter as the Acting Secretary and filled several other permanent positions requiring Presidential appointment without Senate confirmation. Prior to being named Acting Secretary, Hunter had been functioning as Deputy Executive Director of the VA Office of Mission Support since April 23, 2023. In that capacity, he was the principal […]

The popularly referenced 2025 Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, Dependents, Survivors, and Caregivers provides comprehensive information on benefits and services currently available through VA by law and regulation. The new version, released on January 14, was validated by VA as of October 10, 2024. Any additional updates on care and benefits throughout 2025 can be accessed at VA.gov. The handy reference guide contains a comprehensive listing of VA programs, including phone numbers and websites for […]

Former Representative Doug Collins (R-GA-9), also a Navy and Air Force Chaplain who served in the Iraq War after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and more recently a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, presented an oral and written opening statement to members of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs at a confirmation hearing earlier this week. Collins also fielded two rounds of questions from members of the Committee. He was recommended in Committee […]

Blind and low vision veterans 55 years of age: Please make yourselves available promptly at 10:00am Eastern Time on Tuesday, January 28, the moment for both the visually impaired and wheelchair divisions to register for this year’s Golden Age Games in Memphis, Tennessee, May 31-June 5. The ambulatory division will begin registering the following day, January 29. This year’s games will mean a little more to BVA than usual as members of the Tennessee Regional […]

The long day and night of Presidential inaugural events on January 20 will be followed the morning after by a Senate confirmation hearing to consider the nomination of the Honorable Douglas A. Collins to become the 12th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The hearing, originally scheduled for January 14, will occur next Tuesday at 10am. Committee Chairman Jerry Moran said in statement last Monday that Collins had submitted all of his paperwork in a “timely manner […]

BVA member and extreme adventure athlete Lonnie Bedwell has conquered still more superhuman, near-impossible feats in his quest, among other things, to climb the highest peaks on all seven of the world’s continents. Flying onto the ice-covered continent of Antarctica on November 27 from Punta Arenas, Chile, he and his Sightless Summits companion, Bryan Hill, headed to the Ellsworth Mountains to climb Mount Vinson, the continent’s highest peak. That climb occurred December 3. After additional […]

Have you wondered how the BVA Veterans Service program (VSP) fulfills its mission of providing high quality representation before the Department of Veterans Affairs to blind and low vision veterans? BVA National Service Director Duayne Driscoll has compiled a few of the most significant figures for the Veterans Service Program (VSP) in 2024. The results, reported and explained by Duayne below, reflect impressive accomplishments amid extraordinary challenges. Kudos to the BVA VSP! During the calendar […]

The upcoming weekend includes a Monday federal holiday for both the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States. Both holidays occur on the exact same day. The leadership, staff, and membership of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) pause to reflect on the humanitarian service and vision of Dr. King, who was born 96 years ago on January 15. As the country honors the memory […]

VA earlier this week announced a proposed rule that would exempt veterans from a copayment for certain inpatient and outpatient Whole Health well-being services that are now offered by VA facilities nationwide. The Whole Health emphasis of the past 5-7 years at VA has focused on the overall well-being of veterans, independent of treatment for specific medical conditions or a certain diagnosis. Examples of copayment-exempt services include Whole Health education, health and wellness coaching, skill-building […]

Despite its occurrence at the end of a busy holiday season, the ceremonial placement last Saturday of two Braille Flags at the Jefferson Parish Eastbank Regional Library in Metairie, Louisiana, brought dozens of citizens from the community to see what a Braille flag actually looks like. The crowd added to a number of invited guests and participants. Included in the program was the participation of a five-piece brass combo of the 4th Division of the […]