Paralyzed Veterans of America. Michigan Chapter.

The Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is a congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated to meeting the needs and interests of men and women who both served in the United States armed forces, and who have a spinal cord injury or disease. The PVA Michigan Chapter ("MPVA") was founded in 1961 with twelve charter members, and has since grown into a statewide non-profit organization that serves thousands of veterans annually.

Over its first 45 years of existence, MPVA's Government Relations and Advocacy Program has been instrumental in the passage and enforcement of a number of State and Federal laws that defend the civil rights of people with disabilities. In particular, MPVA has a long history of advocating for barrier-free design, and its records from the early 1990s evidence the active role the organization took in promoting understanding and enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Current MPVA programs include counseling on veterans' benefits, sponsoring wheelchair sports and recreation, promoting spinal cord injury research, coordinating equipment donation, advocating for the legal and civil rights of veterans with disabilities, referral services, and providing disability-related literature, including The Pump Guide, an online directory of Michigan gas stations that will pump gas at the self-serve price for persons with disabilities.

Sources:

Further information about the organization will be found in a self-published booklet Paralyzed Veterans of America Michigan Chapter Twenty Fifth Anniversary 1961-1986 located with the organization's records. The researcher should also consult the organization's website: http://comnet.org/mpva/

From the guide to the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Michigan Chapter, Records, 1964-2004, 1990-1994, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)