UCP Central PA Awarded Grant from United States Department of Commerce

United Cerebral Palsy Associations
Wednesday, 3 October 2001

CAMP HILL, PA, October 3, 2001 - UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) Central PA has been awarded a grant of $345,055 for our "Accessible Internet Workstation and Infrastructure Technology Project" by the United States Department of Commerce. The grant is a part of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) 2002 Technologies Opportunities Program (TOP) grants. The NTIA has awarded over $42 million across the country to 74 non-profit organizations to assist with advanced telecommunications technology in underserved communities.

UCP Central PA's "Accessible Internet Workstation and Infrastructure Technology Project" will include 10 adapted Internet workstations, for use by persons with all types of disabilities, with the workstations located in accessible public libraries throughout central Pennsylvania. The workstations will be linked to infrastructure technology, using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which will link 10 UCP Central PA program sites and multiple services throughout the region.

The Internet workstations will provide a local opportunity for persons with disabilities to access the Internet for information, research, skill development, and job searching. The Internet will connect these persons with the UCP Central PA Assistive Technology Demonstration Laboratory. This will provide scheduled, real-time training programs, as well as on-demand assistance with questions related to assistive technology.

For nearly 50 years, UCP has been providing program services to diverse groups of people, not just those with cerebral palsy. Some of the common diagnoses and conditions of people served in 2000 include mental retardation, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, visual impairment, muscular dystrophy, premature birth and many others.

UCP Central PA serves people with disabilities in Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, Northern York, Juniata, Mifflin, Montour, Snyder, Northumberland and Union counties.

For more information, or to contact United Cerebral Palsy Associations, see their website at: www.ucpa.org