United Cerebral Palsy - Duluth Area records

A Cerebral Palsy Parents' Club for the Duluth area organized at the Lakeside neighborhood home of a parent of a child with cerebral palsy on March 15, 1953. The main objective was to form a pool of special furniture and equipment to be used on a loan basis by families whose children had cerebral palsy. In 1954, the Duluth Cerebral Palsy club became affiliated with the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Minnesota: the state program began in 1953. Two Duluth area UCP directors served on the Minnesota UCP Board of Directors. In 1958, the group established the Cerebral palsy Development (Day Care) Center. The Midwest district included Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas and Illinois. The group called "Concerned Youth for the Disabled" was changed in October 1976 to SAIL: Self-Advocates for Independent Living. SAIL was "an action-oriented task force, an auxiliary group of United Cerebral Palsy Duluth Area. It was made up of handicapped consumers of all ages, friends and family, providing confidence to its members and using all possible resources to aid their commitment into the mainstream of society." From the Minnesota association web site: There is strength in numbers. When you are raising a child with cerebral palsy, sometimes the only thing that provides comfort and relief is to know that you are not alone. Connecting with other parents in your community to discuss the ups and downs of daily life will help both you and your child find friends you can count on when it feels like no one else understands. You can find this kind of support system through your local United Cerebral Palsy Association. Each chapter is locally run and provides information about news, local events, and social and recreational programs. Local chapters also advocate for services in your community." UCP was a support and advocacy association that frequently teamed with other groups to aid the children and the families whose children had various and multiple disabilities. There was a UCP Duluth Area Teen Group. Frequent local partners were the Duluth Association for Retarded Children, Duluth Association for Children with Learning Disabilities, Arrowhead Epilepsy League, Special Olympics, and The Epilepsy Foundation among others. By the 1970s the United Way supported the Duluth area UCP. UCP collaborated with The United Day Activity Center. Advanced ticket sales for the annual June The Mighty Thomas Shows carnival at the Arena-Auditorium and later the DECC supported the UCP local association. A number of UMD psychology and education faculty were involved as specialists, speakers, and board members. In 1994 both Lake and Carlton Counties had representatives on the board. By 1983, the group was identified as United Cerebral Palsy of Northeast Minnesota but the newsletter was produced and identified with Duluth. The UCP rented space from UMD at Old Main (lower campus) for many years. The Duluth UCP office was in the Ordean Building in downtown Duluth. The Board met every third Tuesday at 4:45 at the Ordean Building in the 1990s.The group disbanded, and the Respite program was taken on by the local ACR association (Association for Retarded Cizitens).