DV Digital Brochure 5 - Flipbook - Page 12
THE NEEDS OF WHEELCHAIR-BOUND VETERANS
There are many needs within the veteran community. Forward Free will focus on disabled vets first
to address critical gaps there. Once this is underway, it will transition to helping other veterans.
There are tens of thousands of veterans in wheelchairs—disabled as a result of combat-related
wounds, accidents, or disease. In traveling to some of our Country’s specialized medical facilities for
wheelchair-bound veterans, we see state-of-the-art rehab equipment and modern architecture. But
we also see the faces of men and women who are dealing with life-altering trauma or disease. In
many we see great courage and determination. In some we see heartbreak, fear, anxiety, loneliness,
and physical pain. In still others we see despair, resignation, and hopelessness. After speaking to
many of these men and women, it is clear that the difficulties they experience go far beyond the
injury itself. An accident resulting in wheelchair placement can have exponential effects on the
veteran’s everyday life and that of their family.
