BVA’s Awards Program honors annually the extraordinary professional achievements of blind and low vision veterans and the dedicated service they offer one another. The program also recognizes both the professionals and volunteers who go the extra mile in serving and supporting veterans and their families.
The Major General Melvin J. Maas Award for Professional Achievement recognizes and honors annually a blind or low vision veteran with service-connected visual impairment who has attained a high level of proficiency in adjusting to life with sight loss, and who has achieved a high level of professional success and accomplishment in a chosen career field. The purpose of the award is the positive enhancement of the public image of vision impaired persons and the elimination of the notion of dependence
among blind and low vision veterans.
The storied career of Major General Maas, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, included service in both 20th century World Wars and 16 years in the Minnesota delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives. During the final phase of the Battle of Milne Bay at the beginning of September 1942, Major General Maas volunteered as an observer for a reconnaissance mission on a bomber aircraft. During the eight-hour flight, he helped disable enemy airdrome and participated in the dropping of food and supplies to the isolated U.S. Army outpost. For his efforts during the mission, he was decorated by the Army with the Silver Star.
Major General Maas suffered facial wounds in the 98-day Battle of Okinawa in 1945 that eventually left him totally blind in 1951. Shortly thereafter, he joined BVA and in 1953 was elected National Vice President. He was elected National President in 1960, serving for one year. He was a member of the President’s Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped for 15 years, 10 of those as Chairman of the Committee from 1953 until the time of his death in 1964.
Nominations must include the following:
- A cover letter introducing the candidate and the party submitting the nomination
- A biographical sketch of the nominee
- Military experience
- Education
- Work experience
- Honors, if any
- Professional organizations
- Hobbies/Pastimes
- Additional comments or amplifying data that may help in evaluating achievements
- A detailed outline of professional activities and success (why this veteran is deserving of the Maas Award)
- Is the veteran blind or low vision?
- Are there additional disabilities?
- What does he/she do in an average day?
- How much help does the veteran receive in performing his/her work?
- Is the help provided of a nature specifically required by anyone performing the same job?
- How has the candidate excelled in the job?
- Was the job secured through personal effort or was the veteran placed by VA or another agency?
- How did the veteran obtain the training to perform the job?
- Outline in detail the veteran’s attitude toward the disability.
- Outline in detail the veteran’s attitude towards sighted people.
- Outline in detail the veteran’s active participation in local community life, civic organizations, etc.
An individual may receive the Maas Award only once. BVA employees, even if they are members of the Association, are not eligible for the award. There is no limit to the number of nominations a BVA member can submit.
Please electronically submit nominations no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the BVA National Convention.
The recipient of the Maas Award receives a Crystal Award with appropriate BVA logos and a BVA Challenge Coin.
The Irving Diener Award recognizes and honors annually the BVA member with the most outstanding contribution to the growth and development of his/her regional group apart from personal achievements or endeavors. Members throughout the country serve one another in their local areas with dedication and loyalty, often at immense personal sacrifice. Those who serve with the greatest distinction merit the recognition and honor at the national level.
The Irving Diener Award was first established in 1962. It takes its name from Irving Diener, a former member of the BVA National Advisory Committee who took a unique interest in BVA’s mission and members.
Nominations must include the following:
- A cover letter introducing the candidate and signed by an officer of the regional group or the individual submitting the nomination
- A statement detailing the contributions made and the services rendered to the regional group in question
- A biographical sketch of the candidate with data related to his/her military service, education, job status, family life, community service, hobbies, and pastimes
An individual may receive the Diener Award only once. BVA employees, even if they are members of the Association, are not eligible for the award. There is no limit to the number of nominations a BVA member can submit.
Please electronically submit nominations no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the National Convention.
The recipient of the Irving Diener Award receives a Crystal Award with appropriate BVA logos and a BVA Challenge Coin.
The David L. Schnair Award recognizes and honors the outstanding contributions of committed volunteers. BVA established the award in 1994 in memory and in honor of World War II veteran David Schnair, a member of the BVA Board of Directors and a Volunteer National Service Officer for nearly five decades.
Although he was not a founding member of the organization, David Schnair pioneered BVA’s efforts beginning in the 1950s. He was both a longtime Director of District 1 and a dedicated volunteer of the New York Regional Group in the Manhattan VA Regional Office. His efforts greatly contributed to the success of what was formerly known as the Association’s Field Service Program. His commitment has been recognized by BVA and other organizations.
A true role model, David was known for his passion for assisting blind and low vision veterans to obtain the benefits they had earned through their military service. For that reason, he was a wealth of knowledge and information for those needing his expertise. He was well connected in both the veteran and blindness communities, thus enhancing his effectiveness in serving blind and low vision veterans. He was recognized for his outstanding work by VA, other organizations serving the vision impaired, and the State of New York.
The criteria for nominating candidates for the David L. Schnair Award consist of the following:
- The candidate must be a BVA member or a member of the BVA Auxiliary with at least one year of consistent and outstanding service as a BVA volunteer
- The candidate must understand the VA system
- The candidate must be an asset to the BVA volunteer program and visually impaired veterans
- The candidate must be affiliated with VA Voluntary Services
- The candidate must demonstrate a presence in community activities and successfully represent BVA as a spokesperson
- The candidate must demonstrate consistency in submitting monthly reports
Chiefs of Volunteer Services, Visual Impairment Service Team Coordinators, District Directors, Regional Group Presidents, and Ambassadors may nominate individuals for the Schnair Award with a letter highlighting their volunteer service and its results. The letter should also include the approximate total number of VA volunteer lifetime hours the candidate has logged.
Please electronically submit the letters no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the National Convention.
The recipient of the David L. Schnair Award receives a Crystal Award with appropriate BVA logos and a BVA Challenge Coin.
The Trailblazer Award was created in 2023 to recognize BVA members who take on extraordinary challenges, demonstrating capabilities never believed possible for blind or low vision persons. Nominees should demonstrate their overwhelming desire to excel in a way that is not typically thought of as being accessible to the blind or low vision community.
The criteria for nominating candidates for the Trailblazer Award consist of the following:
- A cover letter introducing the candidate and signed by an officer of the regional group or the individual submitting the nomination
- Specific examples of the challenges faced, level of commitment to overcome the challenges, and a description of the path taken to succeed
- A biographical sketch of the candidate with data related to his/her military service, education, job status, family life, community service, hobbies, and pastimes
An individual may receive the Trailblazer Award only once. BVA employees, even if they are members of the Association, are not eligible for the award. There is no limit to the number of nominations a BVA member can submit.
Please electronically submit nominations no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the BVA National Convention.
The recipient of the Trailblazer Award receives a Crystal Award with appropriate BVA logos and a BVA Challenge Coin.
The Super Star Award was created in 2023 to recognize and applaud the efforts of individuals who have demonstrated a desire and drive to support BVA membership through selfless efforts in promoting, supporting, assisting, and working for the greater good of the whole membership. This award is for individuals who do not qualify for membership within the organization, but typically go above and beyond what is expected, with no expectation of recognition, reimbursement, or hesitation to assist.
The criteria for nominating candidates for the Trailblazer Award consist of the following:
- A cover letter introducing the candidate and signed by an officer of the regional group or the individual submitting the nomination
- A statement detailing the contributions made and the services rendered to BVA
- A biographical sketch of the candidate with data related to his/her military service, education, job status, family life, community service, hobbies, and pastimes
An individual may receive the Trailblazer Award only once. BVA employees, even if they are members of the Association, are not eligible for the award. There is no limit to the number of nominations a BVA member can submit.
Please electronically submit nominations no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the BVA National Convention.
The recipient of the Super Star Award receives a Crystal Award with appropriate BVA logos and a BVA Challenge Coin.
The Distant Darling/Gent Award was created in 2023 to recognize and applaud the efforts of individuals who demonstrate an unequivocal drive to help blind and low vision veterans, but for a variety of reasons, cannot attend the National Convention.
The criteria for nominating candidates for the Distant Darling/Gent Award consist of the following:
- A cover letter introducing the candidate and signed by an officer of the regional group or the individual submitting the nomination
- A statement detailing the contributions made and the services rendered to BVA
- A biographical sketch of the candidate with data related to his/her military service, education, job status, family life, community service, hobbies, and pastimes
An individual may receive the Distant Darling/Gent Award only once. There is no limit to the number of nominations a BVA member can submit.
Please electronically submit nominations no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the BVA National Convention.
The recipient of the Distant Darling/Gent Award receives a Crystal Award with appropriate BVA logos and a BVA Challenge Coin.
Certificates of Appreciation recognize individuals, groups, and employers who have provided outstanding services to blind and low vision veterans, their families, or to BVA at the national level. These services could include the creation of greater awareness of blind and low vision veterans, their abilities, and their achievements. Typical recipients are, but are not necessarily limited to, VA employees or individuals and agencies engaged in blind rehabilitation. BVA members, their family members, and Association employees are not eligible for Certificates of Appreciation.
Nominations must include the following:
- A letter of support by the person or group responsible for submitting the nomination
- A brief biographical sketch of the individual or group
- A recommendation setting forth detailed justification of the outstanding service rendered by the individual or group being nominated
Nominations may be made by the following:
- Individual members of the National Board of Directors
- National Executive Director
- National Communications Director
- National Legislative Director
- National Service Director
- Regional Groups in Good Standing
The Certificate of Appreciation is presented at the National Convention when the recipient is present. The time and place of the presentation during the Convention is left to the discretion of the National Board of Directors. The citation for the recipient who is unable to attend the Convention will not be read unless a designated representative is present to receive the award on behalf of the recipient.
Please electronically submit nominations no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the National Convention.
BVA will provide the annual recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation with a BVA Certificate and a BVA Challenge Coin.
Honorary Memberships are provided to individuals who wouldn’t traditionally qualify for membership. Honorary membership may be conferred upon individuals only after great scrutiny and justification. Memberships are for a lifetime at no cost, and must be approved by 2/3 (two-thirds) of a vote of the National Board of Directors.
Honorary members do not have the right to vote in elections or on matters brought to the members for voting. They can and are encouraged to attend BVA business meetings, interact during such meetings, and encouraged to engage with all BVA members. They can be a member of a regional group (without voting rights) and approval of the regional group. They are encouraged to take advantage of all educational opportunities presented by BVA, but are not authorized to receive stipends or expenditures for such things as Team BVA sponsored events. They may attend these events at their own cost and can take advantage of any discounts offered.
The criteria for nominating candidates for Honorary Memberships consist of the following:
- A cover letter introducing the candidate and signed by an officer of the regional group or the individual submitting the nomination
- A statement detailing the contributions made and the services rendered to BVA
- A biographical sketch of the candidate with data related to his/her military service, education, job status, family life, community service, hobbies, and pastimes
An individual may receive an Honorary Membership only once. There is no limit to the number of nominations a BVA member can submit.
Please electronically submit nominations no later than 60 days prior to the first day of the BVA National Convention.
The recipient of an Honorary Membership receives a BVA Certificate, Membership Card, and BVA Challenge Coin.