Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, July 26, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as the Weekly Wednesday Webinar welcomes Amanda Ventura, Head of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs for Waymo, the world’s first fully autonomous ride-hailing service.

Waymo is revolutionizing transportation options through the service now known as Waymo One, available 24/7 to the public in Phoenix, Arizona. Waymo also has operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Its mission is to make it easy for people to get where they need to go. Target patrons are those with disabilities needing to reach a workplace, medical appointment, grocery store, shopping mall, leisure activity, and much more.

Participants at the BVA 78th National Convention will experience Waymo’s hospitality in an unprecedented way—the company is the premier sponsor for the novel Bow Wow lounge open for guide dogs.

Do not miss this VetTech session! Participants will receive:

• An overview of Waymo and its history.
• Information about using Waymo in available locations.
• Instructions on downloading the Waymo mobile application.
• An explanation on how to advocate for bringing Waymo to a city near you.

The session is the third in a series of Weekly Wednesday Webinars featuring sponsors and technologies to be exhibited and demonstrated during the convention.

In a more informal setting and exchange than the Weekly Wednesday Webinars, join VetTech Talk on Thursday, July 27, at the same 2:00pm Eastern Time start for a recap, review, and additional discussion regarding Waymo’s autonomous vehicles and the company’s corresponding initiatives.

This past week, VetTech’s Weekly Wednesday Webinar featured Amos Miller, co-founder of Glidance, a company committed to changing the world for the better through a revolutionary Orientation and Mobility tool known as Glide that assures a safe walking experience for those experiencing blindness and low vision. The device incorporates robotics, sensors, and software to provide a balance of support and independence. Amos provided an overview of Glide followed by an explanation of the technology behind its development and everyday use. He also outlined planned convention activities in which attendees can experience Glide. VetTech Talk the following day reviewed the Wednesday presentation and opened further discussion about MacOS from the perspective of the blind, enabling participants to share their feedback about the monthly MacOS training series and propose topics for the future.

All VetTech webinars and talk sessions are currently open to everyone—blind and low vision veterans and nonveterans, family members, caregivers, blind rehabilitation specialists, and all other parties interested in assistive, adaptive, and accessible technology that can result in greater independence. Membership in BVA or attendance at previous sessions is not a pre-requisite to join VetTech or VetTech Talk sessions.

Did you miss the most recent session? No problem! VetTech is now available as a podcast on major platforms. Interested parties can listen on demand to missed Weekly Wednesday Webinars as well as original content published solely on the podcast by asking their Smart speaker, Siri, or Alexa, to “play the latest episode of the Blinded Veterans Association VetTech Podcast.” They can also follow the channel via Apple Podcast, Google Play, and Amazon Music.  

To enter both of the upcoming Wednesday and Thursday sessions using the customary Zoom meeting credentials and link, click here. For additional information about the Wednesday sessions or VetTech Talk, click here.