January 22, 2004
Contact:
Jill Houghton
(954) 920-0768
Brian Croswhite
(954) 262-8651
Jennifer Meriam
(954) 262-5355
First National Emerging Workforce® Conference Looks To Expand Work Benefits For People With Disabilities
President George W. Bush And Governor Jeb Bush Among Invitees
Weston, FL -- More than 500 leaders from various governmental, private and non-profit organizations will come together February 8-10, 2004 for the First National Emerging Workforce® Conference, designed to enhance employment opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities.
The conference, hosted by Nova Southeastern University's Fischler School of Education and Human Services and sponsored by more than a dozen top federal, state and non-governmental agencies, marks the first time multiple government and non-governmental agencies will come together to support employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The National Emerging Workforce® Conference coincides with the third anniversary of the President's New Freedom Initiative, which promotes full integration of people with disabilities into American society. The goal of the two-day event is to shed light on an untapped labor pool of more than 54 million people with disabilities by building a strong foundation between policy makers, service providers, families and people with disabilities.
One of the many highlights of the conference is featured guest John D. Kemp, a principal with the law firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C. in Washington, D.C. Born without arms and legs, Kemp has served as an inspiration to others by achieving success as a CEO and an attorney.
Confirmed participants include Florida Governor Jeb Bush; JoAnne B. Barnhart, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration; Margaret Gianinni, Director for the Office of Disability, U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; Cari M. Dominguez, chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and W. Roy Grizzard, Jr., Assistant Sec., for the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
An invitation to address the conference was extended to President George W. Bush, and confirmation is pending.
Primary sponsors of the conference are Nova Southeastern University; the Social Security Administration; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Office of Special Education Programs; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Disability.
Other major sponsors include the The Able Trust; The Florida Department of Children and Families, Developmental Disabilities Program Office; The Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; Florida Family Support Project: Juntos Podemos (Together We Can); Spherion Corporation; Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development; The Advocacy Center; National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Developmental Disabilities; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office on Disability Employment Policy.
The event will take place on:
February 8-10, 2004
Wyndham Bonaventure Resort & Spa
250 Racquet Club Road
Weston, Florida 33326
The early registration deadline for the First National Emerging Workforce® Conference is extended to Friday, January 30, 2004. Early registration entitles registrants to a $50 savings.
For registration information, a complete list of sponsors and updated information on facilities, please visit the conference web site at www.schoolofed.nova.edu/workforce.
Media interested in attending the conference, receiving a confirmed list of attendees or scheduling interviews should contact Jill Houghton, Conference Coordinator, at 954.920.0768 or via email at jilldh@bellsouth.net.
