Fwd: CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH

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Date: October 27, 2004For Release: ImmediatelyContact: HHS Press OfficeHeadline: HHS TO GIVE AWARDS DURING CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL DISABILITYEMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTHHHS Secretary Tommy G. on Wednesday, Oct. 27, will present theSecretary's Highest Recognition Award to six people during October'sNational Disability Awareness Month, reaffirming the administration'scommitment to full inclusion in the workforce for people with disabilities."Americans with disabilities deserve productive lives, with the dignity andindependence they gain through work,'' Secretary said. "HHS andthe Bush administration celebrate their achievements, and are committed tohelping people with disabilities use their skills and talents to advance intheir careers and their contributions to their communities."Secretary will highlight the contributions of leaders in business,the media, advocacy and the arts in advancing the goals of the Americanswith Disabilities Act (ADA) and President Bush's New Freedom Initiative. TheNew Freedom Initiative is a comprehensive program to tear down barriers,helping Americans with disabilities develop skills, engage in productivework, make decisions affecting their daily living, and participate fully intheir communities.To carry out goals of the New Freedom Initiative, Secretary in 2002created the HHS Office on Disability to focus the department's many policiesand activities that benefit people with disabilities."This celebration raises the awareness of the abilities of persons, notdisabilities, for today, tomorrow and the future," said Margaret Giannini,M.D., Director of the HHS Office on Disability. "We salute the honorees, whomake the difference in improving the lives of persons with disabilities."The Honorees for National Disability Awareness Month are:Larry King, CNN television personality, heart attack survivor and founder ofThe Larry King Cardiac Foundation. For more than 15 years, the nonprofitfoundation has provided funding for lifesaving cardiac procedures for peoplewho would not be able to receive them otherwise. The foundation is funded byannual events and the proceeds of Mr. King's books and public speakingengagements.Art , Chairman and CEO, Medtronic, Inc. Mr. , and thecompany, is cited for their commitment to employment of people withdisabilities. Medtronic is a medical technology company that provideslifelong diagnostic and monitoring systems and health care equipment forpeople with chronic disease. Simon, author of the inspiring memoir, Riding the Bus with My Sister:A True Life Journey, which also has been filmed for broadcast as a HallmarkHall of Fame movie. Simon's sister, Beth, who is developmentally disabled,has ridden the fixed route buses of her Pennsylvania city every day, allday, for years. Simon, a lecturer in creative writing at Bryn MawrCollege in Pennsylvania, spent a year riding those buses with her sister.The book and the movie tell of the inherent worth of every individual, andof how their year together on the buses changed both sisters' lives.Don Dreyer, Director, Nassau County (N.Y.) Office for the PhysicallyChallenged. Dreyer, a visionary and pioneer in addressing the ADA, includingpublic and private policy and program attention to the employment, housingand health needs of persons with disabilities. Pietrangelo, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, American Network ofCommunity Options and Resources (ANCOR). ANCOR, of andria, Va., is anonprofit trade association representing private providers of support andservices for people with disabilities. Dr. Pietrangelo and ANCOR are citedfor their commitment and attention to helping people with disabilities.Dr. M. "Muggy Do" Dickinson, President, The Art and Drama Therapy Institute(ADTI). Dr. Dickinson and ADTI are cited for their innovative approach tothe care and treatment of adults with mental retardation, using art, music,movement and drama therapies. The ADTI Inspirational Choir and band, theMoroccan Ensemble, professionally recorded the Grammy-nominated single, "LetUs Fly."For more information on the Office on Disability, HHS' disability effortsand the New Freedom Initiative, go to http://www.hhs.gov/od.