My Life Without Limits

Youth Transitions Program

United Cerebral Palsy's (UCP) new partnership with the National Youth Transitions Center inspired the organization to create a new online resource for people with disabilities, ages 17-30. In My Life Without Limits, UCP will explore transition issues including employment, housing, exploring higher education, etc.

Background

Since UCP was founded more than 60 years ago, fantastic progress has been made in a multitude of areas of society for people with disabilities, such as medical research, early intervention programs and K-12 education. However, significant challenges remain for people with disabilities as they make the transition from adolescence to the working years of adulthood and greater independence.

As mandated assistance from public schools fades into the background, many people with disabilities find it very difficult to take the next step in their lives toward higher education, real employment and general social acceptance and independence.

Simply put, society has not been continuously engaged in the question of what happens to people with disabilities as they become adults both medically and socially. Despite increased attention and opportunity at the K-12 level, far too few people with disabilities are making a successful transition to adulthood today.

Program Overview

My Life Without Limits will be a groundbreaking program aimed at providing information to those making this transition and a social engine for people to interact, share experiences, and organize to promote social change.

The innovative and interactive online components of the program will provide a  vital source of information and social interaction for youth and young adults with disabilities, bringing information about higher education, employment, housing, medical research for adults and advocacy in one centralized location and providing a platform for people to share experiences and organize.

Ultimately, UCP’s efforts through My Life Without Limits will move beyond the disability community, bringing these issues to the general public through outreach campaigns and events that will engage the general public in a dialogue to challenge their preconceived notions about people with disabilities. 

For more information on UCP’s My Life Without Limits program, please contact