Paraquad

08/26/2026

St. Louis Metropolitan Alliance for Reliable Transit (S.M.A.R.T.) is a coalition of community advocates convened by Paraquad that advocates for the safe, accessible, and affordable public transportation that people with disabilities need. They are teaming up with Metro for a special town hall on September 3 at the North County Transit Center. Help us understand what reliable, resilient, and relevant service in North County would look like by attending or sharing your perspective in our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JXS66KR

Metro Transit is teaming up with the St. Louis Metropolitan Alliance for Reliable Transit (SMART) to host a town hall at the North County Transit Center to ask the question: What would reliable, resilient and relevant transit service in North St. Louis County look like to you? SMART is a coalition o...

08/19/2026

Paraquad President and CEO Latosha Fowlkes was honored to welcome Missouri State Senator Tracy McCreery (District 24) to Paraquad this morning for a conversation about the issues impacting people with disabilities across our state.

Senator McCreery has long supported Paraquad and championed policies that help Missourians with disabilities live independently and securely in their communities. Her work has included expanding property tax relief and affordable housing opportunities, strengthening protections against rising utility costs, improving access to affordable health care, and protecting health coverage for people with disabilities who want to work.

Conversations like today’s are an important part of Paraquad’s work and reflect a core responsibility of Centers for Independent Living (CILs): ensuring the voices and experiences of people with disabilities are heard by policymakers and reflected in the decisions that affect their lives.

We’re grateful to Senator McCreery for spending time with us, for listening to Paraquad participants, and for her continued advocacy for Missourians with disabilities.

08/17/2026

Paraquad is proud to announce the restoration of the Show-Me Home Program in St. Louis City and County. Through a partnership with the Missouri Department of Social Services, Paraquad will support seniors with disabilities as they transition from long-term care facilities to living independently in the community.

“We are honored that the Missouri Department of Social Services has placed its trust in Paraquad to support seniors with disabilities as they transition to living independently in a home of their choosing,” said Latosha R. Fowlkes, LCSW, President and CEO of Paraquad. “I know firsthand how difficult decisions about where and how to live can be for people with disabilities and their families. As Paraquad’s leader today, I am proud to carry forward our longstanding commitment to ensuring people with disabilities have choice and control over their own lives. To lead an organization that recognizes independence, dignity, and personal choice as essential to a person’s well-being is incredibly meaningful to me. Everyone deserves the opportunity to have a place they can call home and the support they need to thrive there.”

The Show-Me Home Program helps eliminate barriers that can prevent seniors with physical disabilities from having a choice in where they live. Through person-centered care and wrap-around services, eligible Missourians can transition out of a nursing facility and into a safe home of their choosing, with support available for a year as they build greater independence and fully participate in their community.

Keep reading at paraquad.org/news/paraquad-announces-the-restoration-of-the-show-me-home-program-in-st-louis-city-and-county

08/04/2026

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.

07/30/2026

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!

07/27/2026

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.

07/26/2026

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!

07/23/2026

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.

The announcement comes months after a federal report revealed widespread overuse of isolation and physical restraints in district schools.

07/22/2026

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.

07/20/2026

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.