AAPD to Hold ADA Celebration Event on Capitol Hill
July 26th Event Celebrates 15th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and 10th Anniversary of AAPD
July, 2005

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) was founded in 1995 on the 5th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was July 26, 1990. AAPD promotes public policies that advance the goals of the ADA: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.

Each year since its founding, AAPD has sponsored an event to commemorate the ADA anniversary. Beginning in 2001, this event also incorporated the presentation of Justice for All Awards, as AAPD’s way of recognizing individuals who have proven to be extraordinary champions of political and economic empowerment for people with disabilities.

This July 26 marks the 15th anniversary of passage of the landmark ADA legislation as well as AAPD’s 10th anniversary. To celebrate these two important anniversaries, AAPD will host an event in Washington, DC. It will feature disability champions Senator Jim Jeffords and Senator Gordon Smith, as well as grassroots disability leaders, national disability and business leaders, government officials, and AAPD’s interns who are working in Federal agencies and on Capitol Hill this summer.

At the event, AAPD will present Justice for All Awards to Senate champions of disability rights Jim Jeffords and Gordon Smith; renowned author Jeffery Deaver, whose titles include The Bone Collector; and Nicholas Donofrio, IBM’s Executive Vice President, Innovation and  Technology. In addition, AAPD will present a special award and pay tribute to Yoshiko Dart, on behalf of all disability rights advocates around the country.

In 2001, the Justice for All award recipients were Senators Bob Dole, Tom Harkin, Orrin Hatch and Ted Kennedy, and esteemed grassroots organizers Mark Smith. 2002 Justice for All honorees were Congressional champions John Conyers, Jr., Steny Hoyer, Pete Sessions and John Shimkus; Marissa Johnson, President of the National Youth Leadership Network; and Kathy Bushkin, President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation.

2003 Justice for All Award recipients were Senate Champions Christopher Dodd and John McCain; disability rights leaders Patricia Garrett, Sue Hetrick and David Jayne; and Thomas Tauke, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & External Affairs for Verizon Communications.

And in 2004, AAPD presented Justice for All Awards to House champions: Congressman Major Owens and Bob Ney; grassroots and civil rights leaders Harriet McBryde Johnson and Hillary Shelton, NAACP; and Bank of America Sr. Vice President for Diversity, Annette Kellermann, for the work she has done to ensure accommodation of the bank’s customers in its branches and at its ATM machines. AAPD also presented an AAPD Thomas Paine Award in 2004 to disability rights activist Brad Williams.

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