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The Florida Grantor, Fall 2005

President’s Message

As this year comes to a close, we reflect back on the progress we have made in 2005 to help more Floridians with disabilities gain employment.

We ended the 2005 Fiscal Year by awarding more than $1.7 million to agencies across Florida to start or enhance employment programs for people with disabilities. By calendar year-end, this puts The Able Trust grant award total at more than $16 million.

Florida’s Disability Mentoring Day statewide committee was successful at hosting the national kickoff celebration in Tallahassee. Andy Imparato, President & CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, Woody Simmons of Verizon Communications and Florida Lt. Governor Toni Jennings were just a few people to join us for the kickoff event at Florida State University’s National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Thank you to all the sponsors, volunteers, business mentors and mentees who made Disability Mentoring Day a huge success.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently released a study on the best practices of employing people with disabilities in state government. Florida was recognized as one of only three states to have a partnership, known as the Florida Business Leadership Network (BLN), with the business community to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities. The Able Trust takes great pride in starting the BLN over seven years ago, which today has over 950 members. We will continue to be dedicated to providing employers with resources to recruit, hire, train and retain people with disabilities.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of The Able Trust’s 2005 accomplishments. Happy holidays to you and your family.