Cerebral Palsy Foundation

Cerebral Palsy Foundation CPF's mission is to be a catalyst for change for the 50 million people w/ cerebral palsy in the world This page is managed by CPF staff
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The Cerebral Palsy Foundation invites you to join us virtually TOMORROW Wednesday, June 10th at 3pm ET for a special Uni...
06/09/2026

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation invites you to join us virtually TOMORROW Wednesday, June 10th at 3pm ET for a special United Nations side event celebrating International Day of Play and highlighting the vital role of inclusive play in the lives of children with cerebral palsy and related disabilities.

We encourage you to register and attend virtually at https://www.cpint.org/events/COSP19

CPF is a proud co-organizer of this important event and our organization will be represented by:

• Rachel Byrne, Executive Director
• Cynthia Frisina, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
• Jennifer Lyman, Director of Clinical Recruitment and Community Resources

Together, we will help elevate a simple but powerful message: play is one of the earliest building blocks of lifelong health, learning, confidence, and participation. Through inclusive play, children develop the skills, relationships, and opportunities that support lifelong possibilities and opportunities in school, sports, employment, and community life.

We hope you will join us for this inspiring and important conversation!

Twenty years ago, the world adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), affirming that ...
06/09/2026

Twenty years ago, the world adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), affirming that people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else and must be able to participate fully in society.

This week, members of the CPF team are at the United Nations to dialogue with other international leaders at this year’s Conference of State Parties ( ) to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Convention gave us an original vision, but we know that disability rights on paper do not automatically translate into disability rights in practice.

We see this reality every day. We see families struggling to access services. We see inequities in healthcare, education, employment, and community participation. We see the gaps that still exist between expectation and reality.

The question for the next 20 years is not whether we have the framework. The CRPD provides a framework, but for the next 20 years our question is now: how do we continue to create measurable change?

Doing so will require us to keep asking difficult questions:
Are policies translating into better outcomes?
Are people with disabilities meaningfully involved in decision-making?
Are we investing in evidence, innovation, and systems change?
Are we measuring what matters?

At CPF, we see our role not as just advocating for change, but helping to make it happen.

That means advancing research that can improve lives. Building partnerships that accelerate progress. Elevating the voices of people with lived experience. Challenging systems when they fall short. And remaining focused on our mission, even when change takes longer than we would like.

"In the future, I hope to see earlier diagnoses for little ones like Rudy. Because it wasn’t noticed until it was time f...
06/07/2026

"In the future, I hope to see earlier diagnoses for little ones like Rudy. Because it wasn’t noticed until it was time for him to start walking, it took longer to get an actual diagnosis."

Stories like Rudy’s remind us why early detection matters. Early intervention can improve outcomes and help children access critical therapies and support sooner. Through our Early Detection and Intervention Program, we have helped reduce the average age of diagnosis to less than 12 months, but too many children are still waiting.

An earlier diagnosis can make a life-changing difference. Donate today at https://donate.cerebralpalsyfoundation.org/give/95593/ #!/donation/checkout to help ensure more children receive the diagnosis and intervention they need during the most critical years of development.

In honor of International Day of Play on June 11, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation is looking forward to participating in a...
06/04/2026

In honor of International Day of Play on June 11, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation is looking forward to participating in an upcoming United Nations side event during the 19th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP19).

Hosted in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations, UNICEF, and the International Cerebral Palsy Society, we'll explore the critical role inclusive play has in early childhood development, participation, and lifelong inclusion.

This discussion will bring together policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and individuals with lived experience to examine how accessible and inclusive play can strengthen early identification and intervention systems while helping build more inclusive and resilient societies.

You can register to watch this event virtually this coming Tuesday, June 10th from 3:00pm ET to 4:15pm ET at https://www.cpint.org/events/COSP19!

We’re proud to contribute to this important global conversation and continue advocating for a future where every person with cerebral palsy has the opportunity to participate, play, and thrive. 💚

Most people have never heard of CMV, yet it may affect 30,000 babies in the United States every year. In fact, congenita...
06/03/2026

Most people have never heard of CMV, yet it may affect 30,000 babies in the United States every year. In fact, congenital CMV is the most common infectious cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the U.S.

This CMV Awareness Month, we’re raising awareness about a preventable infection that can impact a child's brain development and contribute to lifelong disabilities, including cerebral palsy.

We'll be sharing more about CMV and CP this month, but if you want to dive right in, you can find more info at nationalcmv.org and follow along National CMV Foundation

06/03/2026

Last chance to enroll! Enrollment for our APPLES-tele clinical trial will be ending at the end of JUNE 2026.

If your baby is between 4-13 months corrected with cerebral palsy or at high risk, they may be eligible to join. This early intervention protocol is delivered remotely, with the goal of improving hand and arm function.

Comment “yes” below or DM us to learn more. Please note this trial is only open to families in the U.S.

Come Try Frame Running on June 13th from 12PM-2PM in Ireland!We are delighted to be partnering with DERG AC and Clare Sp...
06/01/2026

Come Try Frame Running on June 13th from 12PM-2PM in Ireland!

We are delighted to be partnering with DERG AC and Clare Sports Partnership to bring this brilliant free event to Midwest Ireland! Come Try Frame Running is a fantastic opportunity for children and adults with disabilities aged 6 and over to get out on the track and give frame running a go.

You'll be in great hands - the session is led by Finn Dempsey, a leading advocate for frame running in Ireland and a truly inspiring athlete. Finn secured a silver medal at the World Ability Sport International Frame Running Cup 2024 in Denmark, and went on to win four gold medals in 2025. His story is one of determination, courage, and joy in sport.

This is a free event, open to all. Come along, have a go, and meet others in the community! Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJBUKzDywMHZjzo9vtVtHPoO1042cofqEc0pjH_QupZxQHVw/viewform

With May being National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, we're resharing a community story from Isabella:"I was diagno...
05/31/2026

With May being National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, we're resharing a community story from Isabella:

"I was diagnosed with left-sided hemiplegic CP in my second year of nursing school...I was told that I cannot tell the school about my CP as my limitations could be cause for them to dismiss me from the program. So I struggled to hide that part of me during school. It was really difficult and hurtful being in clinicals and navigating through school without support.

That’s when I decided I wanted to train for a marathon. I didn’t do it to prove anyone wrong, but to prove myself right. Most people don’t associate CP with long-distance running. And I realized that every mile I ran took more from me than someone without CP. My gait isn’t smooth, my balance is off, but step by step I ran without letting my body shut me down... Running the marathon was more than a race for me. It was a way for me to say, 'Yes, I have cerebral palsy. But cerebral palsy doesn’t have me.'"

Thank you, Isabella, for sharing your story of resilience through both difficult periods and big accomplishments. We're sending you many congratulations for completing a marathon as a para-athlete with cerebral palsy!

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