Siblings Initiative

Strengthening the role of siblings in creating a life without limits 

Siblings play a major role in the lives of people with disabilities, but relatively few supports exist for this part of the family. United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is developing a comprehensive new online resource, which will be combined with new research and convenings, to bolster this important part of the family.

Background

Siblings of individuals with disabilities face challenges throughout their lifetime that are different than those faced by parents and individuals with disabilities themselves. As the sibling relationship is often the most long-lasting familial relationship, siblings typically play a key role in providing support for people with disabilities throughout their life.

Program Overview

UCP believes strong, healthy sibling relationships will lead to a better quality of life for people with disabilities as well as their siblings. As part of its new Public Education & Information (PEO) effort, UCP’s new Siblings Initiative will provide information, resources and support to siblings of individuals with disabilities and will add research to the field of family roles and interactions within the disabilities space. The underlying principle of the Siblings Program is to strengthen the role of siblings so they can be stronger supporters and advocates of their sibling with a disability living a life without limits.

Today, only limited resources exist that provide support to siblings of people with disabilities. In 2008, The Sibling Leadership Network (SLN), as an end to its series of discussion-based meetings, produced a white paper to provide recommendations for research, advocacy and supports relating to siblings of persons with developmental disabilities. UCP’s Siblings Initiative will adopt many of these recommendations and augment them with collaboration with existing resources and feedback from UCP’s affiliate network as the basis for the creation of its program.

For more information on UCP's Sibling Initiative, please contact Allyson Doherty, at adoherty@ucp.org