The National Research & Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) is in the final stage of recruiting participants for a long-term study on job search skills training. Job-ready adults with blindness or low vision who are not currently employed are encouraged to learn more. The new group will start at the end of this month. Interested individuals must apply by Wednesday of next week (January 25) to be considered. Participants can earn up […]

BVA National President Joseph D. McNeil, Sr. will orally present BVA’s current legislative priorities at a joint session of the U.S. House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs. The hearing, which will also include presentations by a handful of other Veterans Service Organizations, is scheduled for 10:00am on Thursday, March 8, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Members of the BVA Board of Directors will also visit Congressional offices in the days leading up to […]

This past week, BVA’s VetTech team treated webinar participants to an informative session presented by Florida Vision Technology’s Lesa Kreschmer and Jose Cintron. The two provided an overview of the Envision glasses, the new Hable One, and other low vision devices. The focus of VetTech this coming Wednesday, January 25, at 2:00pm Eastern Time will include both a presentation as well as a question- and-answer period on Eschenbach Optik of America’s magnifiers, lighting solutions, and […]

A partnership between VA and Prudential Financial, Outreach, Transition, and Economic Development (OTED) is offering a virtual “Wellness Wednesday Financial Education” series to transitioning service members, veterans, spouses, other family members, and caregivers. The series consists of two programs: first, a wealth of financial literacy information and resources on an online website portal, and second, educational sessions on the third Wednesday of every month that focus on topics such as purchasing a home, paying for […]

A certificate that enables special features when completing forms in Adobe Reader expires this month. VA staff, Veterans Service Organizations, and veterans themselves rely on Adobe forms to work and apply for benefits. VA’s Office of Information and Technology is working on replacing certificates and asks that users download a fresh version of a PDF form directly from the appropriate VA webpage rather than using an older version saved locally on a computer or network […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Women Veterans has released a heartfelt, emotional documentary in partnership with the Million Veteran Program to motivate veterans, especially women veterans, to join its research program studying how genes, lifestyle, military experiences, and exposures can affect veteran health and wellness. The documentary features former Director of Michigan Veterans Affairs Zaneta Adams as she shares her journey of hope and resilience after a debilitating service-related injury and her […]

BVA’s Kathern F. Gruber scholarship program will award five $2,000 tuition scholarships to spouses, dependent children, and grandchildren of blind and low vision veterans for the upcoming year beginning in the fall. Named for an early pioneer in the field of blind rehabilitation and a friend of BVA for over four decades, the Gruber awards are merit-based through an application process and a committee that evaluates the candidates. For more information about the program and […]

BVA’s VetTech team treated attendees this past week to a session dedicated to the techniques of web navigation through place markers. The focus of VetTech this coming Wednesday, January 18, at 2:00pm Eastern Time will be three-fold: the Envision Smart AI glasses, the HableOne Controller, and the video magnifiers on which the company trains veterans with sight loss. The HableOne, introduced just six months ago, is a remote-control device currently revolutionizing smartphone and tablet usage […]

Following a brief holiday hiatus, BVA’s VetTech team returned this past week with a session dedicated to recognizing products using the OrCam MyEye Pro and OrCam Read. The focus this coming Wednesday, January 11, at 2:00pm Eastern Time will be the simplification of web navigation through place markers. Liz Whitaker, Vispero’s Product Manager, User Education and Outreach, will first explain what place markers are. She will then explore how to create or locate place markers […]

Veterans eligible to purchase additional Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) coverage will see an increase in the maximum of such coverage beginning March 1, 2023. The increase, the first since 2005, was made possible by passage of S. 2794, the Supporting Families of the Fallen Act, on October 17. Individuals under 60 years of age with $400,000 in coverage will be able to purchase more coverage in $25,000 increments up to the new $500,000 limit. […]