Established 1968

Advocacy Program

From self-advocacy to systemic change, we fight at every level for a totally accessible world.

Advocacy has always been central to Colonial PVA's mission. It starts with members learning to speak up for themselves - understanding their rights, identifying what they need, and building the confidence to ask for it. From there it expands outward: into the community, where members and volunteers assess real spaces and push to fix what is broken. In the policy arena, Colonial PVA works with community partners and policymakers to advance healthcare access, disability rights, and civic equity for veterans and people with disabilities across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and beyond.

Members learn to advocate for themselves. Then they advocate for everyone.

How the Advocacy Program Works

From personal rights to policy change, advocacy moves through every level.

Self-Advocacy Training

Members learn to identify their own needs, understand their rights, and communicate clearly about barriers they face. Colonial PVA believes you have to advocate for yourself before you can advocate for anyone else.

Accessibility Assessment

Members and volunteers assess real-world spaces and hotels, venues, VA facilities, community centers and measuring what is genuinely accessible versus what is simply labeled accessible. The gap between those two things is often significant, and documenting it is the first step toward fixing it.

Direct Action

When we find a problem we can solve, we solve it. We have purchased and donated equipment to make spaces genuinely usable for our members, and we document everything we find to support the case for broader change.

Policy and Community Advocacy

Colonial PVA works with community partners and policymakers at the local, state, and national levels to advance healthcare access, disability rights, and equitable services for veterans and people with disabilities. Members bring their lived experience directly into these conversations.

Volunteer Service

Colonial PVA volunteers serve at VA Medical Centers, Community Living Centers, and VA Outpatient Clinics throughout the region. Their presence ensures veterans receive timely care, appropriate services, and someone in their corner who understands what they have earned.

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