Board of Trustees
Nina Eaton
Leonard Eaton, born with cerebral palsy 1941, led his young uncertain mother towards a lifetime of advocacy for people with disabilities. Nina Eaton and other parents, including founders Leonard and Isabelle Goldenson along with Jack and Ethel Hausman, laid the foundation for a far-reaching organization that has enhanced the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities. More than a half century later, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is a nationwide network of 100 affiliates serving more than 170,000 people with disabilities and their families every day.
Mrs. Eaton was a founding member of the New York State Cerebral Palsy Association in 1946. As the organization evolved into United Cerebral Palsy in 1949, Mrs. Eaton helped educate communities about cerebral palsy, which, like most developmental disabilities at the time, carried significant social stigma. She is well known for her persistent lobbying, leading to regional and national expansion of community-based services for people with disabilities.
Mrs. Eaton still remains an active leader in the disability community. She serves as a national United Cerebral Palsy Trustee Emeritus and chairs the UCP Awards Committee. She has served on the Board of Directors of United Cerebral Palsy of Suffolk for the past twenty years.