Help Shape the Future of Caregiving Today

We all worry about our loved ones, and how we can provide the best possible future for them. All of us will become caregivers at some point, and face obstacles to attaining the best possible future for the ones we love.

UCP wants to help people find solutions and believes utilizing new media to engage the general population will uncover new ways to shape our structures of caring. For that reason, UCP, in collaboration with AARP and the Institute for the Future (IFTF), is sponsoring a unique collaborative story telling experience for the public good - Ruby's Bequest - in which tens of thousands of people will help forecast the future of caring in the United States.

As people add their stories and interact with Deepwell's characters (via email, video, and phone), Ruby's Bequest will gather these ideas about "the ecosystems of caring" at one website, http://www.rubysbequest.org/. And together townspeople and participants will guide the town into the year 2016, forecasting how individual ideas and collaborative solutions work over time to manage the quality of life in Deepwell and the nation as a whole.

Visit the Ruby's Bequest Web site today to begin shaping the future of care giving.

First Ever
Disability Power and Pride Inaugural Ball a Huge Success

On Sunday, January 18, 2009, nearly 1,000 people with disabilities, friends, advocates and supporters from across the country gathered together at the National Press Club to celebrate President Barack Obama's Inauguration. And by all measures, the first-ever Disability Power and Pride Inaugural Ball was a great success. Attendees enjoyed good food and drinks, mingled with colleagues and old friends, and danced the night away to classic tunes performed by D.C. - based jukeboxx.

Actress and comedian Geri Jewell, best known as cousin Geri from the "Facts of Life," entertained the crowd, along with world renowned dance and media artist Bill Shannon, who has a degenerative hip condition and used his crutches to perform an incredible dance routine.

In Addition to leaders in the disability community, including former Congressman and co-author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Tony Coelho, AAPD's Andy Imparato, and UCP President and CEO Stephen Bennett, long time advocates Steny Hoyer (D MD), House Majority Leader, and Senator Tom Harkin (DIA), spoke about the significance of the evening, and what lies ahead for the Obama Administration in their quest to help people with disabilities live life without limits.

Additionally, key members of President Obama's administration were in attendance, including Melody C. Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

"It was a great night. People with disabilities, their friends and supporters gathered together for the first time to celebrate a new President, a new era in history, and a new dawn for the disability community. I hope this tradition continues every four years," remarked ball attendee Patrick Tutwiler.

The Disability Power and Pride Inaugural Ball was a political debut for the disability community a way for us to say, "We’re here, we’re visible, and we’re going to be as involved as anyone else in this dialogue about the future of our country." And that, more than anything else, is what made this night special.

2009 UCP Annual Conference –
Donate Items for the Online Auction

The National Office is again hosting an online auction in collaboration with the UCP annual conference in April. We are looking for your support, and opportunities to highlight the programs and services our affiliates provide, which demonstrate how living a Life Without Limits, is more important now than ever before.

This year, we are seeking auction items made or purchased to help support the mission of United Cerebral Palsy. Some ideas might be artwork of children or adults, new technology items, such as an iPod or video camera, books, vacation get-aways such as hotel stays, spa visits, or prepaid airline tickets and car rentals, jewelry, gift certificates valued at $100 or more, etc.

If you are willing to donate an item, please send an e-mail to Emily Dolenz containing a description of the item, the story behind the item, and how you want it to be acknowledged online. All items are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We hope you can help support the UCP annual conference online today.

If you have general questions about the online auction, or specific questions about what might be acceptable to donate, please contact Emily Dolenz at 202-776-0406 x7100.

Creating Abilities with the Creative Arts at UCPLA

Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and other related disabilities often do not receive enough opportunity to explore their unique capabilities, express themselves authentically and act with independence. The creative arts allow children a powerful forum to do just that, which is why UCPLA launched the UCPLAy Project.

The UCPLAy Project is dedicated to providing children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and other related disabilities, creative theater and drama workshops. The innovative program brings drama to students with special needs in classrooms across the Los Angeles Unified School District and soon to expand to the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.

Every week for eight weeks, Program Manager Olivia Karaolis visits the participating schools to teach the creative workshops. These workshops are structured around a theme inspired by the class teacher. The children are introduced to dramatic activities and use these to create a performance. Each school produces a unique performance that is devised, performed and belongs to the students.

At Walgrove Avenue Elementary School students are exploring friendship by creating an original piece of puppet theatre. Titled "Lou-Lou in the City of Angels," the puppet play was devised by the students and they created their own puppets to use during the play. One non-verbal student, while reflecting on his work, wrote he was "pleased to know that angels existed and that they could speak." The classroom teacher noted that the children were making connections about friendship in their daily activities as a result of their classroom experience.

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