Governor's Council on Disability Announces Inclusion Award Winners
Missouri Governor's Office Press Release Jefferson City - Gov. Matt Blunt today announced the Governor's Council on Disability has selected the award winners for the Sixteenth Annual Inclusion Awards. The Inclusion Awards are presented annually to recognize private and public employers, individuals and organizations that have successfully included people with disabilities in education, employment, housing and leisure activities. Individuals are also encouraged to nominate state and local government divisions or employees that they feel truly excel in inclusive practices. "I congratulate this year's Inclusion Award winners for recognizing the important contributions people with disabilities make and understanding the obstacles they overcome to make them," Gov. Blunt said. "Too often people with disabilities are excluded from opportunities because of how others view their disability. Worse, very capable people with disabilities are sometimes wrongly discriminated against in their workplaces for their disability. The winners of the Inclusion Awards are making a big difference in their communities and workplaces in their dedication to Missourians with disabilities." The winner of this year's Bob Aldridge Advocate Award is Andrew Lackey of Paraquad, Inc. in St. Louis. For the past two years, Mr. Lackey has coordinated the Community Advocates Program. Community Advocates work to make positive changes for people with disabilities by addressing barriers to full participation. In addition, Mr. Lackey has been instrumental in ensuring access to public transportation for people with disabilities and has helped to coordinate legislative meetings with elected officials and advocates to discuss problems with the paratransit system. Mr. Lackey annually participates in the GCD's Legislative Education Project and has helped coordinate the St. Louis ADA March and Rally. He is a member of the National Council on Independent Living's Civil Rights and ADA Subcommittee. The winner of this year's Excellence in Universal Design and Technology Award is McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. Mr. Richard Baron, through his corporation, is the leading developer in the United States on universally designed, mixed income, multifamily rental properties. Mr. Baron developed "6 North", an 82-unit apartment complex in the Central West End of St. Louis. This property, now home to tenants with and without disabilities, at all age ranges, is completely universal; in the housing units, the retail spaces in the building, the common areas, and the fitness center. The entire project was planned to be universal from the onset. Proof of its success comes from the fact that the building rented quickly, vacancies are filled immediately and tenants report great satisfaction. Both the New York Times and the St. Louis Post Dispatch proclaimed Baron's achievement: "Universal Design: St. Louis apartment complex exemplifies growing trend of making buildings accessible to everyone." The winner of this year's Large Employer of the Year Award is Target in Kansas City. Bob Ulrich, the Chairman and CEO of Target states, "At Target, diversity is something we integrate into all aspects of our business." At the Kansas City Target store, Manager Steve Murphy's philosophy is "Give me a special needs team member any day! They work so hard, appreciate their job and do incredibly well. They develop a loyalty and productivity that many typically functioning people don't. They aren't 'disabled'…. They are 'differently-abled'." Mr. Murphy's drive to employ special needs individuals began when his sons were diagnosed with Autism. Mr. Murphy works closely with local government and private agencies to place individuals in an appropriate job match. The winner of this year's Small Employer of the Year Award is Dwyer Instruments in Grandview. In 2006, this employer was one of the first to be involved in the Disability Awareness Month activities and has since been on the forefront to advocate for the hiring of persons with disabilities in Kansas City. Dwyer has worked diligently to employ persons with disabilities and focuses on successful placements. Mr. Michael J. Murphy works closely with clients, case managers and counselors in an effort to keep employees on the payroll. Mr. Murphy and Dwyer Instruments have not let the stigma deter them from the goal of including everyone in their hiring pool. The winner of this year's Educator of the Year Award is Katheryne Staeger-Wilson. Ms. Staeger-Wilson is the Director of Disability Services at Missouri State University (MSU) in Springfield. Her efforts for inclusion have extended beyond the University by expanding her reach into the community. Ms. Staeger-Wilson advocates for principles like full inclusion and Universal Design on campus and locally. Together with MSU students with disabilities, she worked on making Universal Design a top priority for MSU's new recreation center. She started a poster campaign titled "Changing How We Perceive Disability", pertaining to disability pride and invisible disabilities. She initiated the first Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society at MSU for students with disabilities and recruited volunteers to work with the Southwest Center for Independent Living's youth transition program to act as mentors. Ms. Staeger-Wilson sees youth with disabilities as the future for creating a more inclusive world. -- http://www.bransonedge.com http://www.bransonmissouri.blogspot.com |
posted by Darin at 11:42 AM
Comments on "Governor's Council on Disability Announces Inclusion Award Winners"
post a comment