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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, There are nearly one million people living with
3cerebral palsy in the United States; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological
5disorders affecting motor and developmental skills, and it is
6neither a genetic nor contagious condition; rather, it is
7caused due to brain damage or abnormal brain development
8during gestation, birth, or soon thereafter; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary greatly from
10individual to individual, and 75% of individuals with cerebral
11palsy also have one or more developmental disabilities,
12including epilepsy, intellectual disability, autism, visual
13impairment, or blindness; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Cerebral palsy is the most common motor
15disability in children; according to the Centers for Disease
16Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 345 children
17in the United States have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy;
18and
 
19    WHEREAS, In 2006, National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
20was established by Reaching for the Stars (RFTS), a non-profit
21educational advocacy group led by parent volunteers under the

 

 

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1guidance of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation; the observance is
2held annually in March to provide an educational opportunity
3for those outside the cerebral palsy community to learn about
4the condition and about life with cerebral palsy; and
 
5    WHEREAS, National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month further
6encourages individuals to consider ways to be more inclusive
7towards those who live with the condition; most importantly,
8the observance allows people to learn how they can become
9long-term allies of the cerebral palsy community; and
 
10    WHEREAS, National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day is also
11observed every year on March 25th; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
14we declare the month of March 2024 as Cerebral Palsy Awareness
15Month in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
17presented to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and United Cerebral
18Palsy with our sincere appreciation for their efforts.