I think rehab/PT counts as an EC.
Also: If you have the time, consider getting involved in helping to provide peer support to newly injured teens somehow or even as an advocate in your school system or local community to try to improve things for others who might face similar circumstances?
OK, I saw you listed probable majors. No problem then as I don’t believe those are restricted for CC transfers.
That’s a good idea, thank you!
In addition to all of the ideas mentioned, I would encourage you to consider schools that consider applications holistically. You sound like a real fighter and someone that is determined to make the best of their situation. We have a family friend that had significant concussions and post concussive brain issues which seriously impacted their grades several years in high school. However, like you, they also had strong test scores on APs and the SAT. These issues were explained in the “Special Circumstances” part of the Common App and were supported in the letter from their Guidance counselor. They were admitted or waitlisted everywhere they applied, including UVermont, UWisc Madison, and Dartmouth College.
Yeah, I think you have a better chance of getting in to schools than you think if you explain what happened.
Try to find out from parents what schools they will be willing to pay for.
Make sure they realize what costs are now too for “good schools” that are private or OOS with no fin aid or merit money.
I agree with others that your admissions prospects may not be as poor as you fear. You’ve obviously proven your ability to handle college-level work and push through adversity. Schools with single-digit admit rates may be a bridge too far; but if you can get past the first filter and get AO’s to take a serious look at your application, I think there are schools your parents are likely to consider “good” that would want you as a student.
You do need to drill down more, with your parents, on the money aspect. It’s understandable that they have a “value curve” in mind. You do have a path into top-tier public universities in Virginia; so even if they have the resources for a full-pay private education, there’s bound to be a bar in terms of which schools are worth the additional money over that public-education baseline.
So, you need to know
a) whether full-pay private is really an option, at all, anywhere
b) and if so, what schools they consider worth that level of investment (understanding that there may be a lot of case-by-case factors that go into that assessment)
I can only imagine what a hit your family finances must have taken with your injury, so a candid discussion is in order as far as what will really work budget-wise. While I think you may be able to get into some excellent schools, getting merit aid is going to be tough unless it’s based purely on test scores or unless you can find very specific scholarships that are earmarked for students with disabilities.
I’m trying to think of OOS public options that are worth considering, but I can’t really think of a good example. It’s harder to find “holistic” admissions at public U’s, and VA’s public system is hard to beat. I’m not ruling out that there might be possibilities - just drawing a blank on that front at the moment. FWIW, UIUC is kind of the “magnet” campus these days for PWD (kind of like Berkeley was back in the day, and UW Madison for a while) - very extensive adaptive sports program and so on - but I’m not sure what the admissions pathway would look like for you, and not sure it would be enough of a draw for you compared to the VA schools anyway.
One school that springs to my mind, for completely subjective reasons, is Boston University. BU has a long history of supporting students with disabilities. I worked as a PCA and academic assistant for several fellow students when I went to PT school there in the 80’s. (Worked in SCI and TBI rehab for years after that, so I’ve seen a few generations go through this process.) Not only is the University a relatively accessible place, but Boston would be a fantastic city in which to spread your wings and build an independent life. The transit system is unusually accessible (in sharp contrast to NYC!) and there is an active and influential disability community that has been doing the work of making Boston disability-friendly since long before you were born. In addition to all that’s great about Boston as a student city generally, there are tons of recreational opportunities for wheelchair users - skiing, sailing, sledge hockey, you name it. And there are so many people living their professional lives there, from prior generations of students with disabilities, who could be mentors and guides and quite possibly connect you with internship opportunities as well. Plus the resources of Sargent College (the school of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences), where students and faculty are always eager to help troubleshoot the needs of students with disabilities. The other foot-in-the-door that exists at BU is the College of General Studies, which is an alternative two-year pathway into the University that offers a liberal arts core from which you then transition into the major of your choice. You can apply to this program as your first choice; or you might get offered CGS as a backup if you apply to another program. (There’s an optional semester at BU’s London campus built into this program, which could be a cool opportunity for a student like you who’s interested in IR, and likely a more seamless and supportive study-abroad experience than a program that isn’t run by the same university you attend.)
Anyway… the other nice thing about BU is that in my experience, it punches above its weight class in terms of its gravitas with people in my generation; I was always surprised how impressed people were (especially outside of the Boston area, lol) that I went to BU. So it might make the “worth paying for” cut for your parents, without being Ivy-level difficult to get into.
Obviously I’m going way into depth about just one school when there are many possibilities - but it’s one that I know well, and I think it has potential given what you’re looking for… and if nothing else one example can offer proof of concept even if it’s not quite the right thing for you.
I think you’re asking the right questions about the essay issue. You need to walk a fine line, because let’s face it, this experience has dominated the arc of your life in high school, and it wouldn’t make sense to avoid discussing something that has both influenced who you’re becoming, and highlighted personal qualities you already had. However, writing about disability is a trope minefield, and it takes effort and creativity to make it fresh and free of cliches. The goal is to stand out as a unique individual in the context of these experiences, and to subvert your readers’ tendency to cast you as one of the stereotypes they already carry in their heads (the tragic hero, the Overcomer, etc. etc.) It can be done, and IMHO you should take it on, but it’s tricky and you most likely won’t hit the sweet spot in the first few drafts, so get an early start on crafting it. (Happy to help if you want to PM me.)
Also, one comment about the suggestion to become a peer mentor and whatnot - yes, those things are great, but don’t rush it. It’s early days yet in terms of your own adjustment to a huge shift in your life, and there is nothing whatsoever wrong with taking the time to be on the receiving end of peer mentoring. That doesn’t mean you can’t help and support others as well, but don’t feel pressured to step into the role of someone who has it all figured out, especially not in order to prove something to colleges or whomever. And especially with therapy becoming the centerpiece of your life during your gap year, you may really want to balance that out with EC’s that are not about disability. Maybe see if you can help coach debate/MUN stuff, or something like that. It’s likely very wise to take the gap year to work on rehab stuff, since the demands of high school have likely made it hard to give that your full attention up 'til now; but try to avoid letting that pendulum swing so far that you find yourself feeling like a “professional patient.” It’s all about balance.
Sorry if I’ve overdone the rambling - take what’s useful and leave the rest! 
@DisabledDonut We are all rooting for you here. Please do not minimize what you have been able to accomplish on your road to recovery or your potential contribution to others on a similar journey.
Thank you so much for all the helpful comments! I honestly feel a lot better about potential opportunities now, I’ll be sure to have a more in-depth conversation about money with my parents.