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On the Cover: Left to right, BVA members Steven Beres, Roy Young, Charles Corrello, Paul Guzman,Charlotte Noddin, Ted Noddin, Neftali Sanchez, Roy Kekahuna and Peter Davis.Photos and graphic design by Marcy Yolles, M.Y. Graphics Company.10-2010/25M

If you are a blinded or visually impaired veteran wishing to join BVA,

if you are a relative or a friend, or if you just want to get involved,

write or give us a call.

The Blinded Veterans Association is an organization

established specifically to promote the welfare of blinded veterans.

We are here to help veterans and their families

meet the challenges of blindness.

BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION477 H Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

202-371-8880 800-669-7079

email: [email protected] www.bva.org


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BLINDED VETERANS

ASSOCIATION

477 H Street NWWashington, DC 20001

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erans

BL

INDED

VETERANSASSOCIA

TIO

N

SINCE1945

Membership Information

World War II Memorial, Washington, DC

August 26, 2010


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Did You Know . . .

There are approximately 160,000 blinded and visuallyimpaired veterans living in the United States today.

World War II and Korean War veterans face eye

conditions such as macular degeneration, retinitis

pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. There is

a new wave of visually impaired veterans who, along

with their families, are confronting the effects of diabetes

linked to Agent Orange. Others are returning from Iraq

and Afghanistan with vision loss that can be linked to

Traumatic Brain Injury.

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We Are Committed to . . .

. . . locating blinded veterans who need services.

. . . guiding them through the rehabilitation experience.

. . . acting as advocates for blinded veterans and their

families in the public and private sectors.

. . . promoting access to technology and the practical use

of the latest research.

. . . providing role models who can demonstrate that the

challenges of blindness can be successfully overcome.

. . . serving as a medium of communication for and

about blinded veterans and the issues that affect them.

. . . supporting academic counseling and vocational and

recreational programs that foster rehabilitation.

. . . maintaining a vibrant organization offering

encouragement, emotional support, social events and

opportunities for service.3


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Directing aVolunteer Service Program

Nearly 40 volunteer offices are located in Department ofVeterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, regional offices

and outpatient clinics. They are a meaningful adjunct to

the BVA Field Service

Program and an

important vehicle for

assistance to blinded

veterans.

Volunteers are peer

counselors. They know

the ropes, especially

those that lift blinded veterans from the discouragement

and frustration they often face. They give valued insightinto the rehabilitation process. Because so many volunteers

are blinded veterans themselves, they understand the

importance of empathy. A blinded veteran usually can-

not say to a volunteer, You dont know how it feels to

be blind.

Some volunteers have later become Field Service

Representatives with the authority to represent veterans

in the processing of VA claims. They are an important

link in the BVA chain of services.

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Serving as Advocates

BVA, since its inception, has been a strong voice for

blinded veterans in a variety of venues. The U.S.

Congress chartered BVA in 1958 to be the official voice

of blinded veterans before the legislative and executive

branches of government. Every year we present testimony

before the House and Senate Committees on Veterans

Affairs. Throughout the year, we educate members of

Congress about the needs of blinded veterans.

BVA joins other Veterans Service Organizations in its

advocacy efforts on behalf of all veterans. We work very

closely with VA to assure that all blinded veterans have

access to excellent blind rehabilitation training, technology

and counseling on a long continuum of care. BVA also

works with organizations of and for the blind in assuring

that all blind individuals receive the services and

accommodations they deserve.6


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Offering Resources

One of our most significant responsibilities is that ofdisseminating important information and offering

practical help to blinded veterans and their families.

Every year we are asked thousands of questions to

which we must give accurate responses. We promote

public awareness of sight loss through our website,

display tables at community events, literature and

frequent public service announcements in the media.

The BVA Bulletin informs all blinded veterans of news

and issues affecting them.

Scholarships are available annually to the spouses and

dependent children of blinded veterans. Eligibility is not

limited to families of Association members, nor must the

blindness in question be service connected.

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Supporting One Another

BVA supports more than 50 regional groups across theUnited States. Several of the groups are subdivided into

chapters or districts. Members of BVA nationally are, in

most cases, automatically members of a regional group.

Programs and activities of BVA regional groups are

defined by the needs of the veterans locally.

Although no two regional groups are exactly the same,

each one is charged with maximizing the involvement

and participation of its members. Regional groups offer

social and recreational activities. They also unite with

other local veterans groups to advocate for change.

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Sharing Our Experiences

Operation Peer Support connects combat-blinded

veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam with the

newly blinded who have been wounded in Iraq or

Afghanistan as a result of improvised explosive devices,

sniper fire, mortar- or rocket-propelled grenades or

combinations of other firearms.

Physical and emotional isolation is a common

occurrence among those who have only recently lost

their sight. Opportunities to learn about and interact

with those who have already faced such obstacles can be

a source of comfort and inspiration. These connections

are facilitated by BVA national conventions and other

planned events.

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Charting Our Course Together

Near the end of every summer we hold an annualconvention. The gathering is an opportunity for BVA

members to express their opinions in the setting of

official business meetings. BVA national conventions

also feature guest speakers, panels, workshops and

training on issues relating to both blindness and veterans.

Conventions are a draw for companies wishing to

introduce new products in the field of blindness.

Gatherings of the BVA membership at national

conventions are not all work. We socialize while

enjoying the sights and sounds of venues such as

Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, Portland, Washington, DC and

Las Vegas.

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BVA is supported by the generous contributions of

countless Americans who remember the sacrifices of our

nation's blinded veterans. BVA receives no federal funding.

For more information about any of these programs,

contact us at our national headquarters:

BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION477 H Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

202-371-8880 800-669-7079

email: [email protected] www.bva.org

blinded veterans association [0124]

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