Mission

We use shared experiences to support people with disabilities and develop the men of Pi Kappa Phi into servant leaders. 

Vision

Create a community, one relationship at a time, where the abilities of all people are recognized and valued.

Values

Abilities, Teamwork, Empathy and Integrity

 

The Ability Experience, formerly Push America, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves people with disabilities. The Ability Experience was founded in 1977 as the national philanthropy of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity with the purpose of instilling lifelong service in its members and enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities. Although the organization is still fulfilling the purpose for which it was intended, The Ability Experience has grown into a nationally recognized nonprofit with numerous programs educating undergraduates, alumni and communities about the abilities of people with disabilities. To date, The Ability Experience has raised over $15 million for people with disabilities.

 

The areas we focus on are service leadership, construction, and cycling. Service Leadership – With over 100,000 members and 160 chapters nationwide, The Ability Experience and Pi Kappa Phi have a unique opportunity to touch the lives of many individuals and encourage them to become leaders through service on campus and in their communities. At leadership conferences every year Pi Kappa Phi leaders learn how to spread the message of acceptance and understanding for people with disabilities to their own campuses and communities.

 

Over the course of The Ability Experience’s history, the way the organization achieves its mission has changed often without ever forgetting its roots. When it was founded, The Ability Experience was based on the construction of play units for children with disabilities. It was only a matter of years before construction was no longer the sole focal point of the organization.

 

Cycling was introduced 10 years into the organization’s history with Journey of Hope, a cross-country cycling event, followed by Gear Up Florida, a similar event across the state. With the addition of Build America a few years later, cycling and construction truly began working hand-in-hand to change the lives of people with disabilities.

Currently, The Ability Experience still utilizes construction and cycling as main vehicles for impact, but has also added The Ability Experience Challenges, events not restricted to only members of Pi Kappa Phi focused on pushing the limits of human ability.

 

More than any one event, though, is the idea of service leadership. The goal of each and every Ability Experience program is to give of one’s self in order to benefit people with disabilities, instilling a lifelong commitment to service.