United Cerebral Palsy of Huntsville and Tennessee Valley's mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and promote their independence, self-sufficiency and full citizenship in the community. UCP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating two regional centers in Huntsville for individuals with cerebral palsy and those representing 155 additional diagnoses.  UCP's purpose is to provide comprehensive services and state-of-the-art technology for individuals with disabilities to enable them to reach their full potential and lead independent, productive lives.  Our agency strives to positively affect the quality of life for people with disabilities, regardless of age or disability, through a broad array of services and supports.  Direct services are provided for people with disabilities and their families in Madison, Marshall, Limestone, Morgan and Jackson Counties, Alabama, with special training, respite and technology programs provided statewide. UCP of Huntsville serves thousands of children and adults with disabilities and their families every year through programs such as physical/occupation/speech therapy, assistive technology evaluations and training, early intervention, individual and family supports including counseling and respite, information and referrals, child development and inclusion training, and advocacy. UCP is the leading source of information on cerebral palsy and other disabilities and is a pivotal advocate for the rights of persons with any disability. On average, 3 out of 4 individuals served by UCP have disabilities other than cerebral palsy. UCP is consistently rated as one of the most financially responsible charities, with approximately 95% of every dollar spent directly on programs and services.

Impact Summary from the Nonprofit The UCP Therapy Center, located at 2075 Max Luther Drive in Huntsville,  provides physical, occupational and speech therapies, as well as educational and social services, to approximately 1,100 children and adults annually in Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Limestone and Jackson Counties in North Alabama. These services include medically- and educationally-based therapies; special instruction; counseling, mentoring, respite and other family supports; durable medical equipment loan; service coordination; and information and referral. Services are provided on an individualized basis to meet the unique needs of each client. More information can be seen by visiting the agency's website www.ucphuntsville.org(http://www.ucphuntsville.org) . The UCP Technology and Training Center, located at 1856 Keats Drive in Huntsville, provides assistive technology (AT) evaluations, trainings, technical assistance and equipment loans, as well the agency's quality childcare enhancement training and respite programs. An additional 1,750 clients, parents, teachers and other professionals directly benefit from these services statewide on an annual basis, along with the more than 25,000 individuals who indirectly benefit from the trainings. Additionally during the past year,  over 190,000 individuals received resource, referral and training information from our interactive websites: www.AlabamaRespite.org(http://www.AlabamaRespite.org) and www.StarTraining.org(http://www.StarTraining.org) . Referrals to UCP include children who are medically fragile, have extensive physical and/or cognitive needs, or experience sensory processing disorders (SPD).  Our agency provides individualized therapeutic interventions to assist these children in maximizing their abilities and their full inclusion into the community. Our unique, comprehensive approach allows our staff to assist children with special needs in reaching goals that before seemed impossible and to give families hope for their child to live an enriched and fulfilling life.