Do Your Part to Help Pass the Class Act &
the Community Choice Act Today
Two of the disability community's top legislative priorities, the Community Choice Act (HR 1670/S.683) and the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act (HR 1721/S.697), are again coming up for debate in Congress. Disability advocates are already putting the pressure on elected officials to pass these two critical laws, and now UCP and The Arc of the United States have created two online resources for grassroots activists:
On each page, you'll find the language of the bill, who's sponsoring it, how to contact your representatives, along with factsheets (CLASS Act; Community Choice Act) and other advocacy resources. You'll also find links to the Pass the Class Act and Pass the Community Choice Act Facebook groups.
The CLASS Act amends the Public Health Service Act to create a national, voluntary disability insurance program (CLASS program) under which:
All employees are automatically enrolled, but are allowed to waive enrollment;
Payroll deductions pay monthly premiums; and
Two-tiered benefits are provided, based on the level of disability, to purchase non-medical services and supports that the beneficiary needs to maintain independence.
The Community Choice Act gives people real choice in long term care options by:
Reforming Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid) by ending the institutional bias and allowing individuals eligible for Nursing Facility Services or Intermediate Care Facility Services for the Mentally Retarded (ICF-MR) the opportunity to choose instead a new alternative, Community-based Attendant Services; and
Offering states financial assistance to reform their long term service and support system to provide services in the most integrated setting.
2009 UCP Annual Conference Wrap-Up
Nearly 200 hundred people representing UCP affiliate staff, volunteers and Board members from across North America gathered together April 22-25th at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in the dazzling city of San Francisco for the 2009 UCP Annual Conference, entitled, Growing An Agile, Potent Network; Connect. Collaborate. Evolve.
This year's event focused on Life Without Limits, and centered on helping affiliates build a stronger, more effective network with other affiliates and National. Conference participants heard from experts on growth, efficiency and collaboration on a range of topics, including mergers and acquisitions, compensation issues, the effective use of social media, advances in neurotechnology, and much more.
Speakers and experts offered conference attendees concrete ideas on how to survive in these turbulent times using case studies developed from interviews with 10 affiliates. Additionally, the strategies offered by presenters had a specific focus on fundraising strategies, tips and best practices.
Conference participants also had several networking opportunities to catch up with colleagues and old friends, and enjoyed some free time for sightseeing on Friday afternoon.
In conjunction with the conference, the UCP National Office hosted an online auction that raised approximately $2,000.
For more 2009 United Cerebral Palsy Annual Conference Coverage, please visit the UCPeople blog.
36 Hours of Gaming for a Good Cause
By Benjamin Proulx, Sherwood Park News
"Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School's (ABJ) 36-hour "game-a-thon" for the fight against Cerebral Palsy (CP) in early April has already raised $2,500 dollars more than its original goal.
"The game-a-thon, run by the High School's Gaming Club, as well as the club's co-founder and ABJ teacher Mike Joly, was hoping to raise $5,000 for the United Cerebral Palsy affiliate, Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta (CPAA). However, after 36-hours of playing video games and forcing themselves to try and keep their eyes open, students had raised $7,500.
Disability Policy Seminar: A Success
The 2009 Disability Policy Seminar took place last week. The Disability Policy Seminar had an amazing participant turnout of over five hundred and fifty people from 48 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, in addition to international participants from Norway and Canada. This number of participants surpasses last year's event which suggests that the the perceived value of participating in the creation of policy is important, particularly during the current economic crisis.
The event culminated in over 150 visits to Congressional offices to advocate for key disability programs and issues.
The following issues took center stage during the 2 day seminar and drove the agendas for the hundreds of meetings with Senators, Representatives and their staffs:
Each May National Foster Care Month provides an opportunity for people all across the nation to focus attention on the year-round needs of American children and youth in foster care. The campaign raises awareness about foster care and encourages many more citizens to get involved in the lives of these youth — whether as their foster parents, volunteers, mentors, employers or in other ways. National Foster Care Month is sponsored by a partnership of many national child advocacy organizations. The Partnership has created a Toolkit that organizations and individuals can use to spread information and awareness about the needs of children in foster care.
Several UCP Affiliates are involved in their local foster care system in various capacities. Even if the affiliate in your local area is not involved, this is a good opportunity to review resources on this topic and potentially help make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities in foster care in your community.
Founded in 1948 to help people with cerebral palsy, today United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is a pivotal advocate for the rights of all people with disabilities. As one of the largest health charities in America, UCP is dedicated to advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities.
'Like a miracle' The Daily Pilot Costa Mesa,CA,USA 5/2/09 "United Cerebral Palsy has a motto, which is 'Life without Limits,'" Ingram said. "I think watching a person like this girl proves to people that you can do things that others wouldn’t envision you could do. She is very inspirational and it's not just inspirational to people with cerebral palsy, but it should inspire everybody."
Ducks executive goes 'Beyond Limits' The OC Register Orange County,CA,USA 4/30/09 This is the true story of Bonner Paddock, the Ducks' senior director of corporate partnerships, who, this past September, climbed a mountain and into the countless hearts forever.
Is It Possible To 'Recover' From Autism? Disability Scoop USA 4/17/09 Like many children who develop autism, Jake Exkorn experienced normal development, then lost nearly all of his communication skills before the age of two. But unlike most children who received the diagnosis, today at age 13, doctors say Jake no longer has the disorder.
Theater offers actors with disabilities an outlet ABC7Chicago.com (Video) Chicago,IL,USA 4/16/09 Three years ago, a former actress who also directs, created a community theater for people with disabilities and their non-disabled buddies.
Man With Spinal Cord Injury Named Top HHS Disability Adviser Disability Scoop USA 4/15/09 A man who once relied on Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) himself is now being appointed to lead the office on disability at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the department announced Wednesday.
Deaf Actress Marlee Matlin CNN (Larry King Live interview) USA 4/14/09 Deaf actress Marlee Matlin has captivated millions with her film roles over the years. And she's now giving a new voice to an important issue.
States Slashing Social Programs for Vulnerable New York Times New York,NY,USA 4/11/09 Battered by the recession and the deepest and most widespread budget deficits in several decades, a large majority of states are slicing into their social safety nets — often crippling preventive efforts that officials say would save money over time.
Special Olympics - "Spread the word to end the word" Examiner.com Washington,DC,USA 4/4/09 "Spread the Word to End the Word" is a campaign effort, launched by high school and college students in the United States, to raise awareness of the negative impact the word "retard" can bring about in our society.
Dale Tells National Council on Disability, Glass Is Half Full, and Filling GettingHired.com Washington,DC,USA 4/2/09 Dale described his duties at the White House as public liaison and domestic policy counsel. He said that the President has already begun to implement an aggressive agenda to meet the needs of people with disabilities, that surpasses the plan which he outlined during the campaign.
Wounded Warriors Choose Ability Over Disability Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Atlanta,GA,USA 4/2/09 Marine Lance Cpl. Louis Stamatelos realized he had two choices after waking up two years ago with severe wounds in the intensive care unit at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Appeals court rules against charity bingo Capitol Weekly Sacramento,CA,USA 4/2/09 Charity bingo operators in Sacramento lost a major round in court last week when a three-judge panel overturned a lower court injunction that would have allowed them to stay in business.
UCP loses funds for social Services The Chestnut Hill Local Philadelphia,PA,USA 4/2/09 In July of last year, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania significantly restructured its priorities to focus on improving substandard day care centers, training and internships for middle and high school dropouts, and in-home services for area seniors.
Early humans may have cared for disabled young New Scientist USA 3/31/09 A recently unearthed ancient human skull shows signs of a disorder that might have caused mental retardation. This offers the earliest evidence that ancestors of Homo Sapiens did not abandon young with severe birth defects.
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