What MOVE UNITED Membership Means
MOVE UNITED (formerly Disabled Sports USA) is the national governing body for adaptive sports in the United States — operating in over 100 communities with 70+ member organizations. As a MOVE UNITED member, SUDS has access to a national referral network, VA grant partnerships, instructor certification pipelines, and competition pathways that independent organizations simply cannot access alone.
New in 2026: Expanded Referral Pathways
In 2026, MOVE UNITED expanded its VA Medical Center partnership program, adding 18 new VA facilities to its referral network. Veterans at these facilities can now receive direct program referrals to MOVE UNITED members — including SUDS — through their occupational therapy and recreational therapy departments. This removes a significant barrier: veterans no longer need to independently discover and apply to programs.
Grant Funding Impact
MOVE UNITED distributed $10.2 million in VA adaptive sports grants in FY2026 to member organizations. SUDS received a share of this funding, which helped subsidize air travel for six warriors who attended the Key Largo spring dive trip — participants who could not have attended on charitable donations alone.
Competition Pathways for SUDS Athletes
Through MOVE UNITED, SUDS diving graduates are eligible to pursue Paralympic-track adaptive underwater sports competition. Several past SUDS participants have progressed to national-level competition in finswimming and underwater hockey after their first exposure to diving through the SUDS program.