Paralyzed Veterans of America, Texas Chapter

Paralyzed Veterans' Sports and Recreation program help our members and all veterans with a disability to get back into life. The National Veterans Wheelchair Games, fishing, sporting clays, billiards, bowling and the Outdoor Sports program demonstrate the many and varied activities we provide to ensure an active lifestyle remains a possibility for veterans with catastrophic injuries. Our programs are open to all individuals - We encourage anyone with any disability including amputation, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, or neurological disorders such as MS or ALS to join us at our events. Each year several of our members and their caregivers attend the Winter Sports Clinic where veterans learn to Alpine and Nordic skiing and are introduced to a variety of other activities and sports such as rock climbing, scuba diving, curling, snowmobiling and sled hockey. Sports have therapeutic benefits on physical, mental and social well-being.

Research into treatments and cures for SCI has been a priority for PVA since our earliest days. Our founders were pioneers in promoting research. They recognized that paralysis does not affect veterans of military service exclusively, but can happen to anyone at any stage of their lives.Until a few decades ago, most scientists believed that paralysis due to spinal cord injury was impossible to reverse. Steady research investment from PVA and others committed to finding a way to reverse paralysis has produced promising laboratory results and demonstrated that, given the right parameters, it is possible to reverse nerve damage, rewire severed nerves, and restore lost neurological function.PVA continues to work towards alleviating the effects of and finding a cure for SCI/D through the efforts of the PVA Education Foundation, the PVA Research Foundation, multiple partnerships and the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine's evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and consumer guides.

AdvocacyParalyzed Veterans of America works with all disabled citizens on issues that affect their independence. Transportation, employment, housing and attendant care are the major issues confronting disabled persons today. Paralyzed Veterans of America and its satellite offices work closely with local and state organizations to advocate for solutions to the problems affecting the disabled person's needs.LegislationThrough the years Paralyzed Veterans of America has worked closely with federal and state legislatures to improve the quality of life of the disabled community. Independent living and advocating for the civil rights of disabled Americans are two of our on-going legislative objectives. We work with congress to maintain the VA budget for adequate funding and to maintain services for all veterans. TPVA supports accessible housing programs and efforts to secure adequate funding for attendant care through federal and state agencies.