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The Florida Grantor, Winter 2007

Disability Mentoring Day Kick-off Ceremony & Career Fair a Success!

This fall marked two very important events for individuals and youth with disabilities. The National Disability Mentoring Day Kick-off Ceremony & Career Fair, which took place on Sept. 24, 2007, and the 2007 Disability Mentoring Day (DMD), which took place on Oct. 17, 2007.

DMD is a one day job-shadowing opportunity for individuals with disabilities. This year, Florida Governor Charlie Crist served as the 2007 National DMD Honorary Chair.

On Sept. 24, 2007, nearly 600 students and job seekers with disabilities came together to participate in the first-ever 2007 National DMD Kick-off Ceremony & Career Fair.

The event, held in conjunction with the U.S. Business Leadership Network national conference, took place at the Buena Vista Palace in Orlando.

The Kick-off Ceremony and Career Fair featured a ribbon cutting with Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp. The event also featured special presentations by such notables as Andrew Imparato, President & CEO of the American Association for People with Disabilities; Jeannie Amendola of The Able Trust and Walt Disney World Co.; Bill Palmer, Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; Ollie Cantos VII, Special Counsel to the US Attorney General, US Department of Justice, Dr. Judith Bilsky, Executive Vice Chancellor of the Florida Division of Community Colleges and Alan Muir, Executive Director of the University of Tennessee Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities.

The Career Fair also featured more than 40 national employers.

The sixth-annual Florida DMD took place Oct. 17, 2007. This national mentoring experience enables students or job seekers with disabilities to see what a typical day on the job is like and to learn from professionals who are working in their fields of interest.

DMD is organized in Florida by The Able Trust, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and a collaboration of statewide disability organizations. DMD is a national initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

In 1999, the event began as a White House initiative to promote the employment of people with disabilities, as well as to increase the awareness of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October.)

The Able Trust would like to thank the many supporters, volunteers and sponsors who contributed to the success of this yearÕs DMD activities. Major sponsors include Publix Supermarkets; Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; American Express and Clear Channel Radio. Gold sponsors include Sound Advice Amphitheatre; Anheuser Busch Companies; Volunteer Florida and MV Transportation. Silver sponsors include First Transit; Welocalize; Walt Disney World Co.; Children First; Florida Mentoring Partnership; Florida Department of Education; ACS; the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities; IARP and Rosen Centre Hotel and TMS Management Group, Inc. Bronze sponsors include Capital City Consulting, LLC; Capital City Bank Group, Inc.; Comprehensive Rehabilitation Consultants; Congo River Golf; Good Wheels and HR Florida State Council.

The Able Trust would also like to thank DMD Friends including P. Adams Kelly; Accessibility Solutions; Agency for Persons with Disabilities; Ride Solutions; Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged; Roberts & Jewelry Design, Inc.; Gaylord Palms Resort; Ronald Block; Embassy Suites-Tampa; Rosen Shingle Creek; Kevin & Kerri Dickerson and Sofitel Miami.

For more information visit www.floridadmd.org