United Spinal Association is a national 501(c) (3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to empowering people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), including veterans, to live successful and fulfilling lives.

Directed by people with disabilities, United Spinal Association works to overcome the stigma of disability and remove physical barriers to inclusion for wheelchair users. We are united in our belief that business, people with disabilities and society all benefit from providing equal opportunity to pursue passions, employment, and recreational opportunities. Our goal is to actively support people with SCI/D through valuable programs and services that maximize independence and create opportunities to become leaders, advocates, and innovators.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Advocating for enforcement and enhancement of disability rights, access to healthcare, mobility equipment, transportation, rehabilitation, community services/supports, and the built environment.

Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.

Goal Two: Empowering our members, their loved ones, care providers and professionals with resources, one-on-one assistance, and peer support.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Goal Three: Promoting independence and civic participation by assisting individuals with employment, and ensuring that wheelchair users have equal access to housing, shopping and recreational opportunities.

Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.

Describe an investment in leadership

United Spinal has commenced a strategic planning process in 2021 with the goal of reviewing organizational programs, processes and goals to be sure that they align with the needs of the community we serve and developing a plan for the next 5 years that will prioritize the use of our resources and staff for maximum impact. This strategic planning process will include an assessment of our current programs and services to determine effectiveness and areas for improvement. United Spinal has been committed to the continuing education of staff by urging attendance at relevant conferences and seminars. Access to Educational platforms was also made available as a resource. There has been greater collaboration between programs and departments through the utilization of new communication systems and platforms. We also host an annual chapter leadership meeting, bringing our chapters together to discuss ways to enrich operations and outreach.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

• Policy Advocacy

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

United Spinal supports a large chapter, Hospital member and peer support network that promotes the health and well being, and inclusion and independence, of people with disabilities. This is accomplished through organizing local events and initiatives, advocating for rights and accessibility, and offering quality healthcare, information and support.. United Spinal’s Corporate Members work with the organization towards shared goals and objectives. Our partners support our mission, programs, and advocacy to improve the quality of life for all people with spinal cord injuries and disorders in the areas of: Marketing; Diversity/Inclusion; Government Affairs; Corporate Social Responsibility; Workplace Accessibility; HR/Disability Hiring and Etiquette Training Our chapters may have different missions and programs, yet all share the same dedication to enhancing the lives of people with spinal cord injury/disease, their families, and those who provide their care.

2021 has been a transformative year for United Spinal Association. We continued to address challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the movement for racial justice, and met new ones posed by climate change. We seized opportunities related to technology to make the most of an increasingly virtual world. This year, we formed a Diversity Council comprised of members of our Board, staff, and chapters, which will review our organizational policies and programs to ensure diversity and inclusion is considered. During our ongoing Strategic Planning Process, we have conducted a series of focus groups and interviews that impact both the overarching 5-year strategic plan and the Diversity Council’s programmatic recommendations for the organization regarding underserved and marginalized communities. We held an all-staff training on the intersection of race and disability. Emergency preparedness has been a major priority. This year, the Neilsen Foundation gave us the opportunity to distribute $500,000 of disaster relief grants to Hurricane Ida survivors. The grants were used to repair houses, driveways, and ramps, provide new medical equipment and essentials, and help finance new housing. Following on distributing pandemic rapid relief to our chapters in 2020, we have continued to update our online COVID resources and provide guidance and support to members and chapters. Internally, we have made a number of remote work infrastructure improvements including overhauling our intranet. We have launched several online features for our members, such as Resource Center Live, a virtual opportunity for members to interface with our support staff, and JobPath, an all-in-one platform to support members returning to work and provide opportunities for our partners to share job opportunities. We also hired additional staff to bolster our Tech Access Initiative, increasing our capacity to involve more members in our partnerships with industry leaders and provide community education.