Paraquad

Today is Missouri Primary Election Day! 🗳️

At Paraquad, advocacy is at the heart of our mission. As a Center for Independent Living, we believe that people with disabilities deserve a voice in the decisions that shape our communities, our policies, and our future. Voting is one of the many ways we advocate for a more accessible and equitable world.

If you're eligible to vote, make a plan to cast your ballot today. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Every voice matters. Every vote matters.

Today, we celebrate Guan Hollins, our Senior Director of Transportation and Facilities, as he retires! We are grateful to Guan for his leadership, service, commitment to our mission, and his willingness to always help. Thank you for all you have done for Paraquad, our participants, and our tenants! We wish you all the best in retirement!

The disability community is rich with writers, advocates, and creators who are redefining how disability is represented—not as something to overcome, but as an important part of identity, culture, and community. This week, we're celebrating three voices helping shape that conversation.

Alice Wong has transformed disability storytelling through the Disability Visibility Project, creating space for disabled people to share their own experiences in their own words.

Author Keah Brown has challenged stereotypes through her writing and her viral movement, encouraging disabled people to embrace joy, confidence, and self-love.

Disability awareness consultant, writer, and podcaster Andrew Gurza is expanding conversations around disability, sexuality, relationships, and accessibility, challenging misconceptions and advocating for greater inclusion in every aspect of life.

Disability Pride Month isn't only about looking back at history. It's also about celebrating the people who are changing culture today—expanding representation, challenging assumptions, and reminding all of us that disability is a natural and valuable part of human diversity.

Today, we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act—a landmark civil rights law made possible by generations of disability advocates, including Paraquad co-founder Max Starkloff.

The ADA transformed our nation, but the work of building a more accessible and inclusive world continues. We're proud to carry that work forward every day.

Happy ADA Anniversary!

A message from our President and CEO, Latosha R. Fowlkes, LCSW, regarding yesterday's announcement by the Special School District

Today's announcement by the Special School District is an important step toward creating safer, more inclusive learning environments for students with disabilities.

While ending the use of seclusion rooms is a meaningful milestone, lasting change will require more than removing a physical space. It will require continued investment in evidence-based behavioral supports, staff training, individualized intervention plans, meaningful oversight, and strong partnerships with families. These are the kinds of reforms necessary to ensure students with disabilities receive the individualized supports they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

Every student deserves to learn in an environment that is safe, supportive, and respectful of their dignity. Students with disabilities should receive the individualized supports they need to succeed—not practices that isolate them from instruction or increase trauma.

Paraquad has partnered, and will continue to partner, with the Special School District in service of students and individuals with disabilities. We stand ready to support the District in the development and implementation of evidence-based strategies that promote safety, dignity, and positive outcomes for every student. Lasting change is built through collaboration, and we look forward to continuing that work alongside educators, families, and community partners.

Special School District of St. Louis County to eliminate seclusion rooms, supine restraints following DOJ investigation The announcement comes months after a federal report revealed widespread overuse of isolation and physical restraints in district schools.

Some of the most important moments in disability rights history happened right here in St. Louis.

Max Starkloff was a pioneering disability rights advocate and founder of Paraquad. After sustaining a spinal cord injury in an automobile accident, he dedicated his life to advancing the Independent Living Movement and ensuring people with disabilities had the opportunity to live independently and fully participate in their communities.

In 1970, Max and a group of fellow advocates founded Paraquad with a simple but powerful belief: people with disabilities should have control over their own lives and access to the services and support they choose.

That philosophy continues to guide our work today.

As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, we honor Max's legacy and the countless advocates who have helped make St. Louis a national leader in disability rights and independent living.

We're proud to carry that legacy forward every day by partnering with people with disabilities to build their best lives through services, advocacy, and community.

The disability rights movement was built by advocates who organized, challenged barriers, and ensured disability rights became part of the national conversation.

This week, we're highlighting three leaders whose work helped shape the movement as we know it today.

Patrisha Wright coordinated the national advocacy efforts that helped secure passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Her strategic leadership united disability organizations around a shared vision of equality and accessibility.

Lex Frieden played a leading role in developing national disability policy and was instrumental in advancing the ADA and strengthening the Independent Living Movement. His work continues to influence accessibility and disability policy today.

Brad Lomax demonstrated that disability rights are inseparable from other civil rights movements. As a member of both the Black Panther Party and the disability rights movement, he helped build coalitions that recognized the intersection of race, disability, and social justice.

Together, these advocates remind us that meaningful change happens when people organize, collaborate, and refuse to accept exclusion.

Sharing this great event planned at the Missouri History Museum for July 28th. Register at https://mohistory.org/events/stl-milestones

Celebrate Disability Pride Month with us at the Missouri History Museum on Tuesday, July 28, from 10 AM to 1 PM!

Stop by resource tables (10–11 AM), join the panel (11–12 PM), and enjoy a free lunch (12–1 PM, registration required by July 26).

ASL interpretation provided.
Click here to register and learn more: https://mohistory.org/events/stl-milestones

The disability rights movement happened because determined advocates organized, protested, negotiated, and refused to accept exclusion as the status quo. This week, we're highlighting two of the movement's most influential civil rights leaders.

Judy Heumann dedicated her life to ensuring that people with disabilities had equal access to education, employment, transportation, and community life. She helped lead the historic 504 Sit-in, one of the longest nonviolent occupations of a federal building in U.S. history, paving the way for stronger disability protections and inspiring generations of advocates.

Known as the "Father of the ADA," Justin Dart Jr. traveled to every state listening to the experiences of thousands of disabled Americans. Their stories helped shape the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation that affirmed disability rights as civil rights and transformed accessibility across the United States.

Their leadership reminds us that lasting change comes from collective action. The rights many people enjoy today were won because advocates organized, spoke out, and demanded equal opportunity.

Tickets for Bulls, Broncs, and Budweiser are available now! This one-of-a-kind event includes a live rodeo and barrel racing, tasty grub, DIY hat bar, Kendra Scott jewelry bar, an open saloon featuring Anheuser-Busch products, and live two steppin’ music from two of St. Louis’ favorite bands - Mänship and The Mighty Pines! All proceeds support Paraquad and the Stephen A. Orthwein Center.

Tickets can be purchased at https://paraquad.org/bulls-broncs-budweiser-2026