Los Angeles County

Commission on Disabilities

Celebrating 32 Years of Leadership & Advocacy

www.laccod.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: ROSEMARY OSUNA

Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities

(213) 974-1053

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

AND THE

COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES’

16TH ANNUAL

ACCESS AWARDS LUNCHEON

On October 15, 2007, in recognition of October as “Disability Awareness Month,” the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities hosted their 16th Annual Access Awards Luncheon.

This event’s program was hosted by Ellen Leyva, News Anchor for ABC7, at the New Otani Hotel and Garden in Downtown Los Angeles, which offers a delicious Western/Japanese cuisine. Entertainment was provided by the fabulous trio acapella Outasight and the ARC and Adults Handbell Choir, a group of developmentally disabled adults and children who make beautiful music with bells.

Among the 250 attendees present, at this event, were the Honorable Yvonne B. Burke, Supervisor for the 2nd District, Councilwoman Jan Perry (9th District), and Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas (26th Senate District), as well as a myriad of individuals and advocates of the disability Community.

The following ten individuals and/or corporations were saluted for demonstrating outstanding leadership and effectively creating opportunities that enhance the lives of people with disabilities:

Billy Barty Award

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Bill Tainter Award

Kristina Ripatti, Police Officer

Los Angeles Police Department

Pearl Ella Johnson Award

Lawrence Pleskow

When U Dream a Dream, Inc.

Chairperson’s Award

Captain Gregory C. Malais

Los Angeles City Fire Department

Jane Small Advocacy Award

Protection & Advocacy, Inc.

1st District

Washington Mutual

2nd District

Junior Blind of America

3rd District

Terri Lantz, Advocacy Coordinator

United Cerebral Palsy

4th District

Ben Rockwell, Vice President Californians for Disability Rights, Inc.

Chair, Metro Accessibility

Advisory Committee

5th District

Steve Miller, Executive Director

Tierra Del Sol Foundation

This event is held each year to honor individuals, corporations, and public entities that have made outstanding contributions and/or have demonstrated leadership, commitment, inspiration, facilitation or promotion of accessibility and equality for people with disabilities.

With proceeds generated from this gala event, the Commission is able to sponsor the Bill Tainter Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, and support the Commission’s outreach to the disability community. To date, through the Bill Tainter Scholarship Program, the Commission has awarded twenty $2,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors with disabilities. Most recently, on August 14, 2007, the following students: Lizeth Gabriola (1st District), Edwin Velasquez (2nd District), Paul Herzlich (3rd District), Adam Ohnstad (4th District), and Phillip Morrow (5th District) were the 2007 scholarship recipients.

The Commission thanks the following Corporate Sponsors for their generous contributions: Northrop Grumman, Washington Mutual (WaMu), The Resnick Family Foundation, Inc., American Honda Motor Co., Inc., actor, Thomas J. Black, and everyone that contributed to the success of this event. The Commission looks forward to many rewarding future luncheons and the continued support of the disability community.


Event Photos

ARC and Adults Handbell Choir

Miki Jordan, CEO, Junior Blind of America, 2nd District Award Recipient & Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke (2nd District)

Virginia Victorin accepting the 1st District Award on behalf of Washington Mutual (WaMu)