Josh Basile, Esq.
Partner, The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm
Abstract
Meeting Science Halfway: A Life Lived While Waiting for a Cure
In this talk, I share my 20-year journey living with a C4–5 spinal cord injury and what it has taught me about hope, persistence, and partnership with science. I’ll reflect on the early message so many of us heard—“five years”—and how I ultimately decided not to put my life on hold while waiting for a cure. I’ll discuss the real-world impact of activity-based therapy and high-quality care on long-term health and independence, and why equitable access to these supports remains one of the greatest challenges facing our community. My message to scientists, trainees, and advocates is simple: the future depends not only on breakthroughs, but on building the systems, policies, and advocacy needed to ensure people can truly “meet science halfway.”
Bio
Josh Basile a C4-5 quadriplegic power wheelchair user, disability rights advocate, trial attorney, inventor, consultant, and proud father. At age 18, Josh was paralyzed below the shoulders in a beach accident. Since then, he has dedicated his life to empowering others with disabilities, founding the nonprofit Determined2Heal Foundation, Inc. and creating SPINALpedia.com—the world’s largest paralysis video mentoring network with over 40,000 videos and 10,000 SCI community members, searchable by physical functionality.
Josh is a partner at The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm, where he fights for justice on behalf of individuals with catastrophic injuries. He was recently honored in the inaugural Forbes Accessibility 100 List, recognized in the Law & Government category for his work driving systemic change.
Josh has personally mentored over 4,000 newly injured SCI families and 1,000 individuals navigating employment with a disability. He introduced fuelService to the U.S., enabling drivers with disabilities to fuel up at over 10,000 gas stations without leaving their vehicles. He also invented AdapTee Golf, a new hands-free adaptive sport giving individuals with high-level paralysis the ability to play and compete in golf.
As a leading policy advocate, Josh helped lead the charge to reform Maryland’s Medicaid Buy-In program. In 2024, thanks in part to his advocacy, Maryland eliminated all income and asset limits for workers with disabilities in the Employed Individuals with Disabilities program.
Whether in the courtroom, at the state capitol, or mentoring a newly injured family, Josh is a tireless force for inclusion, accessibility, and independent living.
