UCP AffNet Entrance
Current Projects
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), a pivotal advocate for people with all disabilities, is leading the Life Without Limits initiative in cooperation with former Congressman, and lifelong advocate for people with disabilities, Tony Coelho.
Since its inception in Spring 2007, Life Without Limits has emerged as a thought-leadership platform to promote projects that advance the health and well-being of people with disabilities. Life Without Limits initiatives are designed to engage technology to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and reach of key social services delivered daily by United Cerebral Palsy affiliates to more than 176,000 people with disabilities and their families.
Ruby's Bequest (care giving)
UCP, in collaboration with the Institute for the Future (IFTF) and AARP is sponsoring a unique collaborative storytelling 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. We invite people of all backgrounds and experiences to share their concerns, questions and innovative solutions on topics ranging from elder care to Medicare and Social Security to time management and stress reduction. We believe that utilizing new media to engage the general population could uncover new ways of thinking about the role of caring in our society.
Ruby's Bequest publicly launched March 9, 2009, introducing to the world the fictional town of Deepwell, USA, where the community is abuzz with talk of the mysterious Ruby Wood. She recently died and left a sizeable estate to the town, but only if its citizens can dramatically improve how they take care of their own people. So, in order to pass the "caring tests" posed by Ruby's will, the citizens of Deepwell are seeking advice from people all over the world:
What are the best ways out there to care for people with Alzheimer's? Or cancer? Or post traumatic stress disorder?
Through this unique, immersive experience, thousands of people will add their stories and strategies, and work together via email, video, and phone, to imagine-and create-a new "ecosystem of caring."
Ruby's Bequest project operators will then incorporate all these ideas into the ongoing narrative, and together with the project participants, will guide the townspeople 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.
My Child Without Limits
My Child Without Limits is a comprehensive informational and social networking resource for families and caregivers of children ages 0-5 with developmental delays or disabilities and for the professionals who work with them.
The first offerings of My Child Without Limits include:
Web-based Resource - Building on the UCP goal of a "Life without Limits for People with Disabilities," the My Child Without Limits web site, www.mychildwithoutlimits.org, is a comprehensive early intervention resource combined with a vital social network. The web site provides access to accurate, user-friendly, and relevant disability-related information, resource guides, and experts on early intervention and family support. The site also provides a forum for training UCP staff and industry professionals and is a source of outreach materials for the larger care giving community.
Social Networking - The combination of an authoritative, information-rich web site and an extensive online community platform will be a powerful asset for users and will act as a key differentiating point from other disability-related web sites. The online community platform provides a social networking element to create a sense of community and support to help families through very difficult emotional and psychological times. The moderated online community hosted on www.mychildwithoutlimits.org will provide explicit connections for caregivers and family members through its open-source platform of integrated newsletters, blogs, and discussion boards. Families and caregivers will have an opportunity to share experiences, information, and practical ideas that will empower them to make informed decisions. Additionally, the My Child Without Limits online community is an ideal forum to cultivate a community of advocates to further unify the disability voice to promote real change.
The authoritative portion of the My Child Without Limits Web site will launch in early 2009. Please visit the online community today at http://www.inspire.com/groups/my-child-without-limits.
RSS Feed