Touchstone Winter 2013 - Cerebral Palsy League

All about youNew funding forcommunication aidsDo you or a family member usecommunication books?Well, you can now apply forfunding to access the CerebralPalsy League’s CommunicationBoard Service through thestate government’s CommunityAids, Equipment and AssistiveTechnology Initiatives’ (CAEATI)funding.Lucraecia’s big hearthelps Grace walkFive year old Lucraceia Hibberthas a big heart for a little girl.Earlier this year, while watchingtelevision coverage of theAustralia Day weekend floods, shetold her mum Shelley she wantedto help.Lucraecia, who has cerebral palsyand had recently outgrown herwalker, decided she wanted togive it to a child who needed one.“The whole family was just soproud of her,” Shelley said.Shelley contacted the CerebralPalsy League in Hervey Bay whereLucraecia has been accessingservices since 2008, asking ifthere was a child who wouldbenefit from the donation.Early Intervention Officer EvaLemenkuehler was thrilled to findthe perfect candidate in three yearold Grace Lukan from Gin Gin.Grace’s mum Lucy said she wasoverwhelmed to learn that Gracewould be receiving the precisewalker she had been prescribed.“It was very heart warming andas this walker would have costaround $3800 - it would havejust been impossible for us at thistime,” she said.Shelley said it was simply a matterof paying it forward.“A few years ago when wewere fundraising for Lucraecia’swheelchair, a five year old boyfrom our neighbourhood askedhis birthday party guests to givedonations for her chair, rather thanpresents for himself. He raised$586 for her,” she said.“In a way, it’s like we’re repayingthat kindness.”Photos from left to right: Grace in hernew walker for the first time; Lucraeciaand mum Shelley with the walker beinggifted to GraceYou can apply forcommunication supportthrough CAEATI funding, upto a maximum of $4,500 perperson, for PODD or othercommunication books, songboards and alphabet displays.Cerebral Palsy League evenoffers a bonus service to replacethe covers, binding coil andupdate the ‘People and Places’pages of each communicationbook after 12 months of usage.Be quick as funding for thisprogram will close on 30 Junethis year!Speech PathologistsAny speech pathologistcan easily refer people withdisability to the Cerebral PalsyLeague for the development ofcommunication support. Go towww.cpl.org.au to download allthe documentation needed.Contact the Cerebral PalsyLeague on 1800 275 753 to findout how you can access thisfunding today.10 Touchstone Winter 2013