Veterans Associations and How They Can Help You

There are 17 million veterans in the US and 1.66 million veterans with a disability that is connected to their active duty. Based on their military service, veterans are eligible for a wide-variety of benefits such as medical care, educational or career programs, grants or loans, counseling, or even free assistive technology like the OrCam MyEye to help them regain their independence. 

The VA rehabilitation centers and a big number of veterans associations provide this list of different benefits and assistance, to millions of veterans and their families.

Veterans Associations We Recommend:

Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

The Disabled American Veterans organization was formed in 1920 by World War I veterans for disabled military veterans to help them and their families. This veterans association supports the physical and psychological rehabilitation of its members and offers programs that provide many service to ill, injured, and wounded veterans.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America organization serves 2.4 million veterans. It is the leading post 9/11 veteran empowerment organization. The organization mission is to provide these veterans with health care, education, and employment support. 

Puppies Behind Bars (PBB)

Puppies Behind Bars is an organization that raises puppies and trains them to be guide dogs for wounded veterans. The puppies are trained by inmates in prison and learn special commands to help ease the effects of post-traumatic stress for their owners and bring hope, pride and independence to them and their families. 

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is an American non-profit organization that has provided support and assistance for the organization members and eligible family members for over a century. The organization offers financial and education assistance, medical care and more.

The American Legion

The American Legion, a nonprofit organization of US war veterans, with headquartered in Indiana. The American Legion organization provides life-changing assistance and guidance for veterans and their families. With many programs, the organization helps with personal assistance, grants, donated goods, career, education and medical care.

Hope for the Warriors

Hope For The Warriors organization was founded by military wives to provide support for service members, veterans, and military families. The organization’s mission is to restore the feelings of family and hope in veterans by providing health, wellness, and sport programs for a safe and easy transition of veterans back into society. 

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)

The Blinded Veterans Association was established to help blind and visually imparied veterans and their families to overcome the challenges of blindness. This organization’s services are available to veterans who have become blind, either during or after active duty. 

Within the disabled veterans, about 130,000 US military veterans are legally blind and 1.5 million veterans have low vision. 

In the US (and Puerto Rico) there are 13 Blind Rehabilitation Centers, where blind veterans are provided with comprehensive adjustment including counseling and different training, to learn to cope and adjust to their new reality. 

Blind veterans enrolled in the VA health care and registered as patients at a VA health care, can make an appointment with the Visual Impairment Services Team to receive benefits. Furthermore, blind or visually impaired veterans can be eligible to get the OrCam MyEye smart assistive device, fully funded. 

Assistive Device Helps Blind Veterans Gain Freedom

Blind veterans may find it harder to transition back into society and struggle with every little task due to their new condition. The OrCam MyEye is an assistive tool designed especially for the blind to enable those who can’t see for independence. 

OrCam MyEye is a small voice-activated piece of technology that attaches to any pair of glasses. It can instantly read text from any surface, recognize faces, identify products and more, all in real-time and offline.

Discover if you are qualified for a free assistive device by the VA and get your device today!