Paralyzed Veterans of America Blog

“All the horrors you can possibly imagine sweep through you when you see… the arm is gone.”

Seven years ago, Coast Guard veteran and PVA member Kaleb Wilson took a $100 bet that changed his life.

Almost 600 athletes packed downtown Louisville on July 11-16 to participate in the 39^th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games. From the Kentucky International Convention Center to Churchill Downs, and many other host locations, veteran athletes made their spirit and pride known, and the city of Louisville was abuzz.

Nearly 30 years ago, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990. The ADA is the nation's most comprehensive civil rights law addressing the needs of people with disabilities. The law prohibits discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

Jennifer Steele, 38, was a sergeant in the U.S. Army for four years. During that time, she served on a patriot missile crew for five months at the beginning of the Iraq War.
 
It was during her service that Jennifer started noticing some difficulty with movement. She started to trip and fall when she was running. A battery of tests followed, and at 23-years old, Steele was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and given a medical discharge.
 
Still wanting to serve others, she worked as an EMT back in the U.S. until lifting her patients became too difficult. The disease had progressed leaving Jennifer unable to work at all, and anger and depression set in.
 
A therapist suggested Steele attend the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Although it was years later when she decided to go, she says the choice “really made me feel alive again” and credits Paralyzed Veterans of America with introducing her to the adaptive sports that changed her life.

The appeals process for Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) benefits claims has been under scrutiny for lengthy wait times and inaccurate decisions. In hopes of streamlining and improving the process, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 was introduced and subsequently signed into law in August 2017 (Public Law 115-55). The requirements in the law are scheduled to take effect in February 2019.

Have you ever been asked to take part in a clinical trial or research study? Occasionally, Paralyzed Veterans of America will send out an email blast to its members and others about a new study. That does not mean we are conducting a study or are affiliated with one, often just that a researcher to help him or her has asked we ‘get the word out’. After we have verified that the study has been approved and meets clinical guidelines, we agree to send the word out. This helps the researcher and participant move research forward.

Changes to the air travel experience of people with disabilities are on the horizon following the signing of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018 in October. The FAA Reauthorization included several provisions explicitly targeted at improving the air travel process, including security screening, for passengers with disabilities. PVA worked with many stakeholders to ensure that the needs of passengers with disabilities were included in the final bill.

As the 2018-2019 academic school year gets underway, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is recognizing the 11 exceptional college students who will receive financial assistance through our Educational Scholarship Program. The program provides a $500 scholarship to each qualified part-time student, and a $1,000 scholarship to each qualified full-time student, with a total amount of $10,000 in funding.

As powerful Hurricane Florence barrels toward the east coast of the US, and as much of the west coast deals with devastating forest fires, this is an opportune time to remind people with disabilities of the available resources and contacts available in their communities during emergencies like these.

Seek help from your local/state disability coalition