AAPD To Commermorate Disability Mentering Day Around The Country This Week
Sixth-Annual DMD Hosted During National Disability Employment Awareness Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mariana V. Nork
(202) 457-0046(WASHINGTON, DC) October 18, 2004 — This Wednesday, October 20, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will host the sixth-annual Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). DMD is officially commemorated on the third Wednesday of every October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and activities continue for months thereafter. AAPD is honored to partner with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy to present DMD2004.
DMD is designed to provide students and job-seekers with disabilities a firsthand experience in learning about career opportunities in a variety of their chosen fields. DMD helps to promote the importance of encouraging these students and job-seekers to develop the necessary skills and experiences to compete in today's competitive workforce. Since AAPD has been administering DMD, for many people with disabilities, their participation in DMD has translated into ongoing relationships, internships, and firm job offers. DMD has expanded from a small DC-based event for three dozen students, when it was a program conducted by The White House, to a national event now hosted by AAPD. DMD2004 is anticipated to have more than 8,000 mentees in communities nationally and in many international locations.
"Employers say that their own lack of exposure to people with disabilities is one of the biggest barriers to hiring qualified disabled employees," said AAPD President and CEO Andrew J. Imparato. "DMD connects disabled students and job seekers with employers who are working in a field of interest. This informal exposure is leading to internships, job offers, and a stronger connection between employers and potential employees with disabilities. Ultimately, this leads to a more diverse workforce and more directed and motivated students and job seekers with disabilities."
As part of DMD job shadowing activities occurring throughout the country on October 20, extensive DMD activities will happen in both Washington, DC and New York City:
- In Washington, DC, 170 students and job seekers with disabilities, from 40 area schools and agencies, will be afforded the highly-unique opportunity to job shadow mentors at almost 30 federal agencies throughout the city. This is in addition to the job shadowing opportunities students with disabilities will have at area corporations.
- DMD2004 will be officially launched from New York City, through a partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD). Matt Sapolin, Executive Director of MOPD, is Chairperson of the DMD Local Organizing Committee. AAPD is pleased to recognize New York City’s commitment to people with disabilities. With Mayor Bloomberg’s lead and the strong leadership of the MOPD, local employers will, on October 20, demonstrate to the rest of the world that New York City strives to make its workforce mirror society. More than 250 young people and job seekers with disabilities will be participating as mentees throughout the city.
AAPD is delighted that fifteen National Corporate Sponsors will also play significant roles in making DMD2004 an effective public-private partnership. They are helping to tackle the longstanding problem of unemployment and underemployment among people with disabilities, and each is actively participating in DMD2004 by providing job shadowing opportunities at many of their sites and facilities around the country:
• American Airlines • Microsoft • American Online Inc. • Oracle • BellSouth • Pitney Bowes • Cingular Wireless • SAP • Darden Restaurants • SunTrust • Hewlett Packard • U.S. Cellular • Honeywell • Verizon • Independence Technology For further information regarding DMD, contact AAPD at 800-840-8844, by email, or visit the AAPD website.
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, promotes the economic and political empowerment of the more than 56 million children and adults with disabilities in the U.S. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For additional information and to learn about AAPD member benefits, advocacy efforts and programs.