History
Founded in 1953, UCP of Kansas' (UCP-K) original objective was to raise sufficient funding to pay the costs associated with educational and therapeutic services for children with cerebral palsy. For nearly 20 years, UCP-K provided tuition for hundreds of children at private schools and clinics across Kansas. While significant, this financial aid could not begin to meet the needs presented by children with disabilities across the State.
In 1973, UCP-K spearheaded legislation that resulted in School Districts providing appropriate services at no cost to parents. UCP-K also coordinated the statewide child-find project that followed the Special Education Mandate.
In 1964, UCP-K was instrumental in assisting the Kansas Jaycees in establishing the Kansas Jaycees Cerebral Palsy Ranch. The Ranch has become one of the longest lasting State Jaycee projects in the country. With ongoing financial support from UCP-K, the Ranch continues to serve hundreds of severely disabled youngsters and adults each summer.
Logistically, it was impractical to establish programs in the many small towns and rural areas that comprise Kansas. As a result UCP-K has developed collaborative relationships with a host of other service providers and organizations.
Thanks to a grant from Kansas Rehabilitation Services, UCP-K has been able to provide limited funding for Kansans with disabilities in need of various kinds of assistive technology. By pooling available funding with other service providers, organizations and third party funders, UCP-K has assisted in securing over $5,000,000 worth of assistive devices over the last 10 years. In 1999, UCP-K was named one of six exemplary programs in the U.S. in the provision of assistive technology by the U.S. Dept. of Education.
UCP-K currently collaborates in providing a Posture Seating Clinic that fabricates custom built seating systems for wheelchair users, support services for residents of the Timbers (a 100-unit HUD Housing Complex) and an Adult Day Program located in Wichita.
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