Paralyzed Veterans of America
The Paralyzed Veterans of America is a veterans' service organization in the United States of America, founded in 1946. The organization holds 33 chapters and 70 National Service Offices in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is based in Washington, D.C. The organization was founded in 1946 by a band of service members who came home from World War II with spinal cord injuries. These service members wanted to live with independence and dignity and as contributors to society, so they created the organization to be governed by its members, veterans of the armed forces living with spinal cord injury or disease such as multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.