UCEDD to give away 280 wheelchairs in Oct.

The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the Northern Marianas College will soon be donating 280 brand new wheelchairs to indigent persons with disabilities in the CNMI.

UCEED coordinator Rob Erickson said their UCE Program has a number of exciting projects happening in the coming months, including the “Wheelchair Giveaway of 2004.”

“I am very happy to say that [this project] will become a reality soon. In cooperation with the Wheelchair Foundation of California, we will be able to donate 280 brand new wheelchairs to the needy people of the CNMI. The distribution will be held on the NMC campus in early October. You will soon be seeing details and applications in local newspapers,” he said.

Another exciting event his office is sponsoring is the 2005 PBILC Conference. “In March of 2005 we are presenting the Pacific Basin Interagency Leadership Conference, which will be attended by 300-500 service providers and individuals with disabilities from all over the Pacific and other countries… A very exciting opportunity. Please join us in March 2005,” Erickson said.

This will be third time the CNMI has hosted the conference.

UCEED (pronounced “you said”) has been part of the NMC family since 1993 and has a wonderful opportunity to provide support, training, and improvement of services and lives of those who live with developmental disabilities in the CNMI.

Besides Erickson, the office also includes the office’s Admin Manager, Josephine Fejeran. The local UCEDD Program is one of 61 programs around the country and territories. It is supported by the University of Hawaii, Manoa and is mandated by the federal Developmental Disability Act. It works closely with NMPASI, a developmental disability advocacy program and CNMI Developmental Disability Council.

The NMC UCEDD program is attached to the COMPASS unit and has a strong supportive relationship with them. Since the program outreach is focused on the community at large, COMPASS is the best place to house the program at NMC. The UCE program is governed by a Consumer Advisory Council that provides direction and guidance for its outreach through the development of an annual work scope that leads their efforts throughout the year.

“We are blessed with a group of dedicated members of our CAC,” Erickson said.

UCEED also interacts as a member of a number of committees supporting DD issues in the CNMI. “It is a wonderful opportunity to represent important issues on a groups that can bring about much needed changes on our islands. Networking and interagency support is the key for proactive development of support issues,” he said.

“I have recently had the opportunity to attend the UCEDD Directors meeting in Chicago, Illinois, and was able to learn a great deal on how UCE’s operate and most importantly tell people about our wonderful island and all the proactive things people are doing to support and empower people with developmental disabilities,” he related.

Erickson invites people to drop by their office in Building P on the NMC campus and visit them or call them at 234-5498 ex 1028.