About UCP
Mission Statement: to promote the independence and inclusion of people with cerebral palsy, intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities through our network of affiliates and partnerships.
Vision Statement: Life of inclusion for individuals with disabilities
United Cerebral Palsy was founded in 1949. Today, our network of affiliates in the United States and Canada provide a wide range of services annually to more than 160,000 children and adults with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
These services include information and resource referral, advocacy, research, educational instruction, home- and community-based services, early intervention therapies, job coaching, integrated employment support, recreational opportunities, and community-based residential programs.
We are committed to the belief that all people with disabilities should be treated as equal members of an inclusive society.
Our History
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is one of the most well-known health nonprofits in the U.S. today, but that was not the case in 1949. In the 1940s, there were not many options for people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities and their families.
In 1948, Leonard H. Goldenson, then-President of United Paramount Theaters and ABC Television, and his wife, Isabelle, joined forces with prominent New York businessman Jack Hausman, and his wife, Ethel, to improve the quality of life for their children with cerebral palsy and for others like them. The two families placed an advertisement in the New York Herald Tribune to recruit families interested in improving available services to children with disabilities so that families could stay together, and people with disabilities could be part of the community, resulting in the incorporation of United Cerebral Palsy.
Our Network
UCP Affiliates are at the forefront of creating inclusive communities, delivering innovative programs and vital services to over 160,000 children and adults with disabilities every year. Each Affiliate operates as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit with its own leadership team and Board of Directors. By joining the UCP network, Affiliates become part of a powerful national alliance — united by shared values, mutual support, and a commitment to innovation — while maintaining local autonomy and impact.