Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, and speaking. Often, babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl or walk as early as other children of their age. Other symptoms include seizures and problems with thinking or reasoning, each of which occur in about one-third of people with CP. While symptoms may get more noticeable over the first few years of life, underlying problems do not worsen over time.
Scope is a disability charity in England and Wales that campaigns to change negative attitudes about disability, provides direct services, and educates the public. The organisation was founded in 1952 by a group of parents and social workers who wanted to ensure that their disabled children had the right to a decent education. Originally focused on cerebral palsy, Scope now embraces all conditions and impairment. Scope subscribes to the social model of disability rather than the medical model of disability – that a person is disabled by the barriers placed in front of them by society, not because of their condition or impairment.
Action for Children is a UK children's charity created to help vulnerable children & young people and their families in the UK. The charity has 7,000 staff and volunteers who operate over 475 services in the UK. They served a total of 671,275 children in 2021 and 2022. Action for Children's national headquarters is in Watford, and it is a registered charity under English and Scottish law. In 2017/2018, it had a gross income of £151 million.
Francesca Martinez is an English comedian, writer and actress. She has cerebral palsy, but prefers to describe herself as "wobbly". Martinez first came to public attention in 1994, when she made her debut on the television series Grange Hill, where she went on to portray the role of Rachel Burns for a total of 55 episodes. Later turning her focus to stand-up comedy, she has performed at the Edinburgh Festival and internationally, including the Melbourne Comedy Festival, the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the Perth Festival and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. In 2018 she completed a 140-date tour, and has had off-West End London runs at the Tricycle Theatre, the Hackney Empire, and the Soho Theatre. Martinez's debut play, All of Us, was scheduled to be performed at the National Theatre in 2020, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It opened in July 2022.
The medical model of disability, or medical model, is based in a biomedical perception of disability. This model links a disability diagnosis to an individual's physical body. The model supposes that this disability may reduce the individual's quality of life and aims to diminish or correct this disability with medical intervention. It is often contrasted with the social model of disability.
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the United Kingdom that works with people with learning disabilities. Its Charity Number is 222377.
Residential care refers to long-term care given to adults or children who stay in a residential setting rather than in their own home or family home.
John Belluso was an American playwright best known for his works focusing on the lives of disabled people. He also directed a writing program for disabled people.
Yooralla is a non-profit disability services organisation in Australia, supporting over 30,000 Victorians living with a disability.
Cornerstone, formerly known as Cornerstone Community Care, is a Scottish charity and social enterprise that provides support and care to children, adults and older adults living a range of long-term conditions and challenges. These include autism, learning and physical disabilities, dementia and mental health problems. It was founded in 1980 in Aberdeen and, since obtaining charitable status in 1981[1], Cornerstone has grown to become one of the largest charities in Scotland[2].
Leonard Cheshire is a major health and welfare charity working in the United Kingdom and running development projects around the world. It was founded in 1948 by Royal Air Force officer Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC.
The Royal Blind School is a specialist day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland that was established in 1793 and run by the charity, Royal Blind. The school caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 who are blind or partially sighted, and has facilities for children of nursery, primary and secondary age. Students attending the school come primarily from Scotland, but also from other parts of the United Kingdom.
ARC Association for Real Change is a UK membership organisation, which supports providers of services to people with a learning disability.
Mithu Alur is the founder chairperson of The Spastic Society of India – now rechristened ADAPT – Able Disable All People Together. She is an educator, disability rights activist, researcher, writer and published author on issues concerning people with disability in India.
Sense Scotland is a disability services and awareness charity in Scotland, formalized in 1985. The charity’s aim is to create a supportive world for people with complex communication support needs where they can live meaningful lives and achieve their own ambitions. Services are located all over Scotland with the charity’s main resource centre and head office based in Glasgow. The charity also provides information about complex communication support needs and participates in disability rights campaigns. Sense Scotland’s work is mainly funded by Local Government through contracts for services provided. It also raises money through donations, legacies, community fundraising, events, retail and corporate partnerships.
The Self-Help Group for Cerebral Palsy (SGCP) is a non-governmental and non-profit organization in Nepal dedicated for helping and educating children and adults with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that is caused during childhood which permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination. The organization has one rehabilitation center established in 2005, situated in Dhapakel, Lalitpur that consists of a team of medical professionals, trained teachers and social workers.
Sight Scotland is a Scottish Charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The charity provides care, education and employment for people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted. Sight Scotland provides the following services: Royal Blind School, Forward Vision, Braeside House, Jenny's Well, Scottish Braille Press and Kidscene. Sight Scotland’s sister charity is Sight Scotland Veterans.
Spastic Society of Gurgaon covers within its scope the programs on occupational therapy, counseling, vocational training and psychotherapy of the children with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities in Haryana, India. It is India's first non-profit disability sector organization which was awarded ISO certification by United Kingdom Accreditation Service: United Registrar of Systems for quality of services rendered by it. It also works in the field of imparting counseling and psychotherapy to the parents and guardians of the disabled children. Mass camps are conducted for welfare of children with disabilities. Multiple single window services like assistance in issuance of disability certificates, NIRAMAYA cashless insurance cards, medical check ups, distribution of medicines and medical aids are rendered to disabled people in such camps. Being sponsored by Haryana Government it undertakes disability audits of organizations for assessing accessibility compliance by them.
Sandhya Dhar is an Indian disability rights activist. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at an early age and is a wheelchair user. She founded the Jammu Institute of General Education and Rehabilitation (JIGER) in 2015 to support disabled people and was awarded the 2020 Nari Shakti Puraskar.
