60 Years of Service to Individuals with SCI/D
United Spinal Association is proud to announce that May 22, 2006 is the 60th Anniversary of the national veteran’s service and disability rights organization. Launched in 1946 by a small group of World War II veterans paralyzed on the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific, this member-based organization has grown into one of the nation’s premier advocates for people with spinal cord injuries and disorders.
To celebrate the anniversary, the Association has designated the day as United Spinal Association Awareness Day and has launched an awareness campaign to bring attention to the services that are available for individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), their families and caretakers across the country. Along with special events, member recognition and community outreach programs, United Spinal members, in all 50 states, will wear commemorative orange ribbon pins on May 22 to show their solidarity. The public can also participate in United Spinal Association Awareness Day by visiting www.unitedspinal.org to learn about the history and services of the Association and how they can support people with SCI/D.
“The core belief of the membership and the staff of United Spinal has remained unchanged for over 60 years––that, despite spinal cord impairment, a full, productive, and rewarding life is not only possible, it is within the reach of anyone with the strength to believe it and the courage to make it happen,” said Executive Director Gerard M. Kelly.
United Spinal’s initiatives in research and education, government policy and legislation, civil rights and advocacy, accessibility and architectural design, and competitive athletics have made it the fastest-growing not-for-profit in America dedicated to helping those with spinal cord injuries or disorders. The Association played a prominent role in drafting such landmark legislation as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act; to date United Spinal has provided over $52 million for cutting-edge spinal cord research and helped launch two of the most prominent research facilities in the nation at the Yale School of Medicine and the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, New York (named after the Association’s late executive director); its adaptive sports programs are nationally known and have brought the proven physical and psychological benefits of adaptive sports to generations of individuals with disabilities. And for our veterans, United Spinal’s lobbying efforts helped get legislation passed in record time that will provide traumatic injury insurance for our soldiers returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“As we toast our 60th Anniversary, United Spinal stands at a critical new juncture. We have expanded nationwide and launched a bold new mission offering our services to more people than ever before. Complementing our longstanding commitment to serving America’s paralyzed veterans, we’re now reaching out to everyone with spinal cord injuries or disorders across the country,” Kelly noted. “We eagerly embrace these new challenges and we look forward with confidence to our next 60 years.”
Learn more about United Spinal Association Awareness Day.