NEWS

Anthony Smith is another satisfied customer of UCP’s Changing Hands equipment reuse service, and for good reason. The equipment he received restored his mobility and enabled him to carry on with his life. As the effects of Muscular Dystrophy have taken their toll, Anthony found himself without the muscle strength or stamina to navigate a manual wheelchair. Even worse, in the midst of COVID, he faced the uphill challenge of finding someone to assist him in his search for a power chair.

UCP, through its Assistive Technology Services division–operates two distinct lending libraries from its Camp Hill Administrative Office.

Do you miss phone calls because you can’t hear the ringer? Or don’t make calls because you can’t see the numbers to dial? Do you have difficulty hearing what others say on the phone? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need to check out Pennsylvania’s Free Special Phone Program (also known as Telecommunication Device Distribution Program or TDDP).

If you are an eligible Pennsylvania resident with a disability that impedes independent access to telephone services, you may qualify to receive specialized equipment FREE OF CHARGE. 

UCP Assistive Technology Program Manager Jackie Wardle bounded into the Community Relations office and with great exuberance, asked “Got time to take some pictures?” Then she proceeded to describe the purpose of the proposed photo opp: to recognize Messiah Lifeways, a local network of senior services and residential communities, for their recent donation of 16 manual wheelchairs to UCP’s Changing Hands equipment reuse program. The chairs were either left behind or no longer of use to members of the Lifeways community. But in Jackie’s hands, they would prove to be life-changing gifts to 16 other individuals or families in need.

Carmen Henry-Harris was motivated to reach out to UCP when she saw the testimonial insert that was included with their recent participant and family survey. The questions got her thinking about how far her brother Ray had come since he made the move into a UCP home. So she decided to share their story.