Karen Miller has heard the word “no” more times than most people could endure. She was told she might not be walking by age 40. She was discouraged from using her GI Bill because medical professionals questioned whether her injuries would allow her to complete college. Again and again, the focus was on what she might never do.
At 55, Miller is still walking. She is working, advocating for veterans with disabilities, and building a business of her own. Her latest chapter gained momentum when Paralyzed Veterans of America’s entrepreneurship program recognized her pitch and provided $2,500 in startup support for Velox Mobility, wheelchair-accessible transportation service she’s developing in Delaware.
For Miller, the award was more than seed money. It was another answer to every prediction that had attempted to define her future.
A Career Rooted in Service
Miller enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1989 and trained as a finance specialist. Stationed first at Fort Drum, New York, she suffered the first of the injuries that would follow her for years during a trail run. She recovered enough to keep serving, later deploying to Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Her career eventually took her to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where she moved from finance into logistics and supply work.
That career ended after a second, far more serious injury. While driving a military Humvee on base, Miller was struck from the side by a driver who ran a red light. The collision damaged her spine and hip and left her with migraines and progressive nerve damage.
She was honorably discharged on disability in 1998. In the years that followed, she underwent cervical spine surgery involving two plates and six screws and continued to experience worsening mobility limitations, including paralysis affecting her lower body. She also reports lung damage associated with toxic exposure during Gulf War service.
Miller, who was told she lacked the capacity to finish college, went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in organizational management and an associate degree in computer programming.
Turning Experience into Advocacy
Miller’s relationship with PVA began after years of struggling to get her disabilities fully recognized. A counselor referred her to PVA, whose representatives reviewed her records and helped her secure the benefits she’d earned.
“They reviewed all my records, and they helped me get my full disability,” she said.
Today, Miller serves as Delaware government relations director for PVA’s Colonial Chapter, advocating for veterans with spinal cord injuries and conditions like MS and ALS, and pushing to advance accessibility, health care, and transportation.
That work sharpened an awareness she’d already gained at home: reliable, wheelchair-accessible transportation is hard to find outside Delaware’s population centers, especially for rural riders who need an accessible vehicle and trained driver.
Velox Mobility: A Business Built Around Independence
Miller’s response was practical. She wanted to build the service she wished more veterans and families could rely on. She named it Velox Mobility. Its vehicles will let passengers enter in their own wheelchairs and stay securely positioned during travel, reducing unnecessary lifting and protecting dignity.
“It makes them feel more independent,” Miller said. “Many people do not want to depend on someone else for every basic movement.”
Through PVA’s self-employment program, Miller refined the concept with mentors and SBA resources, working through vehicle acquisition, insurance, driver qualifications, and building a client base.
“You have to get clients,” she said. “You never have every answer when you start.”
Still Serving
Miller doesn’t describe entrepreneurship as a route to wealth. It’s a way to stay active and keep serving.
“I’m doing great things because I chose to rise above what happened to me and not let the people or circumstances that caused that trauma win,” she said. “Do not allow a disability, or another person’s assumptions about your disability, to determine what you are capable of accomplishing. Reach for the stars. Even if you miss, you may still land on the moon.”
From the motor pool to the driver’s seat, Miller is still moving forward and building a path for other veterans to move forward with her.
Learn more about how PVA supports the careers of ALL veterans by visiting PVA.org/VeteransCareerProgram.
