For Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran Trivero Wilson, the road to recovery meant more than medical care—it meant regaining the ability to drive. Paralyzed from the chest down after a 2005 combat injury, Wilson worked with specialists at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, to train on adaptive driving systems through VA’s Driver Rehabilitation Program.
“Being able to drive again means everything to me,” Wilson shared. “It gives me the freedom to go where I want, when I want, without relying on anyone else. It’s a game-changer.”
Wilson’s training included advanced driving simulators, customized equipment evaluations and hands-on instruction in modified vehicles, preparing him to operate a truck equipped with adaptive technology. For him, driving again isn’t just about mobility—it’s about confidence and independence.
A nationwide program with lasting impact
Wilson’s story reflects the broader reach of VA’s Driver Rehabilitation Programs, which serve Veterans and service members across the country. Since their beginnings in 1946, and with a congressional mandate in 1975, these programs have grown into a network of 50 sites nationwide, offering three levels of care:
- Basic Programs provide driver evaluations and training using simple adaptive aids.
- Low Tech Programs introduce mechanical adaptive controls to help Veterans with mobility limitations.
- High Tech Programs integrate cutting-edge computerized systems into vehicles for Veterans with complex needs.
VA also hosts the National Driver Rehabilitation Training Course, ensuring that Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) therapists across the system are trained in the latest adaptive driving technologies.
These efforts are further supported by the VA Automobile Adaptive Equipment Benefit Program, which helps eligible Veterans fund necessary vehicle modifications. Together, these resources ensure Veterans can continue their journeys confidently and safely.
For Wilson and thousands of other Veterans, VA’s Driver Rehabilitation Programs represent far more than vehicle modifications—they fulfill a renewed sense of independence, dignity and the ability to live life on their own terms.
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I really appreciate the VA’s efforts in helping veterans regain their independence through driver rehabilitation programs. It’s such an important service that makes a huge difference in their lives!
The Driver Rehab program is great, but the fact that the VA does not provide assistance in equipping vets vehicles is frustrating. These systems are not cheap and for a lot of us, the cost is way out of reach. I wish the VA could find a way to contract companies at a greatly reduced cost to the vet to make it a possibility to purchase the system.
Additionally, the VA should be up on options to assist the vet on applying for grants or other programs in order to afford the driving systems. So far, I have spoken to several vets and VSO’s and none of them can even point to anyone who can help.
I guess these programs are only for those that are in VA hospitals. I happen to be in a VA state retirement home and I applied to get a handicap adapted vehicle as I’m paralyzed from the waist down also but I was turned down. They said it wasn’t enough medical information But I never got any help to try to get this straightened out. So it appears these programs are only effective in VA hospitals.
What about veterans with glacomna and perifial vision?