For people with disabilities, accessibility is not simply a convenience. It is a fundamental civil right, and at its most basic, a measure of freedom: the freedom to work, travel, attend events, and enter a building. When a doorway, airplane, restroom, workplace, or public space is inaccessible, that freedom is restricted.
For over 80 years, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) has fought to remove those barriers. Founded in 1946 by veterans who returned from World War II with spinal cord injuries, PVA was created to help disabled veterans rebuild their lives in a country that was not designed with them in mind. Today, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Veterans Service Organization is a powerful force of change for veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases, like multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
PVA’s work has redefined what access and accessibility mean for disabled veterans and millions of Americans with disabilities. The nonprofit remains devoted to advancing the civil rights and well-being of disabled people, whether they’ve served in the military or not, and pushing to close the gaps where the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws still fall short. And that expertise comes from lived experience.
PVA Chief Operating Officer Shaun Castle, a U.S. Army veteran, said “PVA has lived this for over 80 years. We know what true accessibility looks like because we experience it every single day of our lives.” PVA successfully advocated for the Architectural Barriers Act in 1968, which requires wheelchair access inside all federal buildings.
To this day, the organization has licensed architects on staff to advise and work on building accessibility. These experts not only consult on projects big and small, they also author national accessibility codes that set the standard in accessible design. From the National World War II Memorial to the home of the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, these designers are redefining what it means to be truly inclusive.
Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century PVA then took its fight to the transportation sector. It sued the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in 1972 and won, turning it into a model transit system for the rest of the nation. Thanks largely to PVA’s team of legal professionals, the DC Metro today has accessible paths of travel throughout its entire system and at least one elevator in every station.
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