2025

6/23/2025: 200 Wheelchair Supporters and Allies Visit Congress June 24 to Defend Medicaid
United Spinal Association is sending nearly 200 wheelchair users and supporters to Capitol Hill to meet with Congressional representatives and their staff, as part of an urgent fight to defend Medicaid and other key programs slated for major cuts.

6/17/2025: United Spinal Association Vice President Dominic Marinelli and Board Member Josh Basile Named to Forbes’ First-Ever Accessibility 100 List
United Spinal Association is proud to announce that two of our leaders have been honored in Forbes’ first-ever Accessibility 100.

5/27/2025: Whirlpool Brand Launches Spin&Load Dishwasher Rack, the Most Inclusive Lower-Level Dishwasher Rack Design on the Market
Designed in collaboration with United Spinal Association, Spin&Load Rack is a replacement lower rack for a traditional dishwasher and represents a significant advancement in kitchen inclusivity.

4/8/2025: New Accessible Tech Product Guide Breaks Ground for Disability Market
United Spinal Association announced the launch of its digital Tech Access Product Guide, a crowd-sourced database of products designed to make life easier for people with physical disabilities, ranging from spinal cord injuries to age-related arthritis.

3/10/2025: United Spinal Association Launches the Advocacy Impact Fund to Protect Disability Rights
United Spinal is fighting to protect decades of progress toward accessibility and disability inclusion that are under threat by cuts to Medicaid, attacks on accessible air travel, and efforts to weaken civil rights.

1/31/25: Accessible Housing Wildfire Relief Initiative Launched by Airbnb.org and United Spinal
United Spinal Association and Airbnb.org are joining forces to help wheelchair users impacted by the Los Angeles-area wildfires. Airbnb.org is offering displaced wheelchair users who are  eligible for its program up to 30 days’ lodging in accessible stays in the region.

1/08/25: Veteran Disability Rights Group Builds on Transportation Victories on a New Front: Accessible Parking
United Spinal Association has published The Complete Guide to Accessible Parking, a landmark resource for people with disabilities. Following on the successes of 2024’s revamped Disability Etiquette Guide and Wheelchair Emergency Preparedness Compendium, United Spinal’s Accessible Parking offering is kicking off 2025 in a big way on an issue with growing momentum behind it.

2024

11/01/24: Disability Rights Advocates and Union Workers Launch Joint Campaign to Improve Access to Air Travel for Passengers who Use Wheelchairs
Disability rights and labor communities recently launched a joint campaign in support of accessibility, safety, dignity and respect for both passengers with disabilities and the airport service workers who support them.

10/23/24: United Spinal Association Applauds DOT’s $50 Million Fine Against American Airlines
United Spinal Association applauds the U.S. Department of Transportation’s $50 million fine against American Airlines. This penalty addresses the airline’s longstanding mistreatment of passengers who use wheelchairs.

10/19/24: United Spinal Association Honors Community Leaders at StrongWheeled Together Awards Ceremony
United Spinal Association hosted its third annual StrongWheeled Together Awards ceremony at the Abilities Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Awards celebrate the cultural and intellectual leadership of wheelchair users who have made an impact on the fabric of American life, as part of a broader initiative that pays tribute to the power of community.

10/17/24: United Helps 20,000+ Customers Find Right Aircraft for Their Wheelchair with Industry-First Digital Sizing Tool
To further improve the travel experience for customers with disabilities, United began a new collaboration with United Spinal Association to help advise and support the carrier.

9/3/24: Court Rules New York City Must Make All New Taxis Wheelchair-Accessible Until 50% of All Taxis Are Accessible
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York denied the City’s motion to free itself from its court-ordered obligation to make at least 50% of their iconic yellow taxi fleet accessible to people who use wheelchairs and granted disability advocates’ motion to enforce the obligation to make at least half of its taxi fleet accessible.

7/24/24: United Spinal Association Relaunches Corporate Challenge for ADA Anniversary
United Spinal relaunched its Corporate Challenge, aimed at companies seeking allyship with the disability community and supporting disability inclusion. This relaunch, featuring a new look and new content for the long-running Challenge, coincides with the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Disability Pride Month.

5/31/24 Forbes:  Airbnb, United Spinal Association Executives Discuss ‘First-Of-Its-Kind’ Academy, Accessible Travel In Interview
Airbnb announced a partnership with the United Spinal Association in hosting the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy. Airbnb describes the Academy as a “entrepreneurship development program that introduces people from diverse and historically underrepresented communities to hosting on the Airbnb platform,” adding the collaboration with United Spinal will see a “first-of-its-kind Academy tailored to people with mobility needs.

5/28/24 USA Today: Passengers Can Sort United Airlines Flights for Planes that Accommodate Their Wheelchair
United Airlines is rolling out new accessibility features that it says will make flying easier for wheelchair users. Updates include the ability to find flights that are the best equipped to handle their mobility equipment. The updates come out of a partnership United has with United Spinal Association.

5/15/24 USA Today: United Spinal Association Joins Forces with Airbnb to host Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy
United Spinal Association announces a partnership with Airbnb to create an Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy specifically aimed at people with mobility disabilities to increase hosting opportunities and grow the number of Airbnb listings with accessibility features.

2/14/24: United Spinal Association Becomes the Official Content Provider for Abilities Expo
Abilities Expo, the premier event dedicated to showcasing innovative products, services and resources for the disability community, is thrilled to announce that United Spinal Association has been appointed to spearhead the onsite programming for the expos.

1/17/24: United Spinal Association Relaunches Its Popular Disability Etiquette Guide
United Spinal Association celebrates the relaunch of its popular Disability Etiquette Guide. The Guide seeks to educate businesses, schools, and the general public about the disability community. It contains helpful statistics and language guidelines.