“With the right support and people who believe in you, there’s nothing you can’t do.” 

For Josh Whitaker, those words reflect both lived experience and purpose. 

A spinal cord injury survivor and one of Vistra’s environmental directors, Josh has spent 25 years with the company championing inclusion. He is also the founder and chair of Vistrability, Vistra’s employee resource group focused on disability inclusion and awareness. 

“I started Vistrability because I wanted to give someone else the opportunity for a meaningful life,” Josh says. “Everyone deserves to feel like they belong, in the workplace and in their community.” 

That vision is now driving meaningful change across Vistra and beyond. 

Through Vistrability’s partnership with The Texas Ramp Project, employees are helping build free wheelchair ramps for people in need. Since 2022, more than 250 Vistra employees have volunteered hundreds of hours to build 40 ramps, expanding access, safety, and independence for communities across Texas. 

The impact is personal for many employees. 

After volunteering on a ramp build, control room operator Nathan Wood was inspired to bring similar efforts to his own community near the Wise County Power Plant. He has since organized three local builds, including one just minutes from the plant, with support from his team, who contributed $1,000 to fund the projects. 

For Josh, this work is about more than ramps. 

“These ramps make life easier, yes, but more importantly, they represent freedom,” he says. “Hopefully, this will be a legacy that lives on long after I am gone.” 

That legacy is gaining national recognition. Vistra has been recognized three times as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion by the Disability Equality Index, a joint initiative of Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities. 

Recognition matters, but for Josh, Nathan, and the Vistrability team, the real impact is simple: opening doors for others, one ramp at a time.