World CP Day
Starting in 2012 and going forward, the first Tuesday in September will take on a whole new meaning across the globe. Tuesday September 4, 2012, will be the first annual World Cerebral Palsy Day. This will be a day for the estimated 17,000,000 global citizens diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. World CP Day will raise awareness on local, national and international levels through collaborative efforts to make a difference in the lives of those living with cerebral palsy and their families.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a widely misunderstood condition that affects twice as many people as multiple sclerosis (MS). Yet, the public has limited awareness and understanding of cerebral palsy. CP is actually the largest cause of physical disability in children and the incidence occurs at a rate of somewhere between one in 400 to 500 births. One of the greatest barriers to gaining a higher profile for CP is that cerebral palsy is often used as an umbrella term for encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, primarily in the various areas of body movement, unlike many other disabilities which have more narrowly defined conditions.
“World CP Day is an exciting world first, not only to engage the CP community to create innovative ideas that could change their world, but also to engage inventors, developers, innovation companies, universities and even persons with disabilities who are budding inventors to create products and solutions to the many ideas submitted,” explains Marcus Blease, General Manager of Fundraising & Marketing from Cerebral Palsy Alliance in Australia.
This worldwide awareness initiative aims to shed some light on the perceptions in various countries that people with disabilities are ‘taken care of’ by the government and do not need financial support from the public. This worldwide initiative by partnered CP agencies, which includes organizations in Canada, USA, Australia, England, Scotland, India and many more, are joining forces to raise the level of awareness and understanding through this collaborative celebration of World CP Day.
“This global coalition calls upon the corporate community to assist in sponsoring World CP Day. There are many ways to be involved from promoting the day, funding the innovative ideas of the CP community to actively participating in the CP Challenge and partnering on this worldwide event. Please contact me to become a part of this exciting new global initiative,” says Joanne Dorn, Director of Development for Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta. “Stay tuned or visit our website for further updates as we get closer to the first ever World CP Day and World CP Challenge!”