Press Releases
United Cerebral Palsy Conference Aims to Redefine the Future (4/10/2007)
Orlando, FL, April 10, 2007 - Imagine a world where: “can’t does not exist; where you could go wherever your dreams take you; a world where disability is a characteristic, not a definition of who you are; where there is no charity, only investments in people, vision and values? That world will start to become reality through the Big Sky Project, a national effort to create a new vision of the future for people with disabilities.
During the National Big Sky Visioning Sessions, April 12-14 in Orlando, Florida, people with disabilities, their families, healthcare professionals, policymakers and visionaries will come together at the Buena Vista Palace to forge a new vision of the future for people with disabilities.
Spearheaded by United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), Big Sky is designed to raise public awareness about the serious challenges that remain for people with disabilities in our society and develop strategies, initiatives, programs, and public policy to address them.
During the conference’s opening plenary, Dr. Bob Johansen, an Institute for the Future's Distinguished Fellow, will highlight the waves of change that will shape the lives of people with disabilities over the next decade--and discuss how these same people will use their abilities to explore the emerging edges of what it means to be human.
“The Big Sky Project is the first step in realizing a new vision of the future for people with disabilities, a future where people with all disabilities are fully integrated in society and are able to live life without limits,” said Stephen Bennett, President & CEO, United Cerebral Palsy. “UCP is excited to be a part of this process as we strive to create a better, more inclusive world for people with disabilities.”
Attendees at the National Big Sky Visioning Sessions will have the opportunity to examine and discuss the landscape of possibilities, both promising and threatening, that will shape the future for people with disabilities.
The Visioning Sessions will allow participants to:
- Acquire an in-depth review of the custom forecast map to learn how future forces will likely impact people with disabilities;
- Participate in discussions regarding these influences and future changes;
- Gain a greater understanding of the Foresight to Insight to Action framework for developing and applying strategic choices today; and
- Aid in the development of creating valuable strategies and a new, dynamic vision for the future based on the gathered information.
For more information about the Big Sky Project and the 2007 UCP Annual Conference, visit www.ucp.org.
About United Cerebral PalsyUnited 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, visit www.ucp.org.