1 of 24 Welcome Letter Dear Colleague, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is pleased to provide you with this reference guide outlining the opportunities of engagement with UCP. Contained within these pages, you will find a brief history of the organization and a summary of the benefits and services you will receive as a member of the UCP network. What cannot be put into words, however, is the spirit of UCP and its affiliates, who serve more than 176,000 people with disabilities every day. While there are many different organizations serving people with disabilities, I have been fortunate enough to see firsthand the entrepreneurial leadership our network provides, the deep commitment our affiliates have to advancing the civil rights movement for people with disabilities and the innovative approaches UCP affiliates take to not only solving problems today but to revolutionizing care and services to ensure that people with disabilities participate as full citizens of our society well into the future. UCP believes that people with disabilities should, can and must be afforded a life without limits. We are grateful to our committed network of leaders who are leading the way in realizing this mission. Sincerely, Stephen Bennett President & Chief Executive Officer UCP President & CEO Stephen Bennett speaks at celebration of the 20 th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act & 15 th anniversary of Disability Discrimination Act (UK) at the British Embassy in Washington, DC, July 2010 2 of 24 Overview & Mission Founded in 1949, UCP educates, advocates and, provides support services through its affiliate network, to ensure a life without limits for people with a spectrum of disabilities. The mission of United Cerebral Palsy is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network . This is achieved by providing services and support to more than 176,000 children and adults every day—one person at a time, one family at a time. UCP works to enact system change—to revolutionize care, raise standards of living and create opportunities—impacting the lives of millions of people living with disabilities and their families. For more than 60 years, UCP has worked to ensure the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in every facet of society. Together, with parents and caregivers, UCP continues to push for the social, legal and technological changes that increase accessibility and independence, allowing people with disabilities to achieve their maximum potential. National Office The UCP national office in Washington, DC supports the affiliate network; advocates on behalf of people with disabilities; advances federal disability public policy; provides public education and outreach; provides consulting assistance on various issues – including financial assessments, business strategy, mergers and social enterprise creation – through expert teams from across UCP’s network and beyond; and pursues forward-thinking programs including its signature Life Without Limits initiative and Public Education & Outreach campaigns. Contact Information, Leadership & Media • Contact: 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006 800-872-5827, 202-776-0414, [email protected] , www.ucp.org • Leadership: Staff: ucp.org/about/national-staff Board of Trustees: ucp.org/about/board • Bruce Merlin Fried, Chair, National Board of Trustees • Stephen Bennett, President & Chief Executive Officer • Media: Publications: ucp.org/media/publications Social Media: ucp.org/media/social-media • Twitter: @UCPnational (twitter.com/ucpnational) • Facebook: facebook.com/unitedcerebralpalsy • YouTube: youtube.com/unitedcerebralpalsy 3 of 24 Affiliate Services A Global Network of Community Service Providers UCP affiliates are leaders in providing innovative programs and services to people with a spectrum of disabilities on a daily basis. We make a difference not only in the lives of the individuals we serve, but also in the communities of which we are a part. As one of the nation's leading health charities – serving and advocating for the more than 54 million Americans with disabilities – UCP is aware that organizations providing services for people with disabilities are facing as competitive and challenging an environment as ever before. UCP understands the landscape that service providers face today, and we are positioned to assist organizations to increase services to more people, enhance management and governance, pursue additional opportunities and generate new revenue. UCP is known for its service-based, affiliate-focused structure. Our strength as a national network is because of our affiliates, which are entrepreneurial and constantly growing to serve the needs of their communities. Our future lies in leveraging innovation to fulfill the promise of a life without limits for people with disabilities. For people with disabilities: • The civil rights movement is not over. • Life should be without limits. • UCP is committed to innovative solutions today. We serve a population who is the most dependent on Medicaid and Medicare, and we have top tier expertise in using those funding programs to help improve people’s lives. Our voice should be prominent as changes to those programs are discussed in the context of federal deficit reduction. But we are not the only provider in the nation with expertise in this area and we should put ourselves in a position to learn from other creative and innovative organizations. This requires affiliation with a national organization. And there is only one national organization that I believe is a good match for PROVAIL given our mission, our history, the population we serve, the scope of our work and our aspirations for growth—UCP. I see national affiliation as an investment in our capacity for success and I believe we will see a strongly positive return on that investment. --Michael Hatzenbeler, President and CEO, PROVAIL, an affiliate of UCP Programs, Products, Services & Benefits UCP affiliates receive a number of benefits as part of the UCP network, including: • Discounted rates for a variety of business products and services from our partners, including a group purchasing plan, business insurance, unemployment and HR Services. o UCP Purchasing Point : This program offers affiliates the opportunity to save 10-40% on products and supplies like food, cleaning supplies, express delivery, office supplies, etc. Access is afforded to all UCP affiliates. The online portal at www.ucp.org provides easy access to find vendors and for instructions about requesting participation from vendors in this special program (“signing up”). It also offers a social network of peers to share knowledge, ask questions, rate vendors, etc. You can use the feedback form link (at the bottom of every page) if anything is unclear, not working properly, or seems incorrect. New users can sign up with the access code ucp1949 4 of 24 o 501(c) Agencies Trust : This national agency helps nonprofits reduce unemployment costs, complete claims management, a human resources hotline and member agency staff training, stop loss insurance, and building member reserve accounts. All of these are aimed at keeping unemployment costs at the lowest level possible. • Technology & Support : UCP offers extensive technology & support resources, including template websites, free web hosting, a logo generation tool and IT expertise. • Bellows Fund : UCP administers a multimillion-dollar fund to be used to provide assistive technology devices to individuals with disabilities who are in financial need. As an affiliate, you are qualified to receive funds to purchase assistive technology equipment and devices for a person in need in your community. Allocations are available on an annual basis. The application is a one-page form and can be found on the UCP website. The Bellows Fund Committee reviews all applications and processes the requests quickly. “When Tosh received his own iPad from the Bellows Fund his eyes lit up, and he said, "It's mine?" This communication is a miracle as this nine year old boy of Haitian (immigrant) parents, was non-verbal two years ago when he started at Cypress School. When Tosh came to the school he was still in diapers, could not sit at his school desk or participate in any pre-school curriculum activities, and was aggressive with other students. Tosh began using an iPad with his Speech Therapist once weekly in November 2011, and he began making progress in speaking and participating in reading and math software programs. Cypress School / UCP of the North Bay applied for the Bellows Fund to support Tosh accessing language and academic activities every day. Since beginning to use his own iPad, Tosh has learned to use the Storyboard application and is writing short stories based on his social activity of the day. He can even read his own stories to a classmate now. Tosh's dad had tears in his eyes when our Special Education Teacher Jennifer Finney told him that Tosh had independently written "the girl is pretty." on his iPad. The Bellows Fund has made a big difference to Tosh's motivation, participation and learning! -- Laura Briggin, Cypress School / UCP of the North Bay 5 of 24 • Ewing Housing Loan Program : UCP administers a short-term, low-interest loan program for affiliates to construct or rehabilitate/modify accessible housing for people with disabilities. The funds are intended to assist affiliates with costs until long-term financing is secured. “UCP of Georgia and UCP of South Carolina have both been