 Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? The goal is to bring awareness to the importance of mental health and break the stigma. About 25% of American adults experience a mental health challenge of some kind, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. But many people who experience mental health challenges keep their situation and stories to themselves—they’re afraid of being treated differently. But, as Disability Rights California writes, “Especially during this challenging pandemic, it’s even more important to take care of ourselves and not be afraid to ask for help. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it’s important to remember, we are not alone.” Here are mental health resources recommended by various UCP employees:  Hey, this is really cool! A former customer of UCP Oregon was one of the consultants for Portland’s new inclusive playground at Gabriel Park. You might remember Linda from her days as a customer of UCP Oregon's Supported Employment Services. Linda used our services while she worked as a research assistant in Portland State University’s Universal Design Lab. She was also featured in one of our Annual Reports. Linda recently served on Portland Parks & Recreation's Gabriel Park Playground Advisory Committee. Linda was born in Portland—a city with numerous beautiful parks—but, as Linda says, when she went to the playground as a kid, “I could not do anything, but I would sit my feet in the wading pool.” That's why Linda was delighted to serve on the Gabriel Park Playground Advisory Committee. While Linda wishes inclusive playgrounds had existed when she was a kid, late is better late than never! The new playground officially opened on May 14th.   Do you love parades? We're excited to tell you that UCP's Family Support Department will be participating in the 2022 Junior Rose Parade. And we want EVERYONE who loves UCP Oregon--that's customers, families, friends, and employees--to join us! The event will be held on June 8, 2022 from 1-3pm in the Hollywood District.  Did you know that May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month? According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 10 Asian American adults have a disability. This can lead to some complicated experiences. As activist Megan Liang writes, “As an Asian American woman with a visible disability, I have always felt as if all parts of my identity were for the world to see and judge… I felt like I couldn’t ask for help in fear that I would be seen as even smaller and weaker.” That’s why Megan and others like her are hoping to shine a light on the intersection of disability and Asian identity. Learn More:  Hey, this is cool.
This year’s national UCP conference is virtual, free and open to the public! Attendees will learn about:
The conference will be held May 3–4, noon to 3:30 pm EST. Register today!  Happy Friday!
Would you like a job where you get a long weekend EVERY SINGLE WEEK? It sounds like a dream, right? Well, it’s not! We’re hiring for a 30-hour a week Admin/HR position where you get a three-day weekend, every single week (you get your choice of Mondays or Fridays off). Imagine the possibilities!  Hello! It’s April, and you know what that means… Autism Awareness Month. Or does it? Last year, the largest grassroots autism organization in America (The Autism Society of America) decided to rename their celebration as Autism Acceptance Month (AAM). Other groups have been using the new name for longer, but, in any case, the new name is really taking off! As Christopher Banks (the president and CEO of The Autism Society of America), says, "Awareness is knowing that somebody has autism. Acceptance is when you include (a person with autism) in your activities." [emphasis ours] World Autism Awareness Day (April 2nd) has not been renamed, but its focus has changed. Originally, its focus was on “autistic children and finding a cure," as Ludmila Praslova, a professor and director of graduate programs who also experiences autism, explained. She says that many folks now focus on "acceptance and inclusion rather than a cure…” and celebrating “diversity and completeness." Sounds good to us! Learn More:
 Today is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day 2022! What are you doing to celebrate? This week, a group of parent and adult advocates, clinicians and researchers celebrated CP Awareness Day by travelling to Washington DC, to give a briefing to Congress about CP! The trip was organized by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (which is not part of UCP), and was supported by Senator Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire) and Congressman Steve Cohen (Tennessee). Way to go, advocates! And, speaking of advocates, did you know that National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day in the United States was created by two moms? They felt it was vital to increase awareness of cerebral palsy, and to improve quality of care and research across the lifespan.  Today is March 25th, and you know what that means!
It’s World Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day—an event that is celebrated around the world. In some places, entire buildings are lit up with green to celebrate. Even Niagara Falls has “gone green” to celebrate Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day! In honor of the day, you can:
 Hi, everyone! We just wanted to say… “Happy 6-month anniversary to UCP Mentors!”
As you probably know, UCP Oregon launched UCP Mentors (our second brokerage) on September 1, 2021. Six months later, UCP Mentors is going strong… and so is our original brokerage (UCP Connections). Here are some interesting facts about UCP Mentors:
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