BVA Programs

Field Service Program

BVA employs seven full-time staff members as Field Service Representatives. The Reps have been strategically placed in different geographical areas throughout the United States. Their goal is to locate and assist blinded veterans in overcoming the challenges inherent in sight loss. Since all of the Field Reps are legally blind veterans themselves, they can be effective role models in demonstrating that fellow veterans can take charge of their lives. Field Reps are responsible for linking veterans with local services, assuring that the newly blinded take advantage of VA Blind Rehabilitation Services, and assisting them with VA claims when necessary. When blinded veterans are ready to return to the workforce, BVA Field Reps can assist them with employment training and placement.

To obtain maximum assistance from a BVA Field Service Representative, veterans and their families should fill out as completely as possible the relevant forms. They should then make contact with the appropriate representative assigned to their state.

Volunteer Service Program

BVA volunteers work out of VA Medical Centers, Outpatient Clinics, and Regional Offices but are also active in their communities. The volunteers are often blinded veterans themselves but they can also be spouses, family members, and friends of BVA. They help blinded veterans obtain the assistance they need at the appropriate moments. Sometimes volunteers speak one-one-one with blinded veterans while, at other times, they listen and share ideas in groups. BVA volunteers provide information on programs and services, encouraging blinded veterans to utilize the opportunities that will help them become more independent and self-sufficient. They also demonstrate equipment and aids used by the blind.

Operation Peer Support

The newest of BVA’s programs, Operation Peer Support, connects combat-blinded veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam with newly blinded veterans who have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of the newly blinded have been young soldiers and Marines victimized by unfortunate encounters with improvised explosive devices or sniper fire.

The Department of Defense has confirmed that some 13 percent of all wounded evacuees from Iraq have experienced a serious eye injury, the highest percentage for any war in American history for which records are available.    

Thanks to the generous support of several corporations, the initiative got started in 2005 when seven Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans and one Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) participated in the BVA 61st National Convention in Buffalo, New York. The idea is based on the notion that blinded veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam are among the few who understand what the newly blinded service members and veterans are going through and how they might better confront the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of them.

“Physical and emotional isolation can be a huge issue for those who have only recently lost their eyesight,” said BVA Director of Government Relations Tom Zampieri, who has provided much of the impetus for Operation Peer Support. “Opportunities to connect with those who have faced these obstacles and overcome them, both at our conventions and in other settings, can be a source of comfort and inspiration.”

The process of recovery from any tragic or traumatic event is characterized by a period of grieving followed by rehabilitation and restoration. Substantial changes are required as a result of such shattering events before a meaningful and productive new life can be achieved. Similar to the grief experienced by individuals following any catastrophic event, blinded veterans must also grieve over their loss of vision. On an ongoing basis, Operation Peer Support seeks to support blinded veterans and their families who are still struggling with the difficulties associated with loss of vision.

BVA hopes to continue the tradition of providing financial support to newly blinded service members and veterans who wish to attend a national convention. The organization is also identifying additional ways and circumstances in which veterans of earlier eras can effectively connect and assist them.   

Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program

Spouses and dependent children of blinded veterans are eligible for the annual Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Awards to assist them with their higher education tuition. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit through an application process that is evaluated by a committee. Gruber scholarships are for one year only but recipients can reapply and receive the award up to four times. The blinded veteran family member is not required to be a BVA member for the spouse or child to receive a scholarship.

Kathern “Kay” Gruber was one of BVA’s early pioneers as an advisor to the organization and became acquainted with the organization while serving in the mid-1940s as the American Foundation for the Blind’s Director of Services for the War Blind. Kay attended all of the BVA conventions for several decades, sitting through all of the Board of Directors meetings and offering counsel and advice. She also served on a key advisory group in 1948 that made recommendations to VA regarding the care and rehabilitation of the war blinded. She further assisted in the establishment of the first comprehensive Blind Rehabilitation Center at the VA Medical Center in Hines, Illinois. The BVA scholarship program was named after Kathern Gruber at the BVA 40th National Convention (1985) in San Diego, California.

BVA Bulletin

The center of BVA’s communications and public relations efforts nationally is the BVA Bulletin, a periodical sent in printed form to all blinded veterans and their families for whom the Association has contact information. Members only receive an audiocassette version. The Bulletin focuses on issues and events relating to blinded veterans, but also covers general topics about veterans. It strives to keep blinded veterans abreast of services, benefits, and legislation.

The publication provides as much detail as possible on issues relating to blind rehabilitation and the blind and visually impaired communities at large. As it seeks to address the concerns of BVA’s members and friends, the Bulletin serves as one of the organization’s most vital public relations tools and, more importantly, a vehicle by which the Association fulfills its Congressional charter to motivate and inspire veterans to return to their rightful place in society. The circulation of the Bulletin also provides opportunities to locate and interest potential Association members. Regional group officers, Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) Coordinators, and the BVA general membership all use the Bulletin for such a purpose. The publication is also sent to libraries, resource centers, medical services organizations, and agencies that serve the blind nationally, locally, and on state/regional levels.

There is no charge to receive the Bulletin in print format. Increasingly popular is the reading of the Bulletin’s online version, which is compatible with Zoomtext and most screen readers for the blind and visually impaired.

Regional Groups

BVA’s 52 Regional Groups nationwide, often referred to as the heart and soul of the organization, offer blinded veterans and their families opportunities for support and friendship. Recreation, social activities, and service are all part of the work of the Regional Groups, which often set up and staff the volunteer offices in VA Medical Centers and Clinics. The first contact blinded veterans have with BVA usually involves a regional group, which can also be a reliable source of information about life-changing services and benefits.

BVA Auxiliary     

The National Blinded Veterans Auxiliary (BVAA) was established in 1977 to educate and offer assistance to friends and family members of blinded veterans. BVAA seeks to strengthen the spirit of fellowship that naturally exists among its members. Any friends, family members, or individuals age 18 and over who are interested in helping blinded veterans are eligible for membership. Founding member Catherine McCraken Burnett, who also designed the BVAA Auxiliary emblem now part of its official flag, best summed up the Auxiliary’s mission and the character of its members when she penned the following:

BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION AUXILIARY MEMBERS