"I struggled. I lived out of my car for a while, but people gave me a hand and helped me discover adaptive sports. It made all the difference. That’s why I want to tell others about it. I feel like I owe it to other people."

"The first sport I tried was snow skiing. I didn’t know anything about anything until I read this article about what they were doing up in Big Bear, California – where they had all kinds of people skiing. What the heck, I was young, I tried it and didn’t want to stop. If there was a massive storm, they always knew I would show up.”

But you had to make a living, right?

Houghton smiles wryly, “I got a little money from the accident, but like so many other kids, I blew through it right away. Didn’t think. Partied. So, all of a sudden, I needed a job to survive. I began working at selling medical supplies, but I became known for a lot more than that.”

As Andy went into hospitals, talking about products and doing in-services for the medical professionals, he became well known as ‘the guy who would come in and help others’.

“I had this thing where I could talk to the patients about anything. We talked a lot about sexuality, getting back into the dating thing. I’d do in-services for doctors regarding medical equipment, and they realized I was genuine. I sincerely wanted to help shorten the learning curve.”

In addition to selling medical supplies, Andy had other goals. He envisioned an adaptive Sports Camp for families who could learn about new things while just having good, clean fun. That was the start of the now-famous annual Land Meets Sea Sports Camp in Long Beach, California.

“At first, the event was just a way to bring people together. It expanded so people could be exposed to new things, adaptive sports, and new products. Eventually Casa Colina picked up the program and I believe it continues today."

Besides kayaking, water skiing, hand cycling, archery, and other sports, what did people learn at Land Meets Sea? The answer: From learning about new sports equipment to intermittent catheter options, the goal was for participants to learn ways to increase independence.

Andrew learned. He was invited to be part of U.S. AbilityOne Commission – an independent Federal Agency employing 40,000 + people with significant disabilities.

“There I was, this Southern California Skier Dude, along with about 14 highly educated senior government officials, on the Board of the AbilityOne Commission. I was the first person in a wheelchair on the Committee and the first private citizen to be elected to serve as Committee Chairperson. I did that through 2011. I got to do some cool stuff! I went to the White House Christmas parties and was honored to receive awards, but when I look back, I see how naïve and inexperienced I was about being a leader.”

“My goals were to listen and learn as much as I could. Then, once I felt comfortable enough, I participated. However, I think I could have been more understanding of the things that were possible and could have a little more patience.”

“When I finished the AbilityOne Program in 2011, I needed to reinvent myself and apply the experience to something else. I had a lot of video experience, but I kind of flailed for some time."

“Again, thanks to some of my colleagues, I got involved in a nonprofit corporation to develop Universal Design (UD) standards. It’s called Global Universal Design Commission, Inc. (GUDC) and has grown to become the leading certifier of buildings, commercial, and residential developments, and products that meet Universal Design standards.”

Houghton describes his present work.

"Every single building project has to meet certain standards for Universal Design whether it is in India or Indiana. That was the beginning of 25 countries, now we done hundreds and hundreds of assessments. We may be only working in one or two sites, but our work translates to our customers entire global footprint."

From connecting people with information to employment equality to an accessible world, Andy has made a significant, positive impact in the lives of countless individuals living with a disability.