American Association of People with Disabilities

Tallahassee Is National Launch City for 2005 Disability Mentoring Day; Governor Bush Serving As Honorary Chair

AAPD's Seventh-Annual Disability Mentoring Day Will be Commemorated Around the Country on October 19 During National Disability Employment Awareness Month

(WASHINGTON, DC) October 1, 2005 — Every year during the month of October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country’s largest cross-disability membership organization, hosts Disability Mentoring Day.

AAPD selected Tallahassee, Florida, as this year's national kick-off city for Disability Mentoring Day. Governor Jeb Bush is serving as Honorary Chair for activities in Tallahassee.

Disability Mentoring Day is the launching point for mentoring, career exploration and job-shadowing activities that happen year-round. In 2004, more than 9,000 young people and job seekers with disabilities benefited from participation in regions in every state and the District of Columbia as well as 17 international locations. That number of participants is expected to grow this year, thanks to the work and commitment of more than 225 volunteer local coordinators around the country. AAPD hosts the event annually with support from the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor and several national corporate sponsors.

Each year, AAPD selects a U.S. city to be the Disability Mentoring Day kick-off city. In 2005, AAPD is partnering with the Florida Governor's Alliance for the Employment of Citizens with Disabilities, which coordinates the Disability Mentoring Day state organizing committee in Florida, and will also serve as host and AAPD’s partner for the national kick-off on October 19. Kristen Knapp, who is Vice President of Public Relations for The Able Trust, serves as chair of the Florida Disability Mentoring Day planning committee.

"Florida has developed an extensive network of participating mentees and employers, and Governor Bush has made Disability Mentoring Day an important part of Florida’s strategy for improving employment outcomes for its citizens with disabilities,” said Andrew J. Imparato, President and CEO of AAPD. “We are delighted to be in Tallahassee this year to showcase the leadership role that Florida has taken in expanding career opportunities for young people and job seekers with disabilities."

AAPD's corporate partners are playing significant roles in making Disability Mentoring Day an effective public-private partnership and helping to tackle the longstanding problem of unemployment and underemployment among people with disabilities. Each is actively participating in Disability Mentoring Day 2005 at many of their sites and facilities around the country.

For further information regarding DMD, contact AAPD at 800-840-8844 (V/TTY), by email at dmdaapd@aol.com or visit the AAPD website.

The Disability Mentoring Day program 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 students and job seekers to develop the necessary skills and experiences to compete in today's competitive workforce. For many people with disabilities, their participation in Disability Mentoring Day has translated into ongoing relationships, internships and firm job offers in a wide array of employment settings.

"We have seen the value that mentoring adds to career development for students and job seekers with disabilities in Florida,” said Kristen Knapp. “Through collaborations among community organizations, business partners and educators, we have worked to expand opportunities for hundreds of job seekers with disabilities to improve their career knowledge and skills on Disability Mentoring Day. We look forward to partnering with AAPD to launch Disability Mentoring Day activities nationally this year and open door for mentees across the country."

This year, AAPD is proud to recognize the city of Tallahassee’s commitment to people with disabilities and hopes that, with Governor Bush’s lead, local employers will be eager to demonstrate to the rest of the world that Tallahassee strives to make its workforce mirror society.

For more information about Disability Mentoring Day activities in Tallahassee, contact Kristen Knapp at (850) 224-4493 (V/TTY), or by email.

For more information about the American Association for People with Disabilities or Disability Mentoring Day, contact AAPD toll-free at 800- 840-8844 (V/TTY), or by email.

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, visit the AAPD website.