BVA members Anthony Woodson of the Illinois Regional Group, Michaun Harrison of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group, Robert Byrd, also of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group, and Yoneka Trent of the Carolina Regional Group, all of whom are BVA Ambassadors, were among the 79 veterans with a visual impairment who attended the recent National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (WSC) in Snowmass, Colorado.

“I encourage veterans of all skill levels to attend this life-changing event,” said Anthony, a first-year participant.

The 37th annual WSC, sponsored jointly by VA and Disabled American Veterans and held this year from March 25-April 1, provided approximately 400 total veterans with training and rehabilitation opportunities through adaptive skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, and rock wall climbing.

In addition to visual impairments, veterans with traumatic brain Injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and other severe disabilities are challenged to overcome perceived limitations. The theme of the WSC is “Miracles on a Mountainside.”

Highlighting the week for Anthony, Michaun, and several others was the work of Barbara Fultz, a Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist (BROS) with extensive training and skills in Orientation and Mobility who was on staff for the entire week and held special well-attended O&M sessions open to all participants.

“These sessions were very rewarding and beneficial, particularly for first-time attendees,” said Michaun.

Anthony had a similar impression: “Barbara’s addition to the WSC staff for the first time was a real benefit for those with vision impairments. We need to emphasize how important it is for these professionals to be funded and with us at these events.”

WSC Director Teresa Parks agreed with the assessments of the veterans:

“We continue to try and improve each year the things we can do better in serving the visually impaired veterans who attend the WSC. We appreciate hearing from them firsthand so we know things that we can do to improve. Our Team Leader Coordinator for the WSC, who is also a BROS, recommended that Barbara Fultz join our team this year. Barbara was amazing and a true asset to our efforts at the WSC. We got a lot of great feedback on this addition.”

“In honor of Blinded Veterans Day on March 28, Barbara provided a platform for the attending veterans with sight loss to connect with one another in a meet-and-greet, or ‘fireside chat,’ approved by Teresa Parks,” said Michaun, who spearheaded the meeting and has arranged for a similar meeting to become an annual component of the WSC in the future.

“Barbara also shared her expertise and educated the attendees on services offered by VA at the meeting,” she said.

At the same gathering, Robert Byrd informed the group about the importance of H.R. 333 (Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act), encouraging those present to contact their elected legislative representatives to request their support of the bill. Yoneka spoke on behalf of BVA as an organization, providing information and answering questions while also recounting her experience at the BVA annual congressional testimony last month.

General information about the 2024 WSC is already available! Since participant spaces fill up extremely fast, it is never too early to investigate the possibility of attending next year. If interested in participating in the WSC’s adaptive sports events or in attending as one of some 700 volunteers, click here.