Resources
Open Door with Vince Robinson - Author Grace Rice
Grace Rice is an earnest voice in the literary space, shining a light on the brilliance of children with disabilities. Grace has been interested in creative writing since she was a child growing up in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Writing has always been her creative outlet and propelled her to pursue a career in Communications.
She attended the John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Advertising and Marketing. Grace would later earn her MBA at Baldwin Wallace University and work as a Project Manager on inspiring projects for Fortune 500 companies.
After retiring in 2017, Grace became the full-time caregiver of her granddaughter, Sophia. She was inspired to develop God’s Perfect Gift: Winning The Race! after seeing her granddaughter’s blossoming personality and perseverance as a child with disabilities.
Overcoming challenges is at the heart of the story and Grace hopes to create even more books that showcase the extraordinary gifts, talents and personalities of children with disabilities to further awareness, equity and inclusion.
Vince Robinson welcomes Grace Rice, author of God’s Perfect Gift: Disability Through the Eyes of a Child. Rice reflects on her personal experience as a caregiver of a child with a disability and offers information regarding resources for navigating the journey.
She also is an advocate for Carolyn’s Law, a proposed amendment to state law that would require nursing home facilities to properly address the nurse to client ratio issue. Currently, many facilities have too many residents per nurse, resulting in significant neglect and even death.
For more information about her book and her work with disabled children go to:
For more on Carolyn’s Law and the petition drive to legislate change, go to:
We are proud to announce that author Grace Rice has generously offered to donate 10% of all her book sales to UCP of Greater Cleveland!
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By fall 2015, the Cleveland Little Free Library Movement was supporting 60 Little Free Libraries and needed an endless supply of books to keep them stocked. Judy and Judi contacted an online used bookseller who was sending more than 100,000 good-condition children’s books to recycling every month. In February 2016 they opened the Kids’ Book Bank to bring these books to Cleveland, and the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank was born.
We have since diversified our book sourcing. We have installed 17 outdoor book collection bins throughout Greater Cleveland. With the books from these bins and monthly book drives run by companies, schools, and individuals, nearly half of our inventory comes from our community.
The remainder we purchase through a combination of bulk used books and brand-new, diverse books that show characters of color. Learn more about our Books Like Me Campaign to distribute more diverse books.
MISSION: The mission of UCP of Greater Cleveland is to empower children and adults with disabilities to advance their independence, productivity and inclusion in the community.
HISTORY: In 1950, UCP of Greater Cleveland was formed by a group of determined parents who saw few true opportunities for their children with cerebral palsy. During this time, it was often recommended that individuals with disabilities be placed in institutional settings rather than live with their families and be contributing members of the community. The parents that founded UCP knew that their children, and all individuals with disabilities, had a right to the most productive and inclusive life possible and joined together to make this a reality. What began as a loosely-knit group of programs consisting of a nursery school, a summer camp for children, a social-recreational program for adults, and a mother’s club has evolved into an accredited, high impact, thriving organization meeting the complex health and social challenges facing children and adults with a range of disabilities. UCP today provides a continuum of services throughout Greater Cleveland ranging from pediatric therapy, family-focused case management and education, as well as employment opportunities and community integration services for adults.
HOW PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS OF DISABLED CHILDREN & ADULTS DEAL WITH THEIR DISABILITIES (COPING SKILLS, RESOURCES, ETC.)
- READ books by other parents of children with special needs.
- JOIN Internet discussion boards or online parent support groups.
- FIND local support groups (consider starting one if none exists).
- CONNECT with Advocacy groups, both general and disability specific.
- SPEAK to school district Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC).
- Take care of YOURSELF (rest when possible, eat regular meals, exercise if possible).
Many families will find services in their local communities, whether it’s through early intervention, their local school or county board of developmental disabilities. These are the state agencies that oversee the local programs. Many of them have information specific to families on their websites. This information can help you find your local contact, learn about the specific system or service, figure out who to ask if you need help, or even how to file a complaint. There are many other state agencies that may be able to provide help depending on what you need, but these are the main ones in Ohio that support people with disabilities.
Ohio Early Intervention Learn about Ohio’s Early Intervention System. Early Intervention is for infants and toddlers age 0 to 2. https://www.ocali.org/project/ohio-early-intervention.
Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Get information on Ohio’s Home Visiting program for pregnant moms and new parents. There are also lots of other parenting and health resources on their site. https://www.ocali.org/project/ohio-department-of-health.
Ohio Family and Children First Council (FCFC) Find your local FCFC here. If your family member is involved with many systems (school, county board, children’s services), FCFC may be able to help coordinate all those services so you don’t have to. https://www.ocali.org/project/ohio-family-and-children-first-council.
Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) See how Ohio decides if you or your family member would be eligible for Medicaid and how to apply. Medicaid is insurance coverage that helps some families pay for some services. https://www.ocali.org/project/ohio-department-of-medicaid.
Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) Discover how Ohio’s County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (CBDD) support families. Each county has a CBDD. They offer information, referral, and services based on eligibility. https://www.ocali.org/project/ohio-department-of-developmental-disabilities.
Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Learn about education in Ohio. Their parent page will give you information and resources about schools, scholarships, special education and more. https://www.ocali.org/project/ode.
State Support Teams (SST) Locate your SST. Every area of the state has an SST, and every SST has a Family Engagement Coordinator. They offer training and information for families. https://www.ocali.org/project/fc-state-support-teams.
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) Find out how OOD helps people with disabilities get and keep jobs. They also decide if you are eligible for Social Security disability. https://www.ocali.org/project/opportunities-for-ohioans-with-disabilities.