In 1948, seventy smembers of the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA) held a public demonstration in New York City's
Grand Central Terminal to gather signatures supporting the nation's first accessible-housing bill (Public Law 702) to get federal funds to build accessible homes for paralyzed veterans. In 1968, EPVA advocated for equal access to federally funded buildings and facilities for wheelchair users and all Americans living with disabilities, leading to the passage of
Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. In 1970, executive director
James J. Peters set out to expose the deplorable conditions on the
spinal-cord-injury units at the
Bronx Veterans Hospital, culminating in a
Life magazine exposé, the creation of the VA's dedicated Spinal Cord Injury Service. In addition, the hospital was modernized, and is now known as the James J. Peters VA Medical Center. In 1987, in conjunction with
Paralyzed Veterans of America, United Spinal Association helped found and continues to underwrite spinal-cord-injury research at the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research at the
Yale School of Medicine in
New Haven, Connecticut. This center remains under direction of Dr.
Stephen Waxman. In 2024, the United Spinal Association partnered with
TandemStride and other groups as a part of TandemStride's new peer-to-peer network. The media reported that this network was to provide support to those suffering from
traumatic injuries. ==Programs==