Upcoming Event: AAPD Leadership Gala

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The National Building Museum
401 F Street, NW, Washington, DC

Bringing together leaders from government, business, and the disability and civil rights communities, in recognition of the important work of AAPD and the 2008 award recipients, the 2008 AAPD Leadership Gala will be a celebration of achievement, leadership and progress toward AAPD’s vision of political and economic power for all people living with disabilities in the U.S.

The 2008 AAPD Leadership Gala will celebrate the progress made for people with disabilities and the extraordinary leaders who have made it possible. AAPD Leadership Gala keynote speakers have included: White House Chief of Staff Andy Card, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, and Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta; the Emcees have been esteemed journalist Judy Woodruff and The Honorable Tony Coehlo.

The AAPD Leadership Gala serves as a forum for recognizing, empowering, and supporting both emerging and established leaders in the disability community, as well as for inspiring and mobilizing all attendees to increase their advocacy in support of realizing the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Recipients will be selected through competitive national processes to accept the following prestigious awards, all of which will be presented at the Gala:Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards – two $10,000 cash awards are given to emerging leaders in the disability community. Henry B. Betts Award - one $50,000 cash award is given to an established disability community leader whose lifetime work has been devoted to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. Linda Chavez-Thompson Award - an award designated for an individual for his/her leadership towards inclusion of people with disabilities and their families within the labor movement.

Founded in 1995, AAPD is now the largest cross-disability membership organization in the United States, working toward the economic self-sufficiency and political power for the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD organizes the disability community to be a powerful force for change – economically, politically, and socially.

For additional information, please contact:Mariana Nork (202) 457-0046 (V/TTY), Email Mariana Nork,or Kelly Mills at Hayes & Associates: (703) 714-2366, kmills@hayespr.com.