BVA’s Women Veterans Group was created to serve, support, and promote camaraderie among blinded and now low vision women veterans through awareness and advocacy efforts affecting their health and welfare.  The group’s leadership committee meets every fourth Wednesday of the month while the general membership virtual meeting occurs the day following, usually the fourth Thursday and on rare occasions the fifth Thursday. The virtual meetings via Zoom begin at 6:00pm Eastern Time. The next general […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, May 24, at 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Time as we welcome Dennis Moulton and Donny Osborn, Sales and Marketing Managers for Oregon-based Boundless Assistive Technology. The two company representatives will address the unparalleled selection of Assistive Technology and customer support options offered to the blind and low vision by Boundless.  The Assistive Technology industry and its products can present users with life-transforming opportunities when the appropriate product is matched with […]

BVA Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group Secretary Gary Schoelerman recently reported that some of the group’s members, a little more than a year ago, convinced one of its newer members, Shawntina Gibson, to attend a Team BVA hiking-rock climbing-kayaking-biking event. Shawntina had never been rock climbing or kayaking before, and she hadn’t ridden a bike in years, but she was willing to give it a try and quickly fell in love with the challenge to mind and […]

BVA Happenings is pleased to acknowledge the latest in the list of holidays that make up National Military Appreciation Month throughout May 2023, paying special tribute tomorrow, May 20, to those currently serving in all six branches of the U.S. Military: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, the newly created Space Force, and Coast Guard, including the National Guard and Reserve Components of these branches. Prior to 1950, single celebrations were conducted for the Army, […]

Recognizing today, May 18, as Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) 2023, the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) is one of 52 national organizations to sign a statement calling on the federal government to require websites and software applications to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. GAAD was created in 2011 to call attention to digital access and inclusion. An estimated one billion individuals worldwide and 61 million living in the United States currently […]

Today is National Military Spouse Appreciation Day. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared May 23 as the first Military Spouse Day in Proclamation 5184. Former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger then standardized the date by declaring the Friday before Mother’s Day as Military Spouse Day. In 1999, Congress officially made the observance part of National Military Appreciation Month, resulting in an annual Presidential Proclamation for the commemoration now officially known as National Military Spouse Appreciation […]

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 Hotel 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 […]

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 a 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 of […]

If your vision is 20/400 or worse, you may be eligible to take part in a patient focus group organized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The interactions last about one hour and will take place at an accessible location in your area or via Zoom. Participants will receive $75.  The purpose of the research is to understand the experiences of individuals with profound sight loss—occurrences […]

Kennith Harvey of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group is BVA’s newly named National Chaplain. The Board of Directors and membership thank outgoing Chaplain Dr. Ron Lester for his outstanding service these past four years. Chaplain Harvey is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served 28 years. He was medically retired due to a Traumatic Brain Injury and several other injuries. He has studied to be a minister through the National Association of Christian Ministers, Liberty […]