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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2015

CONTACT: Melanie Mowry Etters
Communication Director
850-414-7551

ADA 25th Anniversary Celebration

DAYTONA BEACH, FL—On July 22, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with several activities in Daytona Beach. Come join APD to commemorate this landmark legislation that continues to expand opportunities and enhance everyone’s life.

APD Northeast Regional Operations Manager Leslie Richards said, “We are thrilled to highlight individual and community successes as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Everyone benefits from the ADA starting with the inclusion of all in our communities and schools, enhanced work opportunities, and the advancements of technology.”

The celebration includes personal stories, comments from local and state elected officials, music, a march and ends with ADA Night at a baseball game.

The event schedule is:

10 a.m. - Meet in the UCF building on the Daytona State College Campus for remarks by State Representative Dwayne Taylor and to watch the video “Lives Worth Living,” a history of the ADA, and how this legislation has shaped our lives, followed by music.

11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Gather in the clock tower quad/landing in the courtyard of Daytona State College to hear speeches from a state senator, an individual with a disability, and a local businessman or local government official. After the speeches, 25 red, white and blue balloons will be released in the courtyard.

4:30 p.m. to 5:55 p.m. - Meet at the Volusia County Courthouse Annex steps (125 Orande Ave.) next to Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Radiology Associates Field on City Island. Converge upon the steps of the Court House Annex on Orange Avenue for speeches from Judge Dawn Fields, individuals with disabilities, and a state senator.

6 p.m. - March as a group to the Jackie Robinson Ball Park for the gate opening at 6:05 p.m. for ADA Night. The game is between the Daytona Tortugas and Charlotte Stone Crabs.

A contest to create posters depicting how the ADA has improved the lives of those with a disability will occur within the local disability community. The posters will be displayed at the ball field on ADA Night. A state representative and local government official will select three posters to be displayed throughout the year in public buildings (Court House, libraries, and city halls).

For more information on the ADA celebration, please contact Belinda Hoyt at belinda.hoyt@apdcares.org or 386-254-3977.

For a complete listing of APD’s ADA celebrations, please visit: http://apdcares.org/news/adaevents.htm .

APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. The agency annually serves more than 50,000 Floridians with autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit APDcares.org or call toll-free 1-866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273).

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