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From Then to Now!

21-year-old, Max Starkloff’s, world changed forever on the night of Aug. 9, 1959, when his late-model Austin Healy Sprite convertible spun out of control and flipped on a two-lane road in rural Missouri. The accident left him a quadriplegic but not a victim.

Over the course of the next 50 years, Mr. Starkloff would emerge as a relentless, uncompromising force on behalf of disabled people. Mr. Starkloff spent 12 years in a nursing facility before he was able to forge the independent life that he worked passionately to provide to so many others. The world he entered as a quadriplegic was almost irrepressibly bleak. No electric wheelchairs, no touch-tone telephones, no sidewalk ramps or other public accommodations for anyone on wheels (disability wasn’t allowed in public by municipal law)

“I dreamed of an apartment complex built for people with disabilities in which they could live and work,” he told Claggett. “It was a utopian environment for people with disabilities where they could also be entrepreneurs. And it wouldn’t just house people with disabilities. Anyone could live there.” He would later name it ‘The Paraquad Project’.

1970: After beginning a search for services to help him move from a nursing home, Starkloff starts working on accessible housing. Paraquad is born.

1971: Paraquad’s first grant is funded by Morton D. May. Access studies and consultations begin with area businesses.

1972: First curb cuts completed in St. Louis.

1975- Education of All Handicapped Children Act passes, requiring free and public education in the least restrictive environment possible. This law is now called Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act.

1977- St. Louis becomes the first city in the nation to have lift-equipped public buses.

1979- Paraquad officially becomes a Center for Independent Living and it one of the first 10 centers nationwide to receive federal funding. Jim Tuscher supported Max Starkloff in the formation of the non-profit and became one of the first staff members and was instumental in securing funding to bring 22 Centers for Independent Living to Missouri.

1980: An ad hoc group of the first 10 federally funded Centers for Independent Living meet in St. Louis and form what would become the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL).

1984: Missouri’s consumer-directed personal attendant services program is established in state law.

1987: Paraquad’s Youth and Family Program begins a youth group that includes disabled and non-disabled children, a first of its kind in St. Louis.

1988: The Fair Housing Act was amended to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities.

1989: Paraquad’s Career Options and Employment program begins.source

1990: The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act is passed and signed into law

1993: Public Policy becomes an official department at Paraquad.

1995: Max and the Magic Pill, a documentary chronicling Starkloff’s battle for accessible transportation, is produced by KMOV-TV and receives an Emmy Award.

1996: Missouri passes legislation permanently allowing disabled voters to cast absentee ballots.

1999: The United States Supreme Court rules in Olmstead vs. L.C.  that the unjustified isolation of people with disabilities is discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act.

2000: Paraquad organizes the first Missouri Youth Leadership Forum, brought on after Jim Tuscher learned about a Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities in the state of California during the late 1990s.

2006: Paraquad moves to its current location on Oakland Ave. in St. Louis.

2011: Paraquad dedicates The Jim Tuscher Auditorium. Tuscher was the former Paraquad vice president of Public Policy and a leader in the disability rights movement.

2012: Paraquad hosts its inaugural Shine the Light Awards and recognized businesses and people committed to accessibility in St. Louis.

2014: Paraquad announces plans for a new Accessible Health and Wellness Center that will feature more than 40 pieces of accessible exercise equipment and serve up to 500 people annually.

2015: Paraquad launches AccessibleSTL, a partnership between Paraquad and St. Louis businesses, organizations and government entities to create a more inclusive, accessible city.

2018: Paraquad opens Bloom Café, a social enterprise restaurant that serves a fresh take on casual dining while helping people with disabilities grow their independence through a unique job training program.n goes here

2020: The Health and Wellness Center received a generous gift from the family of Stephen Orthwein in his honor. This gift has been critical in transforming the Health and Wellness Center from a solid local resource to a state-of-the-art regional destination that provides transformative exercise options to promote independence and life-long wellness for people with disabilities.

COVID Response: With a grant from St. Louis Community Foundation and Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Paraquad shifted services for participants to focus on grocery and PPE delivery as well as providing emergency personal care services.

August 26, 2020: Numotion volunteered with our COVID response team

From FB on April 14, 2020: “Paraquad is joining forces with other community leaders to make a regional impact on the health and safety of vulnerable populations through the COVID-19 Regional Response Team. While our ability to provide direct services is impacted, our commitment to ensuring people with disabilities remain living in the community has never been stronger,” said Aimee Wehmeier, Paraquad’s President.

Assistive Technology Reuse Program (2022): Distributed 400+ used mobility devices annually to Missourians in need.

ADA Anniversary Event (2023): Hosted community celebration to spotlight equity gaps in housing & transit.

Sexuality Education Grant (2023): Peer-led education for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Adaptive Fitness Research Study (2023): NIH-funded WATCH Study on health outcomes for wheelchair users.

Medicaid Ambassadors Program (2024)
• Blog series featuring real stories about the impact of Medicaid.

Public Policy Advocacy (2025/Ongoing): Pushing for better Medicaid access, housing, and service funding in Missouri.

CDS Program: Our Consumer Directed Services Program (CDS Program) has raised attendant pay to $15.50 per hour.