Thank you for your
interest in joining the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). When you
join PVA, you’ll join thousands of other veterans with a spinal cord
dysfunction who share a commitment to live a productive life.
By
joining –
You’ll be involved through your local chapter:
– in sporting events
– recreational activities for you and your family
You’ll be kept informed:
– about the most recent legislative reforms that affect you
– medical research
– the latest products to make your life easier
Providing
information -
PVA members receive, free of charge, our monthly magazine PN/Paraplegia
News. PN covers all aspects of life with a spinal cord injury or disease
– exercise, travel, products and services, accessible housing designs,
research and medical advances, and sports and recreation as well as PVA
news.
In addition, PVA
publishes eight issues each year of Sports’n Spokes, a magazine
devoted to wheelchair sports and recreation. For subscription
information, contact Sports 'N
Spokes.
PVA also published
and distributes, often free of charge to our members, books, manuals,
and pamphlets on issues such as wheelchair living, rehabilitation,
medical care and accessibility.
Safeguarding
your benefits –
We are committed to helping you receive all the benefits to which you
are entitled. With service offices in VA facilities nationwide, PVA
stands ready to answer your questions – and those of your family –
as well as help you prepare your claims.
Our highly trained
service officers can advise you on all federal and state programs,
including: claims, compensation, aide and attendance, housebound
benefits, nonservice-connected pension, educational benefits, government
insurance, and home loans.We can also assist with questions regarding
fee-basis care, nursing home care, home health care, VA outpatient care,
and hospital care.
You
are eligible –
- If you suffered
a spinal cord injury as a result of trauma or disease and served in
the Armed Forces.
- You were
discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.
- The injury or
disease onset could have occurred after your discharge/retirement
from the Armed Forces.
The listing that
follows is illustrative of injury and disease of the spinal cord and
cauda equina but is not all-inclusive.
Organic Spinal
Cord and Cauda Equina Lesions Through:
Injury – trauma
with or without neuro deficits complete or incomplete
Diseases with or without residual neurological deficit:
| Infection: | Viral (e.g., poliomyelitis) |
| Bacterial (e.g., tuberculosis) | |
| Parasitic (e.g., schistosomiasis) | |
|
|
|
| Inflammation: | (e.g., myelitis) |
|
|
|
| Degenerative: | (e.g., multiple sclerosis (MS); |
| amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)) | |
|
|
|
| Tumors: | Benign (e.g., ependymoma) |
| Malignant (e.g., sarcoma) | |
|
|
|
| Cysts: | (e.g., syrinx) |
|
|
|
| Vascular: | Arteriosclerosis |
| Inflammatory (e.g., vasculitis) | |
| Traumatic | |
| Congenital (e.g., a.v. malformation) | |
|
|
|
| Autoimmune: | (e.g., lupus) |
|
|
|
| Congenital: | (e.g., spina bifida) |
|
|
|
| Constructive: | Pressure on cord (e.g., spinal stenosis) |
A veteran with any
of the following pathological entities, without involvement of spinal
cord or cauda equina, is not eligible for membership.
CVA (stroke),
osteoarthritis, peripheral neuropathy, toxic neuropathy, (neuritis),
amputation
If you are eligible and would like to join PVA, please fill out and mail
the Membership Application Profile. The information you provide will be
held in the strictest of confidence.
Download PDF
Note: This document is 2-pages long.
If you have any
questions concerning membership eligibility, please don’t hesitate to
contact our membership Department.
Paralyzed Veterans
of America
Membership Department
801 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-3517
(800) 424-8200,
(202)-416-7775
Or email:
- Joan E. Winkler Membership/Volunteer Director
- Trish Rollins, Membership/Volunteer Officer
