Paralyzed Veterans of America Blog

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

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

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. It is the most comprehensive disability rights legislation ever enacted. The ADA prohibits discrimination against a person with a disability in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

On May 23, the United States Senate voted 92-5 for the VA MISSION Act. The bill is now headed to President Trump’s desk for signature. The House of Representatives passed the bill on May 16, by a vote of 347-70. This historic legislation will reform care in the community, assess VA’s infrastructure, and finally, correct the inequality of the VA Caregiver Program.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have issued a “warning order” to both service members and veterans with VA home loans. This order went out in November 2017 and addresses the solicitation promises that are being made by some lenders.

From assisting individual Veterans navigate health care choices, to organizing adaptive sports events, to advocating for all Veterans on Capitol Hill, Paralyzed Veterans of America is intimately involved in improving Veterans’ lives. But you may not realize that PVA funds research and development for the benefit of today’s Veterans, and the Veterans of the future. The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Health System, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs has benefited from PVA’s generosity and forward-thinking. PVA’s research funds have helped HERL to develop two recent projects that offer Veterans a brighter future.