2006 NOD Annual Report

MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN

As Chairman of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), I have the privilege of overseeing some of the most innovative and progressive efforts to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in American society.

2006 marked a period of exciting transition as NOD began to re-tool how we confront the many challenges still facing our constituency. First among these is to include people with disabilities in the workforce so that they may contribute to society and achieve the same self-worth and dignity as their non- disabled peers. With the help of our corporate friends, NOD is working to promote the message that those with disabilities have a multitude of skills and value that they bring to the workforce each and every day.

A special priority is our continuing work with emergency managers, planners and responders at all levels across this country to ensure people with disabilities are fully included in preparedness planning for the next major disaster.

In addition to these two signature programs, NOD strives toward a more welcoming America – one in which the special gifts and talents of those living with disabilities are recognized by and contribute to society at large. Through our World Committee and the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Award, we endeavor to spread this sensitivity worldwide.

I join Mike Deland in saluting our talented and dedicated staff, our Board of Directors and you our donors. With everyone’s help, I firmly believe that the next 25 years will see even greater progress toward the dream of full participation that Alan Reich envisioned when he established this organization over a quarter century ago.

Sincerely,

The Honorable Tom Ridge

Chairman

Back to Top

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

This year, our annual report does not merely recount the success of a single year; it also summarizes, in a retrospective section introduced by our Honorary Chairman George H.W. Bush, a quarter century of remarkable achievement.

In 2006, we launched the National EmployAbility Partnership to tackle the most intransient challenge confronting those of us with disabilities, namely to find a job. What private sector or public entity would not be invigorated by hiring workers who daily use their imagination and drive to overcome obstacles of which their non-disabled peers are often unaware or in some cases simply ignore?

Our Emergency Preparedness Initiative continued its trailblazing leadership to ensure that people with disabilities actively participate in emergency planning at all levels. EPI staff reached out in the broadest possible ways, from testifying before the United States Congress to criss-crossing the nation to educate civic leaders and citizens alike.

We reoriented NOD around these two signature programs, both of which are easily understandable and measurable. Our other programs, ranging from awards presented to the most accessible cities to a reformulated CEO Council, contribute to and strengthen these two flagship programs.

In 2007, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary year, it is fitting that we simultaneously celebrate Alan Reich’s unmatched contribution to people with disabilities throughout the world. We will host a series of commemorative events culminating in a Gala Celebration in the fall.

While past achievements merit recognition, we commit our vision and our persistence to the future. We owe that not just to Alan, but to the millions we seek to serve. We will, with your continuing support, provide new ways to draw upon the special talents and tenacity of individuals with disabilities, thereby enriching society at large.

Our loyal Board of Directors has earned my gratitude for its staunch support. We owe our deepest thanks to our staff team. NOD’s successes are largely due to their daily demonstration of expertise and energy. Their commitment gives me confidence that NOD will remain in the vanguard of the disability movement for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Deland

President

Back to Top

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

HONORARY CHAIRMAN

President George H.W. Bush

DIRECTORS

Governor Tom Ridge -- Chairman

Michael R. Deland -- President

Arlene E. Anns -- Former Publisher, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Philip E. Beekman -- Retired CEO, Hook SupeRx, Inc.

Henry B. Betts, M.D. -- Past President/Medical Director, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Peter D. Blanck, Ph. D. -- Chairman, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University

Bertram S. Brown, M.D. -- Forensic Medical Advisory Services

John M. Derrick, Jr. -- Former Chairman and CEO, Potomac Electric Power Company

Richard M. DeVos --NOD Founding Chairman, Retired President, Amway Corp.

Charles F. Dey -- Chairman, NOD National, EmployAbility Partnership

Brooke Ellison -- Author and Disability Advocate

Stephen L. Feinberg -- Chairman and CEO, Dorsar Industries

John D. Firestone -- Partner, Secor Group

Hon. Bruce Gelb -- Former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium

Hon. Dan Glickman -- President and CEO, The Motion Picture Association of America

Robert David Hall -- Actor and Disability Advocate

Stephen L. Hammerman -- Retired Deputy Commissioner, New York City Police Department

I. King Jordan, Ph. D. -- Retired President, Gallaudet University

William P. Kupper, Jr. -- President, BusinessWeek Group

Harold McGraw, III -- Chairman, President and CEO, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Sue Oliver -- Senior Vice President of People, Wal-Mart Stores, USA

Hon. Douglas H. Palmer -- Mayor, City of Trenton, NJ, President, U.S. Conference of Mayors

Jeffrey P. Reich -- President and CEO, Bridge Street Capital Management

Gay Forsythe Reich -- NOD Honorary Founder

Kenneth Roman -- Former Chairman and CEO, Ogilvy & Mather

David A. Roosevelt -- Morgan Stanley

E. John Rosenwald, Jr. -- Vice Chairman, Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.

Alan Rubin -- Former President, National Park Foundation

Richard J. Salem, Esq. -- Chairman, Enable America, PA

Humphrey Taylor -- Chairman, The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive, Inc.

Robert J. Saner II Esq., Counsel -- Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C.

CONGRESSIONAL SPONSORS

Sen. Judd Gregg, NH

Sen. Tom Harkin, IA

Sen. Daniel Inouye, HI

Sen. Edward Kennedy, MA

Rep. Michael N. Castle, DE

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, MD

Rep. Dale Kildee, MI

Rep. James R. Langevin, RI

Rep. Tom Lantos, CA

Rep. Henry Waxman, CA

910 Sixteenth Street, N.W. / Washington, D.C. 20006

Phone 202-293-5960 / TDD: 202-293-5968 / Fax: 202-293-7999

The National Organization on Disability is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt, non-profit organization. NOD audit and financial information is available upon request. The 2006 NOD Annual Report is available in text and pdf formats on the NOD web site, at http://www.nod.org/about

Back to Top

DEDICATION

As we enter our 25th year of expanding participation of people with disabilities, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) dedicates this annual report to the 54 million people with disabilities in America, and the nearly 1 billion worldwide that we serve.

We further dedicate this report to the thousands of advocates and volunteers, members of Congress, local officials and community leaders, businesses, the media, congregations, and NOD present and former Board, and staff who for the past 25 years have helped us in our work. Together we have made a better America, and hopefully a better world. We have much more to do at home and abroad, and hope you will continue with us in this journey of hope, inspiration and justice.

Back to Top

EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAM

Sponsor

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Sponsors, National EmployAbility Partnership

Henry H. Kessler Foundation, Inc.

Mr. Stephen Feinberg & Ms. Susan Foote

Hon. Bruce S. Gelb

Mr. & Mrs. Charles J. Queenan, Jr.

Mr. Jeffrey P. Reich

Mr. & Mrs. John and Pat Rosenwald

Mr. Frederick Whittemore

Mr. Joseph Baute

New Program Focused on Employment – National EmployAbility Partnership

Through generous grants from the New Jersey-based Henry H. Kessler Foundation and six “legacy” funders honoring Alan Reich, NOD launched the National EmployAbility Partnership (NEP) in July 2006. NEP is a focused effort to significantly increase employment for the roughly 22 million unemployed working-aged Americans with disabilities. NOD took on this challenge due to the fact that there has been no significant improvement in the overall employment numbers for people with disabilities since the end of World War II. This program builds upon the EmployAbility Program started by NOD in 2001 which the McGraw-Hill Companies has funded. Three core values guide the NEP strategy:

1. Dignity, responsibility and economic independence resulting from gainful employment is the most effective way of reducing dependency on public benefits, enhancing self-reliance and changing attitudes.
2. Successful employment programs must satisfy not only clients’ need for work, but business’ unmet labor force needs.
3. Access to quality education and training are critical to promoting career success.

A National Strategy – Catalyst and Resource

The National EmployAbility Partnership will be a catalyst and resource for the field, collaborating with business, government and job training fields to increase the number of people with disabilities in the workforce. Within three years, NOD expects to have in place a set of program initiatives designed to: (1) demonstrate promising employment practices, starting with high school students with disabilities; (2) build a cadre of corporate champions for an inclusive workforce; (3) influence public attitudes about the contributions that people with disabilities can bring to the workforce; and (4) promote public policies that provide incentives to work for beneficiaries of public disability assistance.

New Resources

NEP has produced three documents to help explain the low employment levels for people with disabilities. These reports are now published on the NOD website: “Financial Consequences of Work for Beneficiaries of Major Cash Benefits for People with Disabilities;” a “Follow the Money” chart detailing major public funding for employment-related programs for people with disabilities; and a literature review and summaries of publications on “Best Practices in Employment for People with Disabilities.”

Collaboration with US Army on Wounded Warrior Career Project

NOD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of the Army and its Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2). NEP will work specifically on the AW2 Career Project, which is an initiative that will include employment in the support the Army provides to its seriously wounded warriors. The goal is to ensure that soldiers and their family members are successfully engaged in employment and/or career preparation and are productive, self-sufficient members of their communities.

NEP has conducted focus groups with severely injured soldiers and their families to assess career aspirations; participated in AW2 symposia as subject matter experts on employment; and is assisting AW2 leadership in integrating career goals into the personalized support of Soldier Family Management Specialists.

Beginning in 2007, NEP will begin a national demonstration that will provide intensive long-term career support to severely injured soldiers in three regions of the United States. NEP will measure and report on employment outcomes for soldiers.

Advisory Council Established to Accelerate Progress

National leaders in business and non-profits have been selected to serve as members of the NEP Advisory Council, to advise on the development of priorities and strategies. Members from the NOD Board of Directors include: Charley Dey, Gay Reich, Ken Roman, John Rosenwald, with NOD President Mike Deland and NOD Chairman Tom Ridge serving as ex-officio members. Representatives from the Henry H. Kessler Foundation are Jack Cannell, and Foundation Chairman Tom Margetts. Other members include Tim Crow, executive vice president for Human Resources, Home Depot; George Kessinger, president, Goodwill Industries International; Richard Lueking, president, Transcen Inc.; David Morris, CEO of Habitat International; and Carol Glazer, executive director of NOD’s National EmployAbility Program.

Back to Top

START ON SUCCESS PROGRAM

Sponsors, Start on Success Student Internship Program

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund

Annie E. Casey Foundation

CIGNA Group Insurance

Constellation Energy

Greater New Haven Workforce Investment Board

Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pittsburgh Partnership

Philadelphia Youth Network

Venable LLC

Verizon

YouthWorks

On October 17, 2006 Jerrell White (center), a 2005 NOD Start on Success graduate was honored by the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities as the winner of the 2006 Achievement Award. During his high school senior year, Jerrell worked at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital as an NOD SOS Intern delivering supplies from the hospital warehouse to hospital departments. He excelled in his job, and with the skills he learned on his SOS internship, Jerrell is now employed at a restaurant in Philadelphia where he is doing well and showing extraordinary commitment. NOD salutes Jerrell and we are proud to have given him a “Start on Success”.

Innovative Start on Success Program Closes Employment Gap

NOD’s Start On Success Student Internship Program provides paid internships for high school students with disabilities. Now in its 13th year, SOS sites in 6 states annually prepare 300 graduates for competitive employment. Of those completing the program, 90 percent go on to full-time jobs or further education.

In 2006, a new program site was added in Newark, NJ. Through a Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund grant, work started to add New Orleans as a program site. Through this grant, SOS is training young people with disabilities so they can enter the workforce and lend a hand to the economic recovery of New Orleans.

SOS Interns Placement Sites for 2006

ALABAMA

Tuscaloosa

Northriver Retirement Center

Quality Mazda and Volkswagen Inc.

Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Clinic

Verner Elementary School

BALTIMORE

Johns Hopkins Hospital

University of Maryland at Baltimore

University of Maryland Medical System

CONNECTICUT

Bristol

Fashion Bug

Home Depot

Wal-Mart

District 13

Aetna Insurance Company

Middlesex Hospital

Wesleyan University

New Britain

Central Connecticut State University

New Haven

Gateway Community College

Hospital of St. Raphael

New Haven Hotel

Yale New Haven Hospital

Yale University

New London

Beechwood Rehabilitation Center

Connecticut College

Lawrence and Memorial Hospital

LOUISIANA

Dollar General

Marine Forces Reserve

New Orleans (MARFORES) and Navy Reserve Forces

New Orleans (NAVRESFOR)

NEWARK, NJ

Beth Israel Medical Center

PHILADELPHIA

Lankenau Hospital

Saint Joseph’s University

School District of Philadelphia

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania Hospital

Veterans Administration Medical Center

PITTSBURGH

Allegheny General Hospital

Carnegie Mellon University

CIGNA

University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Back to Top

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE

Sponsors

Alcoa Foundation

American International Group

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund

J.C. Penney Fund

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

National Leadership in a Time of Crisis

The Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI), organized immediately after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, helps communities, emergency planners and responders and people with disabilities, properly prepare for all man-made and natural disasters.

The Emergency Preparedness Initiative has taken a leadership role at the national policy level in Washington, DC. Highlights of this program’s accomplishments for 2006 include: participation in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Nationwide Plan Review, providing sworn testimony to the Federal Communications Commission regarding communication issues before, during, and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; providing sworn testimony to the National Transportation Security Board on the Wilco, TX bus explosion during Hurricane Rita evacuations; and creating the partnership between the DHS “Ready” campaign and the Emergency Preparedness Initiative “Partners in Preparedness” campaign.

The Emergency Preparedness Initiative staff provides technical assistance to DHS, Congress, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Defense, the White House, the American Red Cross, and other organizations, and has made over 200 public appearances during 2006 alone.

Getting Out the Message on Preparedness

In December of 2006, the Emergency Preparedness Initiative hosted the “Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference for People with Disabilities, the Elderly, Pediatrics, and Animals” with Homeland Defense Journal. NOD Chairman Tom Ridge gave a keynote address. The Emergency Preparedness Initiative created and collaborated on new publications and developed award winning web content. A new brochure in the “Prepare Yourself” series was developed in response to the several hundred people with disabilities who use service animals for assistance and were separated from them during Hurricane Katrina.

The award winning “12-Months of Preparedness” Education Series appeared on the Emergency Preparedness Initiative website throughout 2006, providing readers with steps to take to ensure personal preparedness. Another award-winning program was the “Interactive Map of Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources,” which serves as a clearinghouse of disability-specific resources useful for first responders, emergency managers and people with disabilities. It is the only all-hazard/all-disability resource site for disability preparedness and emergency management available in the United States. The American Red Cross directs their emergency operations center and all chapters to utilize this site.

Partnerships and National Recognition

The Emergency Preparedness Initiative partnered with American Association of Retired Persons, the American Red Cross, the National Fire Protection Association, and Citizen Corps to create two new joint publications for distribution by DHS that will address preparedness issues for senior citizens and people with disabilities. This partnership was announced by DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and Under Secretary George Foresman.

The Emergency Preparedness Initiative received multiple awards and recognition at the 2005 and 2006 International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference and Expo. These included first place awards for the brochure series “Prepare Yourself,” and for the “Interactive Map of Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources,” and second place awards for 2006 “Partners in Preparedness” poster campaign as well as the “12-Months of Preparedness” Education Series. Recognition from IAEM and its membership is a rewarding commendation from peers in the industry acknowledging the value of Emergency Preparedness Initiative’s contributions to emergency management and preparedness.

Coordinating with NOD Programs

The Emergency Preparedness Initiative coordinates with the Community Partnership Program and National Partnership Program through dissemination of emergency preparedness information via these networks. The Accessible America Award now includes a component specific to emergency preparedness efforts by the community and how they are geared towards people with disabilities.

The Emergency Preparedness Initiative also works with NOD’s Religion and Disability Program (R&DP) on a project entitled “Congregations Who Care - Prepare.” Faith-based organizations play a critical role in disaster response and in reaching their local communities. Providing preparedness information through the R&DP will help faith-based groups protect their members and community and provide them with specific steps that can and should be taken before, during and after an emergency.

New Initiatives to Meet the Need

Through a grant from the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, the Emergency Preparedness Initiative will be conducting on-the-ground training in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama to educate people with disabilities on personal preparedness, and to educate emergency management personnel on the unique needs of people with disabilities during disasters.

Through funding from Alcoa Foundation, American International Group, and the J.C. Penney Fund, EPI is launching a “Help Desk” to serve as a national resource for responders, planners and government officials at all levels and for the disability community.

Back to Top

SPECIAL 25TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

The history of the disability movement in the United States in many ways is synonymous with the history of the National Organization on Disability. Since 1982, NOD has played a leading role in the disability rights movement and has led the empowerment of our nations’ largest minority – 54 million men, women and children with disabilities.

One man is at the center of NOD’s history – Alan Reich. He conceived, launched, nurtured, , funded and promoted programs that had never existed for people with disabilities. Alan lived a full life as a quadriplegic, from a diving accident in 1962. With his soul mate Gay at his side, he was a loving husband and father and the visionary and tenacious leader of NOD. He saw the art of the possible and was a living inspiration of “it’s ability, not disability, that counts”.

Alan’s legacy includes programs aimed at expanding the participation and contribution of people with disabilities so they can live full lives. These programs include the Community Partnership Program, the National Partnership Program, the Accessible America Award, the World Committee on Disability, the EmployAbility Program, the FDR International Disability Award, the CEO Council, the Emergency Preparedness Initiative, the Start on Success Student Internship Program, and the NOD/Harris Survey Research Program

As we celebrate our 25th year, we look to our past for inspiration and are in awe of how far we have come. We look to the future with steadfast commitment that our mission is as vital in 2007 as it was in 1982 – to expand the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life.

1981

• The International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) is held with Alan Reich serving as President of the U.S. Council for the International Year. As a result of these efforts, the United Nations called on all member nations to establish organizations to expand the participation of people with disabilities in their own countries.
• The Community Partnership Program (CPP), is initiated during the IYDP and fosters alliances among people with and without disabilities; national, state and local groups; and government and the private sector.

1982

• Alan Reich announced the establishment of the National Organization on Disability at the United Nations. In his announcement he stated: – “– it is my great privilege to announce today, an important initiative to follow through on the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP). In January (1982) a new non-governmental organization The National Office on National Disability (name later changed to Organization on Disability) will be opened in Washington D.C. Its purpose will be to encourage and support the continuation of the momentum of the IYDP in the United States.”
• The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is officially established as a 501 (c)3 organization headquartered in Washington D.C. Richard DeVos, the co-founder of Amway, served as Founding Chairman. NOD was the first cross-disability grassroots organization established in the United States, run by people with disabilities, and aimed at expanding participation for all people with disabilities. The CPP became the core program of NOD.

1984

• National Partnership Program (NPP) is formed and enlists major national non-disability associations to use their local chapter networks to further the mission of NOD. Through corporate sponsorship, NPP members receive funds to conduct competitions among their local chapters to identify superior disability programming.

1985

• The World Committee on Disability is created to encourage the heads of government of UN member nations, UN agency heads, and religious and international organizations to support the UN World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons, which calls for full and equal participation of people with disabilities in the life of their societies.

1986

• NOD launches nationwide campaign for polling place accessibility and encourages participation by voters with disabilities in the upcoming presidential elections.

1989

• The interfaith Religion and Disability Program is established by Ginny Thornburgh with the encouragement of NOD Board member Rev. Harold H. Wilke. Since its founding, the Program has published, sold and distributed over 70,000 copies of its four guides, sponsored almost 300 “That All May Worship” conferences nationwide and enlisted 2250 congregations in the Accessible Congregations Campaign. In 2005, Thornburgh received the Hubert Humphrey Civil Rights Award from the Leadership Council on Civil Rights.
• NOD Vice Chairman Jim Brady spearheads the Calling on America Campaign enlisting national support for the ADA and for the participation of people with disabilities in all areas of life. Jim Brady was former press secretary for President Reagan and sustained a near-fatal brain injury when he was shot during the 1981 assassination attempt on the President.

1990

• NOD commissions its first omnibus Survey of Americans with Disabilities with the Harris Poll. The survey findings illustrate how people with disabilities are pervasively disadvantaged in America. As a result, NOD calls on America to close the gaps that keep people with disabilities from a full life. These surveys have become the authoritative source of statistical information on the participation levels of people with disabilities in key life activities and are conducted every four years.
• President George H.W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). NOD joined with other disability organizations in a campaign for the ADA. NOD representatives played key roles in the ADA signing ceremony on July 30, 1990, including a blessing by NOD Board member Rev. Harold Wilke. Some 3,000 people including advocates with disabilities from all across the country gathered to hear President Bush’s challenge: “Let the shameful walls of exclusion come tumbling down.”

1992

• The CEO Council is launched with the support of BusinessWeek and The McGraw-Hill Companies. CEOs of America’s leading companies join the Council as a means of expressing their support for and commitment to increased employment for people with disabilities.

1994

• The Start on Success Student Internship Program (SOS) is created to help young people with disabilities gain a future of economic independence. This program provides paid internships to high school students with disabilities so they can gain work experience and skills. Alan Reich asked Charley Dey to launch and lead this program which to date has served nearly 2000 young people. In 2006, Dey received the Purpose Prize from Civic Ventures which honors persons over the age of 60 for social entrepreneurship. Dey was recognized for his work on the Start on Success Program.

1995

• Former President George H.W. Bush accepts the position of Honorary Chairman of NOD.
• The Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award is established by the World Committee on Disability in partnership with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Institute to recognize and inspire nations to work toward the goal of the UN World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons, which is the full and equal participation of people with disabilities.
• The Rendezvous With Destiny Campaign is launched to promote inclusion of FDR’s disability in the national memorial under construction in Washington, D.C. In the six-year campaign, NOD convinced the American public, the White House, Congress and media that it was unconscionable to exclude FDR’s disability from his memorial. The Rendezvous with Destiny Campaign persuaded Congress to provide public funding for the “room” to contain the statue and raised the private funds to pay for the statue.

1996

• The Inaugural FDR International Disability Award is presented to South Korea’s President Kim Young Sam in San Francisco, the birthplace of the United Nations.

1997

• Christopher Reeve becomes NOD vice chairman. Reeve appears in a series of CEO Council ads that ran pro bono in BusinessWeek and in a national public service announcement, and participates in World Committee FDR International Disability Award events at the UN. Reeve redirected the spotlight that was always on him to the daily issues and challenges faced by people with disabilities.

1998

• Prime Minister Jean Chretien receives the second FDR International Disability Award on behalf of Canada at a ceremony at the UN.

1999

• President Mary McAleese of Ireland receives the third FDR International Disability Award on behalf of her nation in a ceremony at the UN.

2000

• NOD creates the Vote! 2000 Campaign, which inspired grassroots efforts nationwide to increase the numbers of voters with disabilities.
• President Árpad Göncz of Hungary receives the fourth FDR International Disability Award on behalf of his nation at a ceremony at the UN.

2001

• After a six year campaign, NOD succeeds in adding a statue of President Roosevelt in a wheelchair at the FDR National Memorial in Washington DC.
• The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 leads NOD to create the Emergency Preparedness Initiative to ensure that people with disabilities are included in emergency plans and evacuations. NOD presented to the White House and then to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge recommendations from the disability community on how to include their special needs in planning and response.
• Thailand’s Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn receives the fifth FDR International Disability Award on behalf of her nation at a ceremony at the UN.
• NOD establishes the EmployAbility Program to combat chronic unemployment of people with disabilities. Craig Gray leads this effort for NOD.

2002

• NOD receives two Media Access Awards from the California Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities for its innovative web site and for its public service announcement featuring Vice Chairman Christopher Reeve.
• Emergency Preparedness Initiative publishes the first ever Guide on the Special Needs of People with Disabilities for Emergency Managers, Planners & Responders.
• President Gustav Noboa of Ecuador receives the sixth FDR International Disability Award on behalf of his nation at a ceremony at the UN.
• NOD’s Public Service Announcement featuring Vice Chairman Christopher Reeve, other celebrities and people with disabilities, airs for the first time on national television, delivering the message that “it’s ability, not disability, that counts”.
• The Accessible America Award is founded to recognize communities for becoming accessible and disability friendly. The first winner is Venice, CA.

2003

• Representing Italian President Carlo Ciampi, Minister Roberto Maroni receives the seventh FDR International Disability Award on behalf of his nation at a ceremony at the UN.

2004

• The Start on Success Student Internship Program (SOS) celebrates its 1000th intern.
• NOD releases 2004 NOD/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities at a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness. NOD Board Members called to provide expert testimony were Robert David Hall, actor and disability advocate; Humphrey Taylor, chairman, Harris Poll; Peter Blanck, chairman, Burton Blatt Institute; and Alan Reich, president, NOD.
• The Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) organizes the first-ever national conference on emergency planning for people with disabilities. The three-day conference, held in the Washington, D.C. area before a capacity crowd of first responders, planners and the disability community from across the country, focused on ways to work together to ensure safety and to save lives.

2005

• His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan receives the eighth FDR International Disability Award on behalf of his nation at a ceremony at the UN.
• The Emergency Preparedness Initiative deploys teams of disability specialists and first responders to the Gulf region following Hurricane Katrina. This is the first time an organization, public or private, deployed to a disaster site to perform rapid assessments on the situation for the population with special needs. Emergency Preparedness Initiative releases the findings of its Special Needs for Katrina Evacuees (SNAKE) Project in two congressional briefings.
• Our motto “It’s Ability Not Disability That Counts” certainly reflects the life of NOD President Alan Reich who passed away in 2005. His legacy is reflected in all the activities mentioned in our 25th Anniversary Accomplishments. Mike Deland, chairman of NOD from 1995-2005 takes over as president to continue fulfilling the mission of NOD, at the request of the NOD Board of Directors.
• Members of the World Committee on Disability, participate in the UN Ad Hoc Committee drafting the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

2006

• The National EmployAbility Partnership (NEP) is launched with support from six individual donors plus a major matching grant from the Henry H. Kessler Foundation. Building on the program that was established years earlier, NEP’s mission is to increase workforce opportunities for the nearly 22 million working-age Americans with disabilities.
• Emergency Preparedness Initiative receives multiple awards and recognition at the 2006 International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference and Expo including first place awards for the latest brochure in the Prepare Yourself series and for the Interactive Map of Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources.
• President Lech Kaczynski of the Republic of Poland receives the ninth FDR International Disability Award on behalf of his nation at a ceremony at the UN.
• Emergency Preparedness Initiative co-hosts the “Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference for People with Disabilities, the Elderly, Pediatrics, and Animals.” This standing-room-only conference covered all aspects of emergency management planning and response for the special needs populations.

2007

• NOD and the Department of Defense sign a Memorandum of Understanding whereby National EmployAbility Partnership will provide employment and career support in three demonstration sites for the Army’s most severely wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
• To inaugurate NOD’s 25th anniversary, NOD hosts a screening of the documentary “Right to Risk” at the National Geographic in Washington D.C.

Back to Top

CEO COUNCIL

Corporate Commitment and the Business Case

Corporate America is rising to the challenge, thanks in large part to NOD’s CEO Council. Encompassing business leaders from across the country, CEO Council members have publicly committed to the hiring of people with disabilities. On one level, it is the “right thing to do.” But there are also compelling business reasons why corporate executives are making sure their diversity hiring practices include people with disabilities. For example, as the Baby Boomer generation retires, corporate America will need millions of new employees. People with disabilities represent a potent yet largely untapped labor pool. In addition, university studies have shown that the overwhelming majority of American consumers feel more favorably toward companies that hire individuals with disabilities.

BusinessWeek Helps Recognize Council Members

By supporting NOD, CEO Council members send the strong message that corporate America has a vested interest in expanding the employment opportunities for people with disabilities – people who can meaningfully contribute to their bottom line. In return, all CEO Council members contributing at the $10,000 level and above will be recognized in NOD’s full-page public service advertisement in BusinessWeek magazine. In 2006, the ad appeared 24 times in various national and international editions, equaling more than $1 million in advertising.

CEO Council Members

Millennium Circle ($100,000 & Above)

American International Group, Inc.

BusinessWeek

The McGraw-Hill Companies

Trustees’ Circle ($50,000- $99,999)

Alcoa Foundation

JC Penney Company Fund

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Chairman’s Circle ($25,000- $49,999)

Altria Group, Inc.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

The Coca-Cola Company

Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C.

The UPS Foundation

Vice Chairman’s Circle ($10,000-$24,999)

American Express Foundation

Baker Botts L.L.P.

Citigroup, Inc.

DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund

Eastman Kodak Company

Johnson & Johnson

New England Patriots Foundation

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Pepco Holdings, Inc.

PRIMEDIA/MotorTrend

Wal-Mart Foundation & Diversity Relations

President’s Circle ($5,000-$9,999)

Marriott International

Sony Corporation of America

Leadership Circle ($2,500-$4,999)

The Federated Department Stores Foundation

Hilton Hotels Corporation

KeySpan Corporation

Alex Lee, Inc.

The May Department Stores Foundation

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Prudential Financial

W.R. Grace Foundation, Inc.

Back to Top

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Sponsor

Alcoa Foundation

Sponsors, Accessible America

The UPS Foundation

Wal-Mart

Local Officials Stimulate Change

The Community Partnership Program (CPP) has worked with more than 4,000 mayors and chief elected officials in cities towns and counties since the program’s formation in 1982. It is in the communities that elected leaders can direct the local agenda to include programs and services that enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.

Many mayors take justifiable pride in creating what they believe to be the most livable, dynamic and desirable cities in the nation. Local government leaders must act as a responsive force that makes possible the pursuit of prosperity and opportunity for all citizens, including those with disabilities.

Emergency Planning for People with Disabilities – A Local Priority

A special focus in 2006 for the CPP was a collaboration with NOD’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in an emergency planning awareness campaign aimed at over 4,000 of our nation’s mayors and other local officials. This campaign provided information on how to ensure the special needs of people with disabilities are taken into account in all phases of emergency planning, and informed them of additional resources and assistance available from NOD.

Accessible America Award Recognizes Innovations in Inclusive Communities

The Accessible America Award is an annual awards competition open to communities of all sizes across the nation. The Award identifies best practices that advance the economic, cultural and social vitality that people with disabilities represent. NOD promotes the replication of these best practices through the Community Partnership Program.

The 2006 winners, Berkeley, California and Chicago, Illinois, have created innovative programs and policies illustrating their beliefs that their communities are better places for all when people with disabilities are included and universal design principles are emphasized. Berkeley’s focus on recreation and social inclusion, its model transportation services and its internship program illustrate its stated goal of being attractive to people with disabilities and of recognizing the importance of taking actions above and beyond what is mandated by law. Berkeley was also cited for its inclusive approach to emergency planning. Chicago’s business code revisions were most impressive, and its Disability Pride Parade initiative is of national significance. Both cities provide excellent examples of true access for all and have created strategies that other communities can replicate.

Accessible America Award winners include: Berkeley, California, Chicago, Illinois (2006); Cambridge, Massachusetts (2005); West Hollywood, California (2005); Austin, Texas (2005); Pasadena, California (2004); Phoenix, Arizona (2003); Irvine, California (2002); and Venice, Florida (20 01).

Back to Top

NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

National Partners Commit to Full Participation for All

The National Partnership Program (NPP) includes 40 influential non-disability organizations. NPP members are offered a variety of project options that include the possibility of enlisting their communities in the Community Partnership Program, or engaging the unique expertise of the Emergency Preparedness Initiative. National Partners conduct a good deal of advocacy work and can use Religion & Disability Program evaluation tools in congregations in communities where they operate and their members live.

NOD supports the recognition of the work of NPP member chapters to include people with disabilities in their programs, employment efforts and volunteer opportunities. A special example of this is AARP’s Wildwood, TX Chapter 2421 which received the AARP/National Organization on Disability “Community Betterment Award.” The award, which carries a $1,000 prize, recognized the chapter for its annual Don Allen Wildwood Sports Day for the Physically Challenged which is designed to make the joy of sport and the thrill of victory possible for physically and developmentally challenged children and adults. Participants engaged in such events as swimming, water skiing, kayaking, horse and mule riding, and hand cycling.

National Partner Organizations

American Association of Retired Persons

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging

American Association of Museums

American Association of University Women

American Bar Association

American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees

American Institute of Architects

American Lawyers Auxiliary

American Legion Auxiliary

American Library Association

American Red Cross

American Society of Association Executives

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Boy Scouts of America

Boys and Girls Clubs of America

Camp Fire USA

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

General Federation of Women’s Clubs

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.

League of Women Voters of the United States

National 4-H Council

National Association of Secondary School Principals

National Association of Counties

National Association of Elementary School Principals

National Association of Home Builders

National Association of Towns and Townships

National Catholic Partnership on Disability

National Foundation for Women Legislators

National School Boards Association

Older Women’s League

Pilot International Foundation

Sister Cities International

Telecom Pioneers of America

The American Legion

The Child Welfare League of America

The United States Conference of Mayors

Travelers Aid International

Women in Community Service

YMCA of the USA

YWCA of the USA

Back to Top

RELIGION AND DISABILITY PROGRAM

Sponsors:

Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Leadership to Ensure a Full Life of Faith for All

For 18 years, the Religion and Disability Program (R&DP) has been a leading force in the United States, working with congregations to ensure inclusion of people with all types of disabilities. Architecture and long-held attitudes often prevent people with disabilities from feeling part of the religious community and sharing their gifts and talents.

The Religion and Disability Program coordinates “That All May Worship” conferences focused on inclusion (29 conferences held in 2006) and offers “how to” guides including That All May Worship, Loving Justice, and From Barriers to Bridges. Through the Accessible Congregations Campaign, congregations commit to removing barriers that exclude people with disabilities from full and active participation. The more than 2,250 congregations enrolled in the campaign are listed at http://www.nod.org/religion.

New Program Initiatives that Address New Challenges

In recent years, the R&DP has added new program elements to further promote the understanding of disability issues in the religious community. The NOD Interfaith Directory of Religious Leaders with Disabilities, available on the NOD website, fosters communication between the religious community and the disability community. The Seminary Project helps seminaries welcome people with disabilities and better equip future religious leaders to serve, and serve with, children and adults with disabilities. The Congregations Who Care – Prepare project, a partnership with NOD’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative, advises congregations on how to assist people with disabilities in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

National Recognition for 18 years of Pioneering Work

The pioneering Religion and Disability Program, led by Founder and Director Ginny Thornburgh, has received national attention including press coverage in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Parade Magazine.

Increasing numbers of congregations, seminaries, denominations, faith groups and people with disabilities are looking to NOD for assistance in their efforts to ensure that all people can experience a full life of faith.

Back to Top

WORLD COMMITTEE ON DISABILITY

Sponsors:

American International Group

The Coca-Cola Company

FDR International Disability Award Recognizes Progress

The World Committee on Disability, in partnership with the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, presented the ninth Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award to President Lech Kaczy´nski on behalf of his nation of Poland. As with the previous United Nations member state winners, Poland was selected for noteworthy progress toward the UN World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons, which calls for the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life.

At the FDR Award ceremony, which was held at the UN, President Kaczynski accepted a bust of President Roosevelt by the noted sculptor Jo Davidson, and $50,000 for a non-governmental disability organization in Poland. In addition, the World Committee and Roosevelt Institute presented UN Secretary General Kofi Annan with a gift of thanks for his unwavering support of the FDR Award program. This presentation was made by Irish Special Olympics athlete Aisling Beacom. Ireland received the FDR Award in 1999.

New UN Disability Treaty To Bring Greater Rights and Participation

The global disability movement experienced a great victory in 2006 with the completion of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and its adoption by the UN General Assembly in December. World Committee members participated in the convention drafting meetings and attended the adoption of the convention by the UN General Assembly. The convention is a legal document, which builds upon the UN World Programme of Action, and requires nations that are signatories to follow its legal guidance for ensuring inclusion of people with disabilities.

Beginning in 2007, the FDR Award will be granted to a member state of the UN for achievements in promoting and implementing the spirit and intent of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Past FDR Award Winners

Republic of Poland

Kingdom of Jordan

Republic of Italy

Republic of Ecuador

Kingdom of Thailand

Republic of Hungary

Ireland

Canada

Republic of South Korea

Back to Top

SUPPORTERS WHO BELIEVE IN NOD'S MISSION

Without the strong support of contributors who believe in our work, none of NOD’s efforts could succeed. We thank the following supporters who make it possible for us to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

New Millennium Leaders

American International Group, Inc.

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund

BusinessWeek

Bruce & Lueza Gelb

C. Boyden Gray

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The Henry H. Kessler Foundation

The McGraw-Hill Companies

Jeffrey P. Reich

John & Pat Rosenwald

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Frederick B. Whittemore

Patrons

Alcoa Foundation

The Charles Engelhard Foundation

Stephen Feinberg & Susan Foote

Michael & Helen Hughes

JC Penney Company Fund

Charles J. & Jo Ann Queenan, Jr.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Benefactors

Altria Group, Inc.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

The Coca-Cola Company

Michael & Jane Deland

The Richard & Helen DeVos Foundation

The Llura and Gordon Gund Foundation

Stephen & Ellie Hammerman

Laurie & Michael Paternoster

Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C.

Kenneth & Ellen Roman

The UPS Foundation

Sponsors

American Express Foundation

Baker Botts L.L.P

Citigroup, Inc.

DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund

Eastman Kodak Company

Johnson & Johnson

New England Patriots Foundation

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Pepco Holdings, Inc.

PRIMEDIA/MotorTrend

Wal-Mart Foundation & Diversity Relations

The Whitehead Foundation

Partners

Joseph Baute

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Burnes

John & Linda Derrick

Roger S. Firestone Foundation

Gregory Hughes

Marriott International

Sony Corporation of America

Lucy Waletzky

Associates

Alex Lee, Inc.

Phillip E. Beekman

The Blanck Family Foundation

Centerpoint Institute, Inc.

Rockwell Collins

The Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation

Frank S. Deland, III.

The Federated Department Stores Foundation

W.R. Grace Foundation, Inc.

Hilton Hotels Corporation

KeySpan Corporation

Ingrid Kirkland

William P. Kupper, Jr.

The May Department Stores Foundation

Alfred H. Moses

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Prudential Financial

David & Kimberly Roosevelt

Nancy A. Starnes

Humphrey Taylor

W. Reid Thompson

Dr. & Mrs. Peyton Weary

Friends

Arlene & Philip Anns

Helen E. Brand

California State Thespians

Dolly Chang

Charles & Phoebe Dey

Penelope Dey

Rhett A. & Betty K. Dupont

Marcel & Charlotte Durot

Min Se & Duk Ja Lee

Robert Finn & Pamela J. Murphy

Ted Frankenbach

Amy Gammons

Gannett Foundation, Inc.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Rady & Mimi Johnson

Thomas M. & Betty Ann Keane

D. McWilliams & Judith L. Kessler

Daniel & Barbara Krabill

Lee Miller, Esq.

Edmund & Ann Nolan

Mr. & Mrs. McKee Nunnally

Jeffrey Reich Family Foundation

Gay Forsythe Reich

Shanley and Associates, LLC

Laurence A. Short

Brewster Thackeray

William Thomas

Ginny & Dick Thornburgh

Thornewill Design, LLC

John & Carolyn Twiname

Women’s Club of Barboursville

NOD STAFF

Michael R. Deland -- President

Eric Abalahin -- Web Manager

Betsy Berry -- Program Officer, Emergency Preparedness Initiative

Mary E. Dolan-Hogrefe -- Vice President, Senior Advisor & Director, World Committee on Disability

Juliet Hawk -- Administrative Assistant, Emergency Preparedness Initiative

Gregory E. Johns -- Director of Finance

Coleman Kane -- Director, CEO Council

Jenlene L. Nowak -- Executive Assistant to the President

Hendrik N. Opstelten -- Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff

Nancy Starnes -- Vice President & Chief of Staff

Hilary Styron -- Director, Emergency Preparedness Initiative

Ginny Thornburgh -- Vice President & Director, Religion & Disability Program

Meghan Lindsley Todd -- Program Assistant National EmployAbility Partnership

Consultants

Carol Glazer -- Executive Director, National EmployAbility Partnership

Tracey McDade -- Assistant Director, Start on Success Student Internship Program

Claude Schrader -- Director, Start on Success Student Internship Program