 At UCP Oregon, advocacy is more than just a word—it’s a commitment we embrace every day.
Whether we’re speaking up for (and with) our customers at the Oregon State Capitol or partnering with other organizations to defend vital services, we believe that every voice deserves to be heard—loudly, clearly, and often. If you're wondering what's happening on the national advocacy front, we hope you'll read this brief newsletter from our Executive Director, Ann Coffey.  A recent Executive Order is bringing changes that will impact the disability community, and we know many people have questions. We're here to break down what this means for the individuals and families we serve.
In this update, you’ll find:
Read the full update here. Stay informed and connected—your voice matters!  UCP Oregon Community, As many of you know, UCP Oregon is currently wading through tides of information related to the President’s recent Executive Orders. One Executive Order relates to Medicaid. As a non-profit, it is not UCP Oregon’s role to represent political opinions. Rather, our role is to focus on legislation and the potential impact to our mission, values and the communities we serve. However, these Executive Orders, if implemented, will have a large impact on the entire UCP Oregon Community. Medicaid provides essential healthcare for millions of people, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Right now, Medicaid is at risk, and we need your help to protect it. Luckily, a simple voicemail can make a difference! Call 1-866-426-2631 to be connected to your members of Congress. It only takes a minute. NOTES:
Every call helps show that Medicaid is vital to our community. Thank you for taking action! Sincerely, Ann Coffey Executive Director UCP Oregon how it works:
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I live in [Your City and ZIP Code]. I’m calling to ask you to protect Medicaid. Medicaid is critical for people with disabilities, families, and seniors. Medicaid saves lives. Please oppose any cuts or changes to Medicaid. Thank you!  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.  March is a busy month!
It’s Women’s History Month. It’s also National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. And it’s National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month! Since UCP Oregon’s roots are in cerebral palsy, we thought we’d start out by talking about National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. The goal of National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is to push for positive change in education, healthcare, and the employment world. UCP Oregon does advocacy work on a local, state and national level. You can make a difference, too! HOW TO CELEBRATE:
 Have you heard of “This Is Our Voice”?
UCP Oregon launched this project in 2019 to talk about the workforce crisis in the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) arena. The platform was designed to ensure that all the voices within the disability community were heard, including those from customers, families and employees. A UCP customer and advocate, John Griffiths, was instrumental in getting the project going. Fast forward into a pandemic context, and alas the workforce crisis has increased as solutions have waned. The “This is Our Voice” project is therefore receiving increased attention. We’re asking you to once again share YOUR voice and YOUR experiences. We want to hear from UCP Oregon’s customers, families, employees—or anyone anywhere in the state who is affected by the I/DD workforce crisis. Our Executive Director, Ann Coffey, is primed to assist to share your stories, explain avenues of advocacy, and guide you in the appropriate direction for more formal complaint and grievances processes. The project webpage allows you to: (1) email us directly, (2) get easy links for being a self-advocate through the Go!Project, or (3) file a direct complaint and/or grievance with the State of Oregon or local case management entity.  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. Go, moms!  As you may already know, our Executive Director (Ann Coffey) contributes to statewide disability projects all the time.
What you might not know is that Ann was on the steering committee for a national policy project. The 2021 “Case For Inclusion” was created through a partnership between the national UCP organization, and ANCOR (The American Network of Community Options and Resources). The report details some of the extreme difficulties faced by groups like UCP Oregon, as they dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also lists specific actions that the White House and Congress can take to ensure the sustainability of community-based supports. Way to go, Ann and everyone else who worked on the project!
As you're probably aware, UCP Oregon is an affiliate of a national organization, which is called United Cerebral Palsy. That group partnered with several other organizations* to create a "policy guide" about the changes we'd like to see nationwide!
Read it here. *American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; American Network of Community Options and Resources; Autism Society of America; National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities; and The Arc). |