American Association of People with Disabilities

Disability Mentoring Day to Be Commemorated Tomorrow in Almost 20 International Locations

Hewlett-Packard Helps Drive International Participation

(WASHINGTON, DC) October 18, 2005 — Tomorrow, more than 10,000 students and job seekers with disabilities - many in international locations - will have the opportunity to be mentored by people who are in positions of interest to them, thanks to a program called Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). As a result of participation, many of these students and job seekers will be offered educational guidance, longer-term mentoring opportunities, internships, or full-time employment.

DMD is a core program of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the largest cross-disability membership organization in the country. Thanks to a strong organization of volunteer local coordinators, AAPD is able to implement DMD in regions in every state in the country. But also, and thanks in large part to Hewlett-Packard (HP), a long-time supporter and participant in the DMD program, these mentoring opportunities are available to students and job seekers with disabilities in many international locations. In 2004, DMD was commemorated in 17 countries, including China, Kosovo and Israel. Beginning tomorrow, 2005 DMD activities will occur at HP sites in several countries in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

"HP's participation in AAPD's Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) program is a good example of the company's commitment to the job training and employability of people with disabilities,” says Andrew J. Imparato, AAPD President and CEO. “AAPD thanks HP for its DMD participation in Houston and many locations in the U.S., as well as the strong work the company has done to expand DMD to several international locations."

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. It 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. Disability Mentoring Day has expanded from a small DC-based event, when it was a White House initiative, to a national event now hosted by AAPD. In 2004, more than 9,000 students and job seekers with disabilities participated in communities nationally as well as many international locations. On October 19, AAPD will host the seventh-annual DMD and more than 10,000 students and job seekers with disabilities are anticipated to participate in national and international locations.

For further information, contact AAPD at 800-840-8844 (V/TTY), 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 all 56 million children and adults with disabilities in the U.S. It 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). AAPD members have access to a full range of financial services through a federal credit union, a discounted mail order prescription program, and a quarterly AAPD newsletter. For additional member benefits, or to learn more about AAPD's advocacy efforts and major program areas, visit the AAPD website.