Fwd: FCC: Governor Crist Recognizes Disability Employment Awareness Month

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Family Care Council Communication:

For your information and sharing.

Bob Wessels

Employment Coordinator, Community Outreach, FCC Liaison

Agency for Persons with Disabilities

201 West Broward Blvd., Suite 305

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Tel: - Fax:

Email: _Wessels@...

www.apdcares.org

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The Agency supports Persons with Developmental Disabilities in Living,

Learning and Working in their Community.

----- Forwarded by Wessels/APD/DCF on 10/08/2008 01:14 PM -----

Etters/APD/DCF

To

10/08/2008 11:36

AM cc

Subject

Fw: Governor Crist Recognizes

Disability Employment Awareness

Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCTOBER 8, 2008

CONTACT: GOVERNOR’S PRESS OFFICE

Governor Crist Recognizes Disability Employment Awareness Month

~ Praises businesses for working to give those with disabilities

opportunities for independence, success~

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today, in celebration of Disability

Employment Awareness Month, joined the Agency for Persons with Disabilities

(APD), Florida Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the Agency for Workforce

Innovation (AWI) in recognizing businesses from across the state that are

committed to hiring people with disabilities. October is Disability

Employment Awareness Month, and the state is highlighting contributions of

people with disabilities to the workforce.

“It is so important that persons with disabilities be able to live

independently, and workforce opportunities are vital to that independence,â€

said Governor Crist. “I encourage all businesses in the state to make the

hiring of these hardworking employees a priority. Together, we can create a

diverse and dynamic workforce for our communities and for all of Florida.â€

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities presented six businesses with the

Florida Exceptional Employer Award, which recognizes businesses’ commitment

to hiring and retaining people with disabilities and creating unique

employment opportunities. The businesses honored Wednesday are as follows:

· Baptist Hospital of Pensacola

· Kmart of Florida

· Electronics of

· Micro Systems of Fort Walton Beach

· SunTrust Banks of Florida

· TJ Maxx of Florida

" We are excited to recognize businesses that have made a significant

commitment to hiring and keeping people with disabilities on their

payroll,†said Jim DeBeaugrine, Director of the Agency for Persons with

Disabilities. “These workers are extremely reliable and committed to their

jobs. It just makes good business sense to include employing individuals

with disabilities in a company’s hiring practices.â€

Representatives from the Big Bend Business Leadership Network spoke on the

benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities and the role their

organization plays in supporting those hiring choices. The Able Trust and

the City of Tallahassee sponsored the recognition.

APD annually serves about 35,000 Floridians with the developmental

disabilities of mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida,

and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information on the agency, call

1-866-APD-CARES or visit www.apd.myflorida.com.

###

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