Aloha,
We can’t believe we are halfway through the year already, and at this time wanted to share an update on “what’s new”. Read till the end to learn more about our exciting Duckie Fundraiser Discounts on June 4th.
The team at United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii is ready and eager to start serving our 500 keiki and their families on July 1st. We commence our four new contracts with the State of Hawaii Department of Health, expanding our Early Childhood Intervention program.
We have been hard at work hiring an amazing staff to fulfill our requirements for our new contracts. We have added eight social workers and administrators, and seven therapists. We have also been steadily improving our infrastructure for our new Kaimuki office, and at the same time, we are building out our current Waiakamio office to accommodate our new hires.
Cerebral Palsy Research Project—
We are making great progress on our Cerebral Palsy Research project led by Dr. Stephen Dantzig. We are awaiting final approval before we can proceed with our surveys of families and individuals with Cerebral Palsy. The start is near and within sight.
Here is a quick summary of our project:
The present paper presents the rationale and reliability of using emojis as part of a longer-term study examining the perceived impacts of aging on people with cerebral palsy. There is increasing evidence that while the brain lesion that caused cerebral palsy is not progressive, “Its musculoskeletal manifestations are progressive due to the long-term effects of spasticity on the musculoskeletal system. (Katsma, et. al, 2024)” There is clearly a humanitarian need to continue to research the effects of, and potential interventions, for those who are aging with cerebral palsy. There may also be a financial benefit if the level of care is narrowed down to be more effective and streamlined. The efficacy of using emojis to assist people with disabilities communicate how they feel as well as the validity of limiting a Likert-type scale to three choices for those with disabilities is discussed. The long-term study intends to use three emojis paired with three descriptions of how people may experience the effects of aging with cerebral palsy in a series of surveys. The current study presented the three emojis to the general public and sought an association between the pictograms and the choice of effects offered. While the number of useful responses were limited (n=24), the results indicated a high correlation between the chosen emojis and the associated feelings. Eleven responses were excluded because the respondents chose the same emoji for two or all three choices. The results validate the use of the chosen emojis to assist in the administration of surveys designed to assess the impact of aging with cerebral palsy despite the number of invalid responses. Implications for future research is discussed.
Golf Fundraiser—
On May 9th, we hosted our annual “Golf Without Limits” fundraiser at the Kaneohe Klippers Golf Course. We would like to give a warm mahalo to our sponsors and participants who played in our Golf Tournament. We wouldn’t be able to continue our hard work serving our community without their generous donations.
“Duck Fundraiser Discounts”—
Now for the Exciting news about our amazing duck discounts.
As you know, UCPA of Hawaii hosts two Duck Races to generate much-needed funds for our programs. The first race is on July 4th at Waikoloa, the second race is on September 20th at Ala Wai. We would like to introduce you to our special “Buy-one Get-one Free”. Only from June 4th to the 5th for 24 hours, noon to noon. This discount is for both of our races. Check out our website. Take advantage of this special discount as we kick off this Duck Season
We’re so thankful for your support! As the year unfolds, we’re excited about the opportunities ahead and more determined than ever to keep serving our community with aloha and dedication. Hope to see you all soon.
Aloha,
John Nishida
Executive Director