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Bay Area, Iowa Locations Up Next for In-Person Distribution, Schedule Updated

Highlighting the in-person distribution events for the Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses are two on the same day this coming week (Wednesday, October 7), one in Menlo Park, California, and the other in Des Moines, Iowa. Glasses will be distributed to blind and low-vision U.S. military veterans at no cost while supplies are available. Both events are being overseen and fully supported financially by Meta on behalf of the Blinded Veterans Association.

• Menlo Park, California; October 7 (4:00-7:00pm), Belle Haven Community Campus, 100 Terminal Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025. The registration link is located here.

• Des Moines, Iowa; October 7 (10:00-2:00pm), Iowa Department for the Blind, 524 Fourth Street, Des Moines, IA 50309. The registration link can be found here.

• Honolulu, Hawaii; October 9 (3:00-5:30pm), Elks Lodge Honolulu, 2933 Kalākua Avenue in Honolulu. To RSVP, send an email to Dominique Lawless, dlawless@bva.org, or call her at 202-371-8883, or complete a registration form here. There is a fee for parking, so participants may want to use paratransit or find alternative parking if possible.

• Memphis, Tennessee; October 16 (times to be announced), Courtyard by Marriott Memphis Airport Hotel, 1780 Nonconnah Boulevard in Memphis. This event will occur in conjunction with District 2’s Summit.

If you are a BVA member and are interested in receiving the Meta AI glasses, or if you have applied to receive them via a call or by applying through the BVA website, no action is needed on your part. You will be notified via BVA Happenings and other media once the shipments are fully in place. You will also receive an email, along with a tracking number, once your glasses have been cleared for shipping. It is not necessary to contact the BVA National Board of Directors, BVA National Headquarters, the Veterans Service Program’s National Service Officers, or any VA employee regarding the glasses.

BVA is grateful for the overwhelming interest in the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses program and in BVA’s service to blind and low vision veterans. The organization is pleased to welcome so many new members to the community. 

Due to the high volume of interest and requests, all new requests for Meta glasses will now be added to a waitlist. In the meantime, those who have applied for the glasses prior to September 20 will receive them shortly if they haven’t already.

The patience and understanding of those who have been promised the glasses are deeply appreciated as BVA staff members work through thousands of requests, emails, and phone calls.

Photo Caption: CocoCay is a Royal Caribbean private island, offering a mix of record-breaking attractions, family fun, and relaxing beach escapes. It includes Oasis Lagoon, the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool, Thrill Waterpark, a giant wave pool, and the tallest waterslide in the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas Cruise



Dates, times, and agenda times may vary slightly and are approximate.



• Monday, April 12, 2027 – Leave Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Port Everglades) at 4:00pm; embarkation expected to begin around noon, and guests are required to be checked in and onboard the ship by 2:30pm (90 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time).
• Tuesday, April 13 – Day at Sea/Cruising.
• Wednesday, April 14 – Nassau, Bahamas, 7:30am-5:30pm.
• Thursday, April 15 – Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas-7:30am-5:00pm.
• Friday, April 16 – Return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Port Everglades) by 6:00am, guests to disembark the ship between 7:00am and 9:00am (flights home should not depart prior to noon).

For those interested in attending the Convention, please do not register with the cruise line directly. BVA’s dedicated, accessible registration site will be available by the end of next week (October 9). Once the site is available, additional details, required forms, and step-by-step instructions will be shared so that registrants can complete the process securely.

Two separate “Wades” were spotlighted in a news feature covering the distribution of Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses this past Tuesday. The Deseret News, one of two Salt Lake City daily newspapers, quoted Navy veteran and BVA member Larry Wade of Bountiful, Utah, extensively for the article and ran photos of him trying on the new glasses and receiving training at the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 

The fall season is upon us! In honor of the drop in temperatures and changing leaf colors, BVA National Treasurer and Gardening Interest Group Leader Monique Statham is seeking entries for a BVA fall foliage contest!

All Association members are eligible to participate by arranging a fall display, either outdoors or as a table centerpiece. The contest is effective immediately, with a deadline of this Monday, October 5, to submit a photo of the display to Monique using the following email address: mstatham@bva.org. A first, second, and third prize will be awarded.

Examples of materials that can be used in the display are fall flowers such as chrysanthemums, branches, acorns, pinecones, pumpkins, gourds, etc. The displays will be judged on color blend and use of fall colors, sensory use of items that have different textures and smells, and overall creativity.

Christian Beuttenmuller has joined the BVA Veterans Service Program (VSP) as its newest staff member, effective August 15. He is now part of the team of National Service Director Duayne Driscoll, Deputy National Service Director Marlene Davis-Lilly, and National Service Officers Scott Quinlan and Michael Black.

The upcoming episode of Visions of BVA will be live and accessible beginning next Thursday, October 1, on all major platforms, most notably the Association’s YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Featured for July will be the audio version of the Summer 2026 BVA Bulletin, the most recently published and distributed issue of the quarterly publication produced by and for blind and low-vision veterans and their families.

Visions of BVA host and producer Steve Baskis has converted the written script of the Bulletin content, complete with descriptions of photos and graphics, into a high-quality, professional audio program that can be heard all at once or section by section.

BVA’s Book Club Interest Group selected Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate to read during the last week of September and most of the month of October, which is National Book Month. Celebrate and expand your love of reading this month by participating in the Book Club Interest Group and reading Before We Were Yours. 

The Braille and Audio Reading Download Number (BARD) for Before We Were Yours is DB 88202 and total reading time is 14:31 (14 hours, 31 minutes). BARD is a service of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) through which BVA members are eligible to read an almost unlimited library of downloadable books and magazines.

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.

Ambassadog Scoop Series Courtesy of Waymo

VA Insider

VA earlier this week announced new guidance on informed consent of veterans that will offer them additional information before they make decisions regarding procedures or treatments, including prescriptions for psychotropic medications that include antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and opioids.

Caregivers with questions or who need support can contact the Caregiver Support Line (CSL). The line offers services such as emotional support and counseling during the call and program referral and information for after the call. CSL can also provide a status for appeals submitted through the Caregiver Support Program’s Appeal process. Call VA’s CSL Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm at 1-855-3274.

Questions that can best be answered at the local level can be directed to local Caregiver Support Teams. Locate contact information about local individual Caregiver Support Program teams at https://www.va.gov/resources/caregiver-support-teams.

Next Week's Events

VetTech and Educational Series

BVA is a congressionally chartered 501(c)3 Veterans Service Organization accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Our Employer Identification Number is 53-0214281. All contributions are fully tax-deductible.