Press Releases

Isabelle Goldenson Dies at Age 84 (3/8/05)

Renowned Philanthropist and Wife of ABC Chairman Leonard H. Goldenson Co-Founded United Cerebral Palsy and UCP Research and Educatioal Foundation

Washington, DC, March 8, 2005 – With great sadness, United Cerebral Palsy announces the death of founder Isabelle Charlotte Weinstein Goldenson.

Mrs. Goldenson died at age 84 of natural causes at her home in Sarasota, Florida, on Monday, February 21. She was the wife of Leonard H. Goldenson, founder and chairman of American Broadcasting Companies (ABC).

"Mrs. Goldenson was a role model of one person making a difference. She wasn’t just the mother of a daughter with cerebral palsy, but of a movement for all children with any disability," said Stephen Bennett, President and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy.

After their first daughter – Genise – was born with cerebral palsy, Mr. and Mrs. Goldenson founded United Cerebral Palsy, with Jack and Ethel Hausman. They oversaw the fledgling organization as it took root across the nation and became a force for people with disabilities.

More than fifty years later, United Cerebral Palsy is one of the largest health charities in the United States, providing direct services to more than 170,000 people daily and advocating for the independence and full citizenship of 54 million Americans with disabilities.

Mrs. Goldenson also co-founded the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation, which is the principal non-government agency in the United States sponsoring research to prevent cerebral palsy and to improve the quality of life of individuals with cerebral palsy and related developmental disabilities.

Funds raised by the UCP Research and Educational Foundation, under the hands-on leadership of the Goldenson family, directly led to the discovery of the vaccine against Rubella (German Measles), phototherapy - placing infants under strong lights to treat jaundice and prevent brain damage, the standard fetal heart monitor used by obstetricians worldwide, and innovative imaging technology which diagnoses developmental brain injuries, offering significant information for the prognosis and immediate intervention where there is evidence of birth defects.

Shortly after the first moon landing in 1969, Mrs. Goldenson organized a meeting with NASA scientists and engineers, officials from the National Institute of Health and the Veterans Administration, along with medical professionals to find practical applications of space technology for people with disabilities.

The historic gathering led to the development of a lightweight wheelchair, multi-directional conveyances that could climb stairs, remote control limbs, and sensory devices to assist people who are blind.

Almost 20 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) was passed, Mrs. Goldenson and her husband lobbied and led a movement for the 1973 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act, Section 504, which for the first time prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability.

Section 504, recognized as the predecessor to the historic ADA, led communities around the country to take steps towards greater accessibility for people with disabilities. Such improvements included wheelchair accessible public sidewalk crossings, phone booths, restroom cubicles, buildings, and transportation.

"The entire UCP family feels a profound loss today, and we offer our sincere condolences to Mrs. Goldenson’s entire family, especially UCP Trustee Loreen Arbus," added Bennett. "Through her work on behalf of United Cerebral Palsy, Ms. Arbus affirms her parents' legacy everyday."

The Goldenson family asks that condolences and contributions in the name of Mrs. Isabelle Goldenson be sent to:

UCP Research and Educational Foundation
Attn: Dr. Murray Goldstein, Director
1660 L Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036

*** Photo of Mrs. Goldenson is available upon request, please contact Jim Baker at (202) 973-7114 ***

About United Cerebral Palsy

United Cerebral Palsy is one of the nation’s leading organizations serving and advocating for the more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. Most UCP consumers are people with disabilities other than cerebral palsy. Through its nationwide network, United Cerebral Palsy offers services to individuals, families and communities such as job training and placement, physical therapy, individual and family support, early intervention, social and recreation programs, community living, state and local referrals, and instruction on how to use technology to perform everyday tasks. For more information, call (800) 872-5827.

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