BVA regional group leaders and members interested in attending the Association’s National Convention August 14-18, 2023, are encouraged to read the full 2023 Official Convention Letter released and posted to the BVA website earlier this week. The Convention Letter includes the official notice required by the National Bylaws, convention highlights, frequently asked questions, important deadlines, and links to additional information. To access the letter, click here.  Convention Coordinator Meredith Buono-DaGrossa has also announced the availability […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, May 31, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as the Weekly Wednesday Webinar shifts a few gears to welcome Willem Van de Mierop, a co-founder of AYES, Inc. and a developer of the mobile application known as OKO. The app assists the blind and visually impaired to receive the status of the pedestrian traffic light and to prevent them from veering outside of a crosswalk or other marked path.  Willem earned […]

For some Americans, Memorial Day has become confusing in recent years. Referred to often as the first unofficial day of summer and, with sunny, warm weather an opportunity to grill with friends and family, the opportunity to remember more than a million American lives lost in the defense of our freedom can be forgotten. If that is the case, wishing someone a Happy Memorial Day may not be appropriate.  If, however, the “Happy Memorial Day” […]

Representatives from Boundless will address the unparalleled selection of Assistive Technology and customer support options offered by the company to the blind and low vision. Remember to join the Blinded Veterans Association’s VetTech Team tomorrow (Wednesday, May 24) in the customary 2:00pm time slot (Eastern Time) via Zoom. We will welcome Dennis Moulton and Donny Osborn, Sales and Marketing Managers for the Oregon-based Boundless Assistive Technology. The link to the virtual session is located below. […]

BVA Happenings last week announced the appointment of Kennith Harvey of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group as BVA’s newly named National Chaplain. Before Chaplain Harvey found even a few free moments to get his feet a little damp in his new position, Mother’s Day came and left in a whirlwind. He has asked to share a message about mothers following that special day, considering the reality that gratitude for and tributes to mothers should have no […]

VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) manages 155 national cemeteries in 42 states. Memorial Day ceremonies will be conducted this year in more than 130 of them. NCA also provides headstones, markers, medallions, and Presidential Memorial Certificates for qualified veterans.  While not officially designated as NCA until 1998, its administrative birthday is 1973 when Congress passed the National Cemeteries Act creating an agency within the then Veterans Administration to oversee the national cemetery system dating back […]

Interest in BVA’s Dog Handlers Committee continues to steadily increase. This past week, for example, the monthly third Tuesday afternoon virtual meeting set a record for a session’s highest number of attendees ever. The addition of guest speakers, coupled with increased publicity and relevant discussion topics, appear to be significant factors in the recently added enthusiasm. The topics for this past week’s session were caring for a guide dog during the summer season and traveling […]

BVA members Lonnie Bedwell and Shawn Cheshire are now ever closer to reaching the top of Mount Everest and Mount Lohtse. A critical factor in the training and preparation has been adapting to the lack of oxygen at the altitudes at which they are now finding themselves (26,000-29,000 feet above sea level). On Tuesday (May 16), the teams received the green light to start climbing again after 15 days at base camp and on Wednesday […]

BVA Convention Coordinator Meredith Buono-DaGrossa continues to advise BVA members and their families to register as soon as possible for the Association’s 78th National Convention August 14-18, 2023, and to make reservations with the Marriott St. Louis Grand in the Gateway City. She also recommends making flight or other travel arrangements as soon as possible to secure the best rates.  Individuals and families planning to attend this year’s activities—highlighted by educational sessions, an increasingly popular […]

Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) has announced the second Flowers of Remembrance Day to be held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Sunday, May 28. The event precedes programs and ceremonies the following day at which BVA traditionally participates in a parade of flags and an organizational wreath presentation.  According to Gabriel Botero, Jr., Acting Veteran Service Organization Liaison for the Veterans Health Administration, the response from the public at last year’s inaugural Flowers […]