Wheelie Inspiring Interview Series: Ernie Butler of Paralyzed Veterans of America

Today is Veteran’s Day and what better way to celebrate than by interviewing a veteran?! I recently had the chance to chat with Ernie Butler, a disabled veteran, and talking with him gave me a new appreciation for all that our veterans have gone through. He is a remarkable person and I’m thrilled that he agreed to be a part of my Wheelie Inspiring Interview Series.

Please tell us about yourself and what you do. I am the Director of Sports and Recreation for Paralyzed Veterans of America. I am also a member of the organization and a paralyzed veteran T-12 paraplegic.

Can you tell us about your time in the Air Force? I was in the Air Force for 6 years as a Pararescueman, where I participated in air rescue operations. This had a huge impact on me. The training also taught me how not to quit and how to overcome anything.

How did your passion for adventure begin? How has being in a wheelchair changed the way to tackle adventure sports and traveling? Passion for adventure has always been a part of my make up, from early childhood and continued throughout my entire life including today. Being in a wheelchair has not changed that in anyway, even today at 63 years old I enjoy paragliding, kayaking and adventure of any type. Now days I may need to find adaptions to help me participate, or it may be more difficult, but nothing has been unachievable. I have gone paragliding in a 4 wheeled buggy in Santa Barbara, California and even in Idaho. I love going kayaking in Seattle also. Thanks to a low level injury, I have upper body strength and can kayak without many adaptations. As for travel, that is a unique challenge. I need to be my own best advocate and ensure that the airlines understand that my wheelchair is not just a simple thing I ride around in, but an extension of my physical being.

What is the most wheelchair friendly place you have traveled to? I would say Florida is the most accessible place I have traveled to. Orlando is the best. It may be because of all their amusement parks and tourist businesses. They seem to just get it when it comes to accessibility. The airports are easy to move about in and the people are always very willing to help in any way they can.

What is the least accessible place you have been to? Virginia quite honestly. Not from a lack of caring, but the architecture is so old, including cobblestone. Also areas where there’s snow… snow and wheelchairs are just a very bad combination.

What kind of problems have you came across while traveling in a wheelchair? How did you overcome them? Most common are mishandling my wheelchair (laying it on it’s side on the tarmac) and losing or damaging parts of the chair. Also when using the aisle chairs to board the plane, the people assigned to help me are often unaware of how best to accommodate and when I try to tell them, they don’t really listen. When my chair is away from me, I have no control. However, during a recent trip to Cincinnati when my chair was slightly damaged, the airline replaced the side guards within 24 hours. I was glad that they took care of the problem so quickly.

ernie butler paralyzed veterans america

What are some of the top items on your bucket list? To walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding and then dance with her. To paraglide in Europe (the southern French alps are a hot bed of paragliding), but I have no plans in the near future. To write a coffee table type book about people with disabilities that have accomplished things. Hopefully it would inspire young kids with disabilities that anything is possible.

Do you have any tips for other wheelchair users that might think traveling is not possible? Remember everything is possible, just recognize we may need to do things differently. But with forethought and patience it can be very enjoyable. Always be your own best advocate, but do so politely. A little understanding and a smile will accomplish a lot more than getting angry. In my special forces training we had a saying, “Always remember the 7 P’s ‘Prior Proper Planning Prevents Pee Poor Performance””. Losing your patience with people will just make things more difficult and will also hurt the disabled community coming after you.

Most importantly, where to next? Right now I am in Seattle, but will be flying in December to Cincinnati for our next site visit. Cincinnati is the site of our next National Veteran Wheelchair Games and we are now in the process of organizing the event that will be held next July. It’s the largest wheelchair sporting event in the world. Next year will be 37th games. It’s a variety of games including power soccer, track & field, bowling, softball, etc. It’s a 7 day event and is open to disabled veterans, with a goal of normalizing disability.

Has this interview inspired you on this Veteran’s Day? If so, consider donating to the Paralyzed Veterans of America. PVA highlights the real stories of veterans and military family members, and works to maximize the quality of life for members and all people with Spinal Cord Injury/Dysfunction (SCI/D). If you give a donation today, your gift will have three times the impact thanks to the Jeffrey Carlton Charitable Foundation and you’ll receive an American flag as a thank you gift. To donate right now, just click here.

Happy Veteran’s Day!!