Blind and low vision veterans from several areas of the eastern United States attended a disaster preparedness workshop this past week at the Washington, DC, VA Medical Center. The event, presented by the American Red Cross, was jointly sponsored and arranged by the Visual Impairment Services Outpatient Rehabilitation (VISOR) Team at the Medical Center and the BVA Mid-Atlantic Regional Group (MARG). Chad Main, Red Cross Virginia Regional Preparedness Program Lead, connected with BVA Happenings to […]

VA now offers genetic testing that can reduce medication side effects and the trial-and-error process of trying different drugs in varying doses. VA’s National Pharmacogenomics (PGx) Program is the largest drug-gene-interaction testing program in the country and helps predict how veterans may respond to different medications.  There are specific genes linked to how a body processes or responds to specific medications and VA doctors and pharmacists can now order these genetic tests and use the […]

Please join us on Wednesday, May 22, at 2:00pm Eastern Time for the next in a series of BVA National Convention virtual Town Halls. The upcoming meeting, accessible via Zoom, will provide BVA members, families, and friends with the latest news and information to assist them in the planning process. Specifically, attendees will be provided with the following: Overview of the 79th National Convention, including important dates, events, and registration. Explanation of available offsite activities courtesy […]

It isn’t too late to sign up to “Carry The Load” and be a part of the 20,000-mile cross-country trek honoring the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military and interred in VA National Cemeteries. The march occurs throughout May, traveling through 34 cemeteries along five separate routes covering 48 states in what is known as the National Relay for Memorial Day 2024.  VA’s National Cemetery Administration is partnering with […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health and Benefits mobile application puts VA information and resources at veterans’ fingertips via their smartphones—anywhere, anytime. The capabilities of the app include, but are not limited to, the viewing and canceling of health care appointments, refilling and tracking VA-dispensed prescriptions, checking on claims and appeals status, uploading documentation to VA, obtaining vaccine records, sending a message to a doctor, locating a VA facility, and accessing the Veterans Crisis […]

A national historic landmark, the Florida Theatre in the middle of downtown Jacksonville is one of only four remaining high-style movie palaces built in the state in the 1920s. It now hosts more than 200 annual events, everything from ballet and opera to contemporary pop, jazz, rock, country, and blues concerts. Photo courtesy of Ken McCray Photography and Visit Jacksonville. Thanks go out to BVA members and friends who attended the third in our series […]

“G”, BVA’s April Ambassadog. As Ambassadogs, we sometimes can’t resist being a bit nosy, especially when it comes to knowing what our human handlers think and say about us guide dogs. My dad, Arsenio, gave me the green light to tune into the tail end of Tuesday’s BVA Dog Handler Group meeting. Something intriguing unfolded after the official meeting wrapped up: a chat between Yoneka Trent, the meeting’s moderator that day, and Teresa Galgano, the […]

Attention BVA members and friends! Please join us this Wednesday, April 24, at 2:00pm Eastern Time, for the third in our series of BVA National Convention Town Halls. The upcoming session via Zoom will provide you with the latest news and information to assist you in your convention planning process. Read more. Specifically, attendees at the Town Hall will be provided with the following: An overview of the 79th National Convention, including all the important […]

My tenure as the March Ambassadog has come to an end. It is now time to toss the frisbee to my fellow Ambassadog “G” who guides BVA member Arsenio Cordero. Throughout the month of April, “G” will share tales and a few informative details about his working life.   I enjoyed sharing my adventures with you and hopefully my dad, Rob, and I have been a great example of empowering dignity, independence, and self-worth. We hope […]

At just 20 years old, Corporal Matthew Bradford was fighting for his life, battling depression and guilt after sustaining life-threatening injuries. It was January 18, 2007, when a bomb planted by an insurgent in Haditha, Iraq, exploded inside a culvert directly underneath his feet. The injuries resulted, among other long-term consequences, in immediate blindness and loss of both legs. Throughout most of his youth, Matthew had a strong impression that it was his mission in […]