UCP and MetDESK Partnership a Tool for Financial Awareness
With April being Financial Awareness Month, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) proudly announces the renewed annual commitment of MetDESK®, MetLife's Division of Estate Planning for Special Kids, as a Leadership Partner in the UCP Corporate Member Circle. MetDESK is a longtime partner with UCP and this partnership continues to grow in the range of skills and tools that MetDESK offers the UCP Affiliate network.
MetDESK is an organization dedicated to helping families secure both lifetime care and quality of life for their children or other dependents with special needs. The philosophy of planning for the future of people with disabilities is a shared goal and one that ensures the success of the relationship between UCP and MetDESK. The UCP affiliate network works closely with MetDESK specialists in their respective areas throughout the country to provide specific and tailored financial tools to secure peace of mind for the families that support the needs of special kids, as well as an excellent quality of life for those living with a disability.
The tools that MetDESK offers the families of children with special needs through the UCP affiliate network include helping families plan for the future of their children or other dependents with special needs, preserving government benefits, and providing insurance and other financial solutions which can help provide lifetime quality care. The MetDESK partnership with UCP is founded on care, quality of life, and future needs, which are all part of the mission that the UCP affiliate network strives to entrust everyday.
Visit the MetDESK booth in the Exhibit Hall at the 2008 Believable Hope Annual Conference, June 18 21 in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit the MetDESK Web page, call MetDESK at 1-877-MetDESK (1-877-638-3375), Kelly Piacenti at (732) 893-3284, or Mary Claire Gomeringer at (732) 893-3292.
ADAPT Storms the HHS Advocating For Disability Policies
The Justice for All Blog reported Monday that the ADAPT organization stormed the Hubert H. Humphrey building, the headquarters for the federal department of Health and Human Services (HHS) near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
ADAPT has a long history of organizing in the disability community and using civil disobedience and similar non-violent direct action tactics to achieve its goals. On Monday, over 500 advocates closed off all points of access to the building until HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt agreed to meet with ADAPT about the current policies that force people into nursing homes and other institutions, and prevent them from moving back to their own homes and communities. ADAPT issued a statement of demands.
By the end of the day, legal council to Secretary Leavitt, Philo Hall delivered a letter from Secretary Leavitt promising a meeting within 30 days with ADAPT to discuss the statement of demands as well as a meeting between ADAPT leadership and the Secretary next Wednesday.
As UCPeople reported earlier, April is National Autism Awareness Month, and the Learn the Signs, Act Early campaign is issuing a challenge to help "Paint the Country Purple" with activities that help spread the campaign's messages to people in communities across the country. Purple is the first visible color of the color spectrum and the campaign's official color. It represents the importance of monitoring development early in a child's life—the first step toward detecting a developmental delay and helping a child reach his or her full potential.
Did you know that Children with developmental disabilities have higher rates of injury? Sensory neural deficits, such as blindness or deafness and cognitive, emotional or social limitations may also increase the risk of certain types of injury yet very few injury prevention and awareness resources exist for children with disabilities.
Learn how you can help prevent injuries in children with disabilities:
National Safe Kids week is sponsored by Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under. There are Safe Kids chapters across the country. To find one near you, visit the USA Kids Web site.
Calling All Exhibitors
Looking for the perfect venue to showcase your new and exciting product? Look no further than the 2008 Believable Hope Conference, June 18-21, at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, DC. This conference will bring together professionals from the disability community, executive and community leaders from national, state and local agencies, and members from the UCP network of affiliates.
Exhibitor Spotlight: Medtronic
Medtronic is the world leader in medical technology, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease, and offering products, therapies and services that enhance or extend the lives of millions of people. Each year, 6 million patients benefit from Medtronic's technology used to treat conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders, and vascular illnesses.
The company partners with UCP through its Exploring Spasticity program, an online community designed to raise awareness of spasticity, bring those who are affected together to share their personal stories and coping strategies, and empower individuals to seek treatment.
Lunch and session breaks throughout the conference, a cyber cafe coffee house, and family-related activities within the exhibit hall will drive additional traffic to your booths.
» U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has called upon nonprofit organizations, small businesses, corporations and individuals to submit entries for the 2008 Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award. (The deadline for nominations is May 30, 2008).
Dealing with disabilities The Star Press, 4/27/08 Imagine being told you cannot shop at a local store. Or travel along a downtown sidewalk. Or find reliable transportation. Imagine being told your civil rights just don't matter.
Man with cerebral palsy continues journey at Nelson The Dallas Morning News, 4/26/08 There was a smile on D.J. Gregory's face as he walked along the first fairway at TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas on Friday.
Laura's legacy: Girl touched many lives The Arizona Replublic, 4/25/08 Laura's name is on the United Cerebral Palsy center in north Phoenix, a sprawling facility that allows children a spacious and comfortable place for therapy and play. It replaced the former cramped quarters in a strip center.
Web Sites Expand Rating Information On Nursing Homes The Wall Street Journal, 4/24/08 The federal government on Thursday plans to identify some of the most troubled nursing homes in its public database, part of a trend toward giving consumers easier access to a trove of nursing-home information online.
Dealing with disabilities and discipline at work Siouxland Business Journal, 4/24/08 Every now and then, one of our clients asks about how to impose disciplinary action when the employee in question has a disability. The tendency is to let various performance issues slide for fear of becoming involved in an employment discrimination claim. For all the right reasons, employers want to comply with the provisions of the American's with Disabilities Act. Naturally, we want to comply with the law. More important, we want employers to treat employees with dignity and respect.
Blind users still struggle with 'maddening' computing obstacles Computerworld, 4/16/08 (Video) Put your graphical user interface to this test: Adjust the contrast on your display until the screen is completely black. Now, perform basic e-mail, word processing and Web-browsing tasks. What? Having a problem?
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