Extreme sports athlete and military veteran Lonnie Bedwell, a member of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), is perhaps known best for his recognition as the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2015 and the first totally blind person to kayak the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Lonnie has since shared his adventuresome and can-do spirit with dozens of other blinded veterans on kayaking, climbing, and skiing trips throughout the United States. He is […]

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) National President Joseph D. McNeil, Sr. today announced the appointment of Paul Mimms of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Heartland Regional Group to serve as National Vice President for the remainder of a two-year term ending in August 2023. President McNeil also announced the selection of Tonora Lyn Shannon of the Michigan Regional Group to fill the vacancy of National Ombudsman previously occupied by Paul. Article 4, Section 6 of the […]

The first of four Regional Ocular Trauma Centers, an initiative championed by the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) through legislation passed late last year, is now open at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. A designation ceremony and tour arranged by leadership of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) marked the April 19 event. DHA is scheduled to launch the additional centers later this year at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center/Fort Belvoir Community Hospital […]

WebAudio.Com is looking for iPhone beta testers within the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) community to try out a groundbreaking audio news mobile application designed specifically for the blind, visually impaired, and persons with low vision. The audio news app is fully customizable using 11 main categories and a hundred unique topics. The app was recently tested by the American Foundation for the Blind and was found to be 100 percent accessible with VoiceOver. Easy to use and […]

The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), together with Never Lose Sight, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, will highlight the programs, opportunities, and services available to the blind and visually impaired community throughout Jackson County, Mississippi, on April 21. The outreach event at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Jackson County campus library in the city of Gautier will begin at 6:00pm. The meeting featuring multiple presentations is open to […]

Online registration for this year’s National Veterans Golden Age Games in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will begin tomorrow, April 15, at 1:00pm Eastern Daylight Time. Blinded and visually impaired veterans age 55+ who are interested in participating in this increasingly in-demand series of events from July 18-23, 2022, are encouraged to enroll immediately once registration opens. Spots to participate in the Games have filled up very quickly in recent years. Please proceed (CLICK HERE) to […]

Blinded veterans, their families, and other caregivers often encounter obstacles and challenges as they explore, apply for, manage, and track their benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Opportunities are now available to openly share those challenges with VA through an initiative known as the Veterans User Experience Research Studies. The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) encourages your participation. Teams at VA are attempting most particularly to recruit veterans who use assistive technology and/or who […]

Two members of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) have entered this year’s competition for the prestigious Holman Prize, a recognition of the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco, California. Author, scholar, and pastoral psychologist Paschal Baute (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Group) and outdoor adventurer Lonnie Bedwell (Indiana Regional Group) are both current contestants to become semifinalists for the award. The application package submitted by Paschal and Lonnie included a form, a written outline […]

In the early morning of March 28, 1945, a hundred recently returning World War II service members and veterans gathered for a much-publicized meeting at Avon Old Farms Army Convalescent Hospital. The group, all young men at the time, were recovering from combat injuries, the most notable of which was their loss of sight. Time spent at the Connecticut facility also consisted of a program of instruction and practical training through which they learned how […]

Blinded veterans and their families are invited to participate in a virtual Video Programming Accessibility Forum that will highlight the importance of audio description. The forum is scheduled for this coming Monday, March 28, 1:00-3:45pm Eastern Time. Hosted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the forum will explore the state of audio description availability for online video programming, including best practices and technical issues. It will also explore how to enhance accessibility, such as voluntary […]