Paralyzed Veterans of America has launched a year-long disability awareness campaign highlighting its work with veterans and people with disabilities.
The “ONE of ONE” initiative will run for 53 weeks and feature stories about the organisation’s programmes, people and work, alongside book releases, programme launches, public events and celebrity public service announcements.
The campaign will highlight PVA’s work supporting veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases including multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
The initiative will culminate in a “ONE of ONE” Gala in New York City on September 9, 2027.
Robert Thomas, US Army veteran and PVA national president, said: “Over the past 80 years, PVA has helped transform specialised care across the VA health care system, advanced disability rights and barrier-free design, pioneered wheelchair basketball and laid the foundation for the adaptive sports movement, supported groundbreaking research and education with leading institutions, and shared its expertise globally through publications across more than 60 countries in four languages.
“Its impact is not confined to one arena; it is built into the systems, standards, and opportunities that shape lives.”
PVA said the campaign would include several milestones, beginning with the September 3, 2026 release of Yes, You Can!, a guide designed to help people newly injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury navigate life.
On September 22, the organisation plans to launch its first podcast, “Voices of PVA”, aimed at disabled veterans, people with disabilities and those supporting them.
PVA and All Wheels Up will then hold an Access to the Skies Summit on October 1, bringing together aviation accessibility experts to discuss ways to break down barriers in air travel.
Further planned activities include the fifth edition of PVA’s accessible home design book on April 1, 2027, followed by its Barrier-Free America Award in June.
PVA and the US Department of Veterans Affairs are also due to hold the National Veterans Wheelchair Games from July 14 to 19, 2027.
The organisation said it would also take its message to events including the Consumer Electronics Show, South by Southwest and major Penske races during 2027.
Carl Blake, US Army veteran and PVA chief executive, said: “What makes ‘ONE of ONE’ so meaningful is that it reflects PVA at its core.
“We are not simply launching new resources, convening conferences, or appearing at marquee events. We’re inviting the nation to see PVA through a new lens.
“The campaign is an opportunity to reach new audiences, deepen public awareness of PVA’s long-standing role in the disability community, and reinforce our commitment as a trusted partner to veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases, as well as the broader disability community.”
PVA says it has licensed medical professionals, legal experts and architects on staff who advocate for veterans’ rights and benefits, improve access to specialised care and help shape accessibility standards and barrier-free design.
The organisation also says it is the only non-profit veterans service organisation granted access inside all 25 VA spinal cord injury and disease centres.
PVA supports research and education involving institutions including Yale, Harvard and Stanford.
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