Annie Dixon has been named the new Interim Director of District 2. She has become an active member of BVA in 2024 but has volunteered with the VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement (formerly VA Voluntary Services) since 2015. In that capacity, Annie assisted with individual and group activities to help blind and low vision veterans regain their independence and quality of life, enabling their successful integration into family and community life. Annie is […]

Members of the Tennessee Regional Group from the Memphis area dedicated themselves to a little educational and physical activity October 14-15, beginning with a downtown Memphis display table (see accompanying photo) and a three-mile walk with their white canes. On the previous night, the group held a catered “Dining in the Dark” private event that educated and entertained many of their family members and friends. “We had a great time with all these events, and […]

An incorrectly identified photo and a few bits of information not yet complete in last week’s BVA Happenings have prompted a follow-up version of last week’s entry about the passing of Darryl Goldsmith, a BVA stalwart both nationally and through service to multiple regional groups. Darryl Goldsmith, a dedicated BVA member and leader who served the organization and his fellow blinded veterans for more than 30 years, passed away on October 20 after a short […]

National Physician Assistant Week, recently completed last week, occurs every year in October. Treating patients in today’s complex health care settings requires a complete team of professionals. Among these medical workers are Physician Assistants (PA’s), broadly trained in a wide spectrum of conditions and tasks. Low vision member, Michelle O’Connor of Fredericksburg, Virginia, joins BVA Past National President Dr. Tom Zampieri as a professional in the field. Michelle currently works as a PA at Fort […]

Blinded Veterans Association National Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr. was the guest on the most recent podcast of Civic Warriors, a series produced by the 50-year-old Withum firm. The podcast series invites leaders in the nonprofit industry affecting change; civic warriors of the world—innovators, leaders on the front lines of adversity, and all-around good people doing good deeds. In the 54-minute Episode 65, Don shares first his personal journey and his insights into BVA’s […]

BVA regional groups and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS) support groups traditionally commemorate the significance of white cane safety through pre-planned public events such as group walks, fairs, exhibits, or educational forums at VA facilities. Thanks to motivated BVA members and VA Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) Coordinators, productive activities are scheduled in various parts of the country throughout the month of October but especially on October 15. President Lyndon B. […]

The Veterans Benefits Administration has initiated a long-term effort to address the invasion of “claims predators” into the lives of America’s veterans. Last week’s BVA Happenings defined claims predators as “bad actors” that attempt to unlawfully charge veterans a fee to “help” them process their claims with VA when it is provided free by VA accredited attorneys, claims agents, or National Service Officers working in the BVA Veterans Service Program. Aggressive communication techniques, accompanied by […]

This Thursday, October 10 marks World Sight Day. Observed annually on the second Thursday of October, World Sight Day is a global event to encourage awareness of blindness and the varying degrees of sight loss. It was originally initiated by the SightFirst Campaign of Lions Club International in 2000 and has since been integrated into VISION 2020. The World Sight Day recognition is now coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) […]

Earlier this week, VA announced a scientific assessment to determine whether exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during military service could be a variable in the onset of kidney cancer among veterans. The result could eventually lead to the establishment of kidney cancer as a presumptive service-connected condition for veterans exposed to PFAS. The assessment is a process codified under the PACT ACT passed two years ago. Some 12,000 chemicals, in use in the […]

The full House of Representatives this week passed H.R. 7342, the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2024, a bipartisan bill that would, if passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law by the President, require VA to create an advisory committee to address accessibility of the Department’s benefits, services, and facilities for veterans and employees with sight loss and other disabilities in the areas of mobility, hearing, and cognitive functions. Because of known […]