Our Timeline
1945
World War II Ends
Over 670, 800 are injured and/or disabled. Today, advances in battlefield medicine, technology, and armor have greatly extended the life expectancy of soldiers injured in combat.
1946
Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association Beginning Stages
A small group of veterans with SCIs in New York City start a support group to help themselves and other paralyzed veterans lead independent lives. Soon after, this small group joins forces with other support groups in New York City and forms Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association. The organization later becomes United Spinal Association.
Public Law 663 Enacted
One of the first laws Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association advocates for is the VA automobile grant. It provides a monetary grant so that wartime paraplegics and amputees could buy specially equipped vehicles. They fight for another six years to include quadriplegics as well.
1947
First National Meeting of Paralyzed Veterans Held
Paralyzed veterans from across the country meet for the first time to discuss the issues that affected over 2,000 paralyzed WWII veterans. They later form the Paralyzed Veterans Associations of America.
1948
Public Law 702 Enacted
70 members of Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association roll into Grand Central Station and collect signatures to support an accessible housing bill. Days later, President Truman signs the legislation into law.
1950
Polio Epidemic
Children are most vulnerable. The virus inflames nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis of the muscles in the chest, legs or arms in severe cases. In 1950, 33,300 people are stricken.
1953
Korean War Ends
Over 103,284 injured or disabled.
1968
Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA)
The Association lobbies to pass the ABA. It marks one of the first efforts to ensure equal access to public buildings for Americans with disabilities.
1970
Life Magazine Exposes Conditions at the Bronx VA Hospital
Future executive director James J. Peters and a Life correspondent expose the deplorable conditions facing paralyzed Vietnam veterans at the old Bronx VA Hospital. The article received great attention and caused a public outcry. Before the end of the year, the VA established a stand-alone nationwide Spinal Cord Injury Service office in Washington, DC. Within ten years, the hospital is replaced by a new hospital.
1973
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Prohibits employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the federal sector.
1975
Vietnam War Ends
Over 153,303 injured or disabled.
1979
Association Sues NYC, MTA
The Association files a civil suit against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Transit, and the City of New York, charging discrimination against individuals with disabilities under New York State law.
Major Endowment Provided
The Association provides $260,000 endowment to Stanford University Medical School to establish a professorship in SCI medicine.
1985
NYC Settles Civil Suit
New York City settles the 1979 civil suit brought by the Association, agreeing to make all city buses accessible, retrofit key subway stations and commuter rail stations, and ensure that all new stations are accessible. The settlement also establishes a paratransit system for people unable to use mass transit. The Association reaches a similar settlement with the city of Philadelphia in 1989 and, together, the two rulings become the model for the public transit provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was enacted in 1990.
Center of Excellence in Neurology Created
The Association bestows $500,000 to Mount Sinai Medical School to research urological complications due to SCI at the Bronx VAMC.
1986
R*A*M*P Service Begins
The Association begins its R*A*M*P (Residential Accessibility Modification Program) service to improve access to members homes. This includes building ramps, widening doors, retro-fitting bathrooms and kitchens, and installing lifts and elevators.
1987
Research Center at the West Haven VAMC Established
The Association helps to establish the PVA-EPVA Center for Neuroscience Regeneration Research. It opens at the West Haven, CT VAMC in conjunction with the Yale University Medical School.
1989
VA Sued
The Association sues the VA, alleging substandard care for SCI veterans at the Castle Point VAMC. A settlement in 1994 initiates the Clinical Practice Guidelines, which promise to elevate SCI care throughout the VA system.
1990
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
President George H.W. Bush signs the ADA into law, which ultimately protects the basic civil rights of over 43 million Americans with disabilities. It provides a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
1991
Operation Desert Storm Ends
Over 467 injured or disabled.
1995
City Bus Fleet Becomes 100% Wheelchair Accessible
The Association’s Advocacy Program helps to make this goal a reality. Every month, more than 60,000 riders with disabilities ride New York City’s lift-equipped buses.
1999
Congress Adds to the VA Healthcare Budget
The Association gathers over 10,000 signatures and hand-delivers them to Congress in an effort to increase the VA healthcare budget. Congress responds by adding $1.7 billion to the healthcare budget.
2004-
United Spinal Association
Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association expands its mission in an effort to help all Americans with spinal cord injuries/disorders (SCI/D), including veterans, and becomes United Spinal Association.
2005
Traumatic Injury Insurance
To help injured veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, United Spinal successfully lobbies Congress for Traumatic Injury Insurance legislation. The bill provides for an immediate payment of between $25,000 and $100,000 for active duty soldiers who sustain a life-altering injury while serving their country. The law is written and passed in record time thanks to the efforts of United Spinal’s legislative staff.
Bronx VA Renamed to Honor James J. Peters
The Bronx, NY VA hospital is formally re-named the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center to honor the lifelong dedication to the health and welfare of spinal cord injured veterans of our late Executive Director Jim Peters. Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton are keynote speakers.
Today
Approximately 700,000 Americans have disabilities of the spinal cord.
There are over 12,000 new spinal cord injuries every year in the U.S.
Motor vehicle accidents account for 44% of all new injuries; violence, particularly crime- related violence, account for 24% of all new injuries. There are currently 250,000 people living with spinal cord injuries in the U.S.
Over 33,000 U.S. troops have been seriously injured, many of whom are paralyzed or crippled, in the war in Iraq since 2003.
Fighting in Afghanistan has seriously injured over 765 American soldiers.
There are at least 400,000 individuals living with multiple sclerosis in our nation today.
Over 10,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
An estimated 70,000 people in the United States are currently living with spina bifida.
Spina bifida is the most common, permanently disabling birth defect.
Approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) each year.
It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans are currently living with ALS.
About 70% of Americans with paralysis are unemployed.
Recent statistics show that 10 years after injury, only 32% of people with paraplegia are employed and only 24% of people with quadriplegia are working.
