Spinal Cord Injury BC works in close partnership with the Vancouver General Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Rick Hansen Institute, Neil Squire Foundation, BC Wheelchair Sports (BCWCS) and The Disability Foundation.
The CPA was founded in 1945 by veterans who sustained spinal cord injuries in WW II; its mandate was to minimize social barriers faced by persons with disabilities so that they could benefit from an improved quality of life.
The BC Paraplegic Association also extensively consulted in the planning of Vancouver's Expo '86 which was lauded as a showcase for accessibility and high-tech innovations for people with disabilities.
In the 1990s, the association worked with BC Transit and were instrumental in the development of the accessible bus program in the Lower Mainland – the first of its kind in Canada.
Doug Mowat, the organization's longtime executive director, was also the first wheelchair user ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as an MLA.