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United
Cerebral Palsy of Middle
Phone 615-242-4091 Fax 615-242-3582 Request@ucpnashville.org |
Equipment Exchange
Geographic
Area Served: Statewide, plus limited services to
South Central Kentucky and some international services
Number
of People Served Annually: 793
Demographic
Characteristics: Individuals with disabilities of all types; all ages
Program
Description: The UCP Durable Medical and
Adaptive Equipment Exchange Program enables individuals with disabilities and
their families to become self-sufficient through the provision of durable
medical and adaptive equipment.
Through this Exchange Program, equipment donated to UCP is
collected, modified, and/or repaired.
UCP, in turn, places the equipment with individuals who need the
equipment but cannot afford it or cannot acquire it through insurance. Furthermore, individuals to whom UCP has
provided equipment frequently return the equipment to UCP when it is no longer
needed so it again can be placed with another individual.
The Exchange program is available to anyone - with any type of mobility disability -
regardless of diagnosis. There is
no charge to families for services in this program.
UCP has a reciprocal arrangement with two international
relief organizations. Excess equipment that cannot be rapidly distributed is
passed on to these organizations.
Home Access/Wheelchair Ramp Program
Geographic
Area Served: Statewide
Number
of People Served Annually: 226
Demographic
Characteristics: Low to extremely low income families that have a family member
with a severe/long term disability requiring use of a wheelchair; all ages
Program
Description: The Home Access program was created
when United Cerebral Palsy began to hear stories about hundreds of people with
disabilities – wheelchair users - who could not get in an out of their homes
because of steps and other barriers.
Some people had been isolated in their homes for years. Others were getting in and out only because
someone was lifting them – which is dangerous for both the person being lifted
and the person doing the lifting.
Because of the lack of a modification so simple, but so
important, people could not access transportation. They could not get jobs, visit friends or go
shopping. In some cases they had to use
an ambulance service just for transportation to doctor’s visits.
United Cerebral Palsy now builds ramps and coordinates
state-wide construction of wheelchair ramps for individuals with mobility
disabilities whose homes are without proper accessibility. Working in
conjunction with collaborating agencies, volunteers from churches, civic clubs,
and other area groups, UCP spearheads the construction of over 200 wheelchair
ramps annually. The average length of a ramp constructed under the program is
27.5 feet.Because of the intense mobilization of volunteers, the average cost
of a wheelchair ramp in the program is only $768, compared to a cost of over
$970 for an 8 ft. portable ramp. UCP
and our partner agencies in the program have constructed over 1065 ramps since
the program was initiated.
Educational Travel Program
Geographic
Area Served: Statewide
Number
of People Served Annually: 126
Demographic
Characteristics: Persons with all types of disabilities and their family
members or caregivers; all ages
Program
Description: The Educational Travel Fund allows
individuals with disabilities of all types throughout the state of
Disability Housing Assistance Program
Geographic
Area Served: Statewide
Number
of People Served Annually: Projected
2007-08: 188
Demographic
Characteristics: Low and extremely low income individuals with severe
functional disabilities in rural counties of
Program
Description: This is a new program starting in
August 2007. The Tennessee Disability Housing Assistance Program is a project
of the Tennessee Housing Trust Fund. The
program is administered by United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee and is
funded by Tennessee Housing Development Agency. The program provides
housing-related grants and low-cost disability-related home modifications and
repairs specific to the needs of low income rural Tennesseans with severe
disabilities. The mission of the program
is to ensure that
Family Support
Geographic
Area Served: UCP has the state contract for
Number
of People Served Annually: 176
Demographic
Characteristics: Persons with severe functional disabilities in Rutherford
County Tennessee; all ages
Program
Description: Family Support is a statewide
service to individuals with disabilities supplied by the state of
Sports and Recreation Program
Geographic
Area Served:
Number
of People Served Annually: 524
Demographic
Characteristics: Individuals with disabilities of all types, with primary focus
on motor-related disabilities; all ages. This is an inclusive sports program,
so non-disabled volunteers participate regularly. For service calculations, only individuals
with disabilities are counted in the number above.
Program
Description: United Cerebral Palsy's Sports and
Recreation Program is a year round activity for people with disabilities and
their families which takes place every Wednesday evening and during specially
designated weekends. Participation in
these activities affords consumers an opportunity to engage in activities which
have both physical and social interaction benefits. Among regular activities
offered include bowling, wheelchair basketball, board games, and movie nights. Special activites include
the UCP annual family picnic and social at
Information and Referral
Geographic
Area Served: Generally Middle Tennessee, plus
some services to persons from other parts of the state and individuals planning
to move to
Number
of People Served Annually: 1858
Demographic
Characteristics: All disabilities; all ages
Program
Description: United Cerebral Palsy serves as the
doorway through which many families learn about the condition known as cerebral
palsy, and also about community services available to individuals with many
types of physical disabilities. A large number of requests pertain to
information about unmet needs of the constituency. These include requests for help in funding
assistive technology, personal and attendant care services, respite care,
prescription pharmaceuticals, and other items not covered under TennCare and
private insurance. A large percentage of requests for information relate to
cerebral palsy. The remaining calls and
e-mails have to do with a more
broad-based area of inquiry related to disabilities in general.
Barry Dean Fulton and other Special Needs Funds
Geographic
Area Served: Middle
Number
of People Served Annually: 14
Demographic
Characteristics: individuals with cerebral palsy
and closely related disabilities; all ages
Program
Description: The purpose of the Barry Dean
Fulton Special Needs Fund is to provide support for individuals with cerebral
palsy and closely related disabilities through the provision of financial
assistance for the purchase or repair of adaptive equipment, and other select
needs as asertained by the volunteer oversight committee. Funding for the
program is derived from a variety of community fundraising initiatives. Over
the past 10 years, UCP has distributed over $150,000 in direct financial
assistance to 389 persons with cerebral palsy and similar conditions. The
maximum amount allowable per person from the fund in any given year is
$1000. The average amount per
distribution is $483. UCP also
distributes funds from the Burch Family Trust and the UCPA Bellows Trust
through this initiative.
Funds may also be used for emergency aid to families when no
other source of immediate aid can be identified. Because of the small amount of money in these
funds, this aid is limited to extreme emergency situations.
Public Policy
Geographic
Area Served: Statewide
Number
of People Served Annually: Not applicable
Demographic
Characteristics: All disabilities; all ages
Program
Description: UCP has entered into a public
policy alliance, the purpose of which is to identify, articulate, and promote
sound and effective public policy modeled on the successful collaboration of
UCPA and the ARC. This alliance
advocates in the best interest of citizens with disabilities in the state of
Educational Video and Photography
Program
Description: UCP produces educational video
programming on issues affecting individuals with disabilities. Among these include investigative reports on
Inclusive Education, Transportation, Fair Housing, Adoption of Special Needs
Children, ADA Accommodations, Tenessee State Title 33, Emergency Preparedness
for Persons with Disabilities, and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision. The video training on Voting Accessibility
developed in conjunction with Tennessee Disability Law and
Commissioned art and photography developed by UCP has
appeared in numerous publications. UCP developed a Tennessee Legacy Watercolor
given as a commemorative gift for attendees at the National Council of State
Legislators Convention held in
Geographic
Area Served: Middle
Number
of People Served Annually: 60
Demographic
Characteristics: Extremely low income families including a family member with a
severe disability; all ages
Program
Description: Each year volunteers gather and
distribute