Doug Vollmer

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Born in Toldo, Ohio, in 1945, Doug Vollmer entered the United States Navy as an officer after graduating from Northwestern University in 1967. He served a tour of duty in Vietnam as a liaison officer with Special Forces for the River Patrol Force. He completed his service with 20 months at Pearl Harbor working with Naval Intelligence. 

In Hawaii, he met and married his wife, Scottie, and then pursued a masters degree from the University of Hawaii. In 1979, he joined the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization where he worked for the next 35 years, ultimately becoming Associate Executive Director for Government Relations. Paralyzed Veterans of America was established in 1946 by a group of World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries who learned about each other through encounters at VA hospitals and created a "self-activating advocacy group." With a deep understanding of the experiences of veterans with disabilities from his service in the Navy, Vollmer devoted his life to advocacy on behalf of issues affecting veterans as well as the larger disability community. 

He helped to achieve passage of landmark disability legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and healthcare eligibility reform at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He also worked to ensure wheelchair access in the Washington, D.C. Metro system, commercial air travel access for people with disabilities, and fair housing policy for disabled people. 

In 2020, Doug died due to complications from pneumonia and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.