November 9, 2015

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) Launches New Accessible Website

Photo: Screen shot of the BVA's new accessible website home page.


The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) has unveiled a newly redesigned, fully accessible, mobile-responsive website. Users can begin navigating the site at its Homepage, www.bva.org.  

“The new site will offer previously unavailable resources, tools, and other sources of information,” said BVA Executive Director Al Avina. “It will also allow our constituents to efficiently update records, register for events, and gain access to the assistance they may be seeking for themselves or other Veterans who have experienced vision loss.”

BVA’s previous site was designed before the Internet was easily accessible via tablet and Smartphone, and was not optimized for mobile users. The new site is mobile-reactive, automatically displaying a user-friendly version of the site on mobile devices.  The site is also designed for compatibility with most screen-reader applications to ensure that it is as accessible as possible for blind and low-vision users. The new design features BVA’s recently updated logo, a sleeker layout, and a more convenient navigation process.

All of the content from the old website, which spans more than five years, has been carefully preserved by BVA staff to offer a complete historical perspective on BVA’s past and present service to blinded Veterans.  Building on that foundation, the new site will feature in the coming months several useful functions for both Association members and the public, including a login section for members only where they will be able to personally update their information. An additional section will feature adaptive technology with reviews and guides written by BVA members and staff. 

“The site will continue to be a work in progress,” said Avina. “In the meantime, BVA is proud of the improvements that will better allow the organization to communicate effectively on all platforms with our members and the public.”

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