PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA

The Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bay Area and Western Chapter (BAWPVA) is a nonprofit, veterans service organization located in Palo Alto, CA. BAWPVA serves spinal cord injured and/or dysfunction veterans located in Northern California, Northern Nevada, and the Pacific Islands. The Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bay Area and Western Chapter is one of 33 chapters of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) located across the United States. BAWPVA’s services provide direct support to the chapter’s members. Programs operated by the BAWPVA are Sports & Recreation, Hospital Liaison, Government Relations, Membership, Service, and Communication.

BAWPVA Sports program sponsors wheelchair basketball and quad rugby teams. The organization also sponsors wheelchair bowling tournaments and members attend various individual sporting events for the Paralympics. Annually, BAWPVA sponsors a team to the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and the Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. During the National Veterans Wheelchair Games paralyzed veterans get to participate in track & field, team sports, swimming, bowling, shooting, obstacle courses (slalom), as well as many other sporting activities. BAWPVA’s Recreation program includes providing tickets to sporting events, community outings, barbecues, and weekly bingo at the SCI/D Center at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

The Hospital Liaison program allows the Chapter to ensure that paralyzed veterans are receiving access to quality healthcare at the Veterans Administration Hospitals in their local communities. BAWPVA visits the Spinal Cord Injury/Dysfunction Center on a regular basis to visit with staff and patients to ensure everyone is receiving the care they need. The organization also visits other VA hospitals to ensure if veterans need to use their facilities, they have the appropriate access to care.

The Government Relations program is divided into two programs: Legislation and Advocacy. On the legislative front, federal, state, and local governments are monitored on an ongoing basis, to ensure that measures pertaining to California veterans and other persons with disabilities meet the needs of the Membership. The Chapter’s Director of Advocacy meets with Chapter members throughout the year to advise them on issues of concern to their rights as citizens with disabilities. Where necessary, he or she will intercede whenever a Chapter member faces accessibility issues that they are unable to resolve on their own.

The Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bay Area and Western Chapter was established in October 1962. For 60 years now, they have been assisting paralyzed veterans throughout Northern California, Northern Nevada, and the Pacific Islands with their needs.