 Have you been hearing about the new “Beautifica” experience at OMSI?
We’re excited to tell you that UCP’s Family Support Department received 8 adult Beautifica tickets and 3 Junior Beautifica tickets (wheelchair accessible) for June 1 at 5:30pm.
 Do you have three minutes to spare? This week, it’s urgent for you to tell Congress to support disability services within the current budget negotiations.
ANCOR (a national association representing disability service providers) created a webpage to help you. Simply enter your contact information, and the webpage will generate emails to your national Representatives and Senators. Several UCP families tested the webpage, and they all said it was super simple to do! ANCOR SAYS:
Your engagement during this budget negotiation is crucial to ensure that people with disabilities continue to have access to the Medicaid-funded services they require. It is essential that your representatives in Washington hear directly from you, regardless of their prior involvement with disability issues. Your elected officials need to understand the significance of Medicaid-reliant supports and the importance of increased funding for their sustainability. Please act today to let Congress know:
Together, we can strengthen the Medicaid program and ensure that millions of Americans continue to have access to the care they need. Your advocacy can make a tangible difference, and we deeply appreciate your commitment to supporting people with I/DD.  July Family Support Parent Happy Hour
Does your child use an augmentative or alternative (AAC) communication device? If so, you are invited to join us for our July Family Support Parent Happy Hour, which will be on the topic of “Augmentative & Alternative Communication.” This event features:
IMPORTANT DETAILS:
EVENT DETAILS:
 Are you a member of UCP Family Support Department? Have you been eagerly awaiting our next OMSI Play Lab?
We’re excited to announce our summer Play Lab date:
Each Play Lab includes an hour-long, hands-on, family-centered STEM program, followed by unstructured play time at OMSI. Every participating family will receive a free year-long family membership to OMSI! NOTES:
 Are you passionate about social justice? Would you love to work one-on-one with customers from diverse backgrounds and experiences, supporting them to live their best lives?
If so, UCP Oregon might have the perfect opportunity for you! We are currently seeking a Personal Agent (Caseload Manager), who will work in one of our support services brokerages (“UCP Mentors”). As a Personal Agent, you’ll support 36-40 adults to navigate the support services system; secure resources and services; and address their health and safety needs. You’ll also advocate with (and for) your customers; manage intensive paperwork; monitor the quality of services; and ensure choice and independence. You’ll be part of a team that is a collaborative, fun, and diverse. After passing your introductory evaluation, you will have the opportunity to work a hybrid schedule (partially working from home).  Do you love to meet new people? Are you passionate about making a difference every day?
Then UCP Oregon might have the perfect job for you! We’re seeking a Recruiter & Onboarding Specialist. You’ll be hiring for direct care positions—employees who work one-on-one with children or adults who experience a disability. You’ll also be hiring for caseload managers and the occasional mid- or upper-management position. You’ll also oversee UCP’s onboarding process, ensuring that new employees have what they need to start in their new jobs. After passing your 180-day introductory evaluation, you may be able to work a hybrid schedule (partially working from home).  We think all of us are beautiful people! And so does a local filmmaker named Zian Chavez.
Zian is making a documentary about the lives of people who experience disabilities, here in Portland and around the world. The film is entitled “We are the Most Beautiful People.” UCP Oregon sponsored the documentary, and some UCP Oregon customers have been interviewed as a part of the project. As the filmmaker, Zian says, "We live in a world that's centered on the rights and needs of non-disabled persons. Our documentary challenges the notion of beauty and centers on the lived experience of adults with disabilities. It will contribute to the disability justice movement, raise awareness and deconstruct norms embedded in cultures worldwide." Zian says, “So many of the interviews we have already completed reveal the inequities that exist all around the world today.” The film will feature, among others:
Zian will be submitting an application to the Sundance Film Festival in the fall—so cool! The film has an expected release date of December, 2023. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.  May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
There are more than 18 million Asian Americans in America today. More than 1.3 million of them experience some form of disability. There are also 612,857 native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders living in the United States; almost 65,000 of them experience disabilities. Ollie Cantos is a Filipino-American attorney who has been blind since birth. He successfully upheld anti-discrimination laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. At one point, he was the highest-ranking person with a disability in the federal government. Ollie reminds us that these battles are still being fought every day, saying, "As a society, yet again, we are at a critical crossroads. By coming together to amplify our voices, in the spirit of the great Mahatma Gandhi, we each get to BE the change we want to see." What change do YOU want to be?
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