2002 Henry B. Betts Award Nominations
July 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mariana V. Nork
(202) 955-6114
Molly Hart
(312) 238-6046

Call for "2002 Henry B. Betts Award" Nominations

WASHINGTON, DC, July 1, 2002 -- The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) call for Henry B. Betts Award nominations. The submission deadline is October 4, 2002.

The Henry B. Betts Award annually honors, acknowledges and supports the work of an individual who during the course of his or her career has made extraordinary contributions to the quality of life of people with disabilities. This person will have demonstrated a strong vision and understanding of how to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, possess a record of efforts and accomplishments that have affected a wide disability population, and have served as a powerful force for change, enhancing the opportunities for people with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of society.

The Award was established by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and the Prince Charitable Trusts in 1989 to honor Henry B. Betts, M.D. The Trust's intended the prize, $50,000 of unrestricted money, to recognize the broad scale efforts and forward thinking to improve the quality of life for millions of people with physical disabilities.

Laureates include Judith E. Heumann, formerly Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U. S. Department of Education who is now Advisor on Disability and Development for the World Bank; Lex Frieden, who President George H.W. Bush nominated to chair the National Council on Disability (NCD); and Marca Bristo, who was tapped by President Clinton to chair NCD.

Since starting his career with the Institute in 1964, Betts has been an unflinching advocate for people with physical disabilities. This Award recognizes his pioneering leadership in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation and his decades of dedicated service to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. In 2001, AAPD joined with the Institute to collaboratively administer the Henry B. Betts Award. The 2002 Award will be presented at the AAPD Leadership Gala on March 4, 2003 at the Washington Hilton and Towers, Washington, DC.

Nominations must be received at AAPD headquarters in Washington, DC by October 4, 2002. Forms are available on the AAPD and Institute web sites: www.aapd-dc.org and www.rehabchicago.org

The American Association of People with Disabilities is a national membership organization dedicated to promoting the economic and political empowerment of all people with disabilities; educating businesses and the general public about disability issues; and providing membership benefits, such as financial services and product discounts. AAPD was founded in 1995 by a group of cross-disability leaders to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities -- including their family, friends, and supporters -- and be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act -- equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is dedicated to helping people with all levels and types of physical disabilities regain or improve their physical functions and empowers them to participate more fully in family, social, vocational and leisure time pursuits. It has been rated "The Best Rehabilitation Hospital in America" by U.S. News & World Report for eleven consecutive years.

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