Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award Recognizes Achievements of People with Disabilities WASHINGTONFive businesses, three non-profits, and one National Football League player today received the Secretary of Labor's annual New Freedom Initiative Award for service to people with disabilities.
President Bush wants all Americans to have the opportunity to develop skills and engage in productive work, said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. Recipients of the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award recognize the value that persons with disabilities bring to the workplace and that wisdom is reflected in their daily actions and operations. The Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award recognizes exemplary and innovative efforts to train, recruit and hire people with disabilities and to incorporate the principles of President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative. Introduced in 2001, the New Freedom Initiative is a comprehensive set of proposals designed to give people with disabilities the opportunity to fully participate in all aspects of community life, including employment. Awardees were honored by Secretary Chao at a departmental ceremony.
Biographies on the awardees and additional information can be found at www.dol.gov/odep/newfreedom/nfi04.htm. The awardees were: INDIVIDUAL: * Michael John Maslowski, Linebacker Kansas City Chiefs, Overland Park, Kansas NON-PROFITS : * Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities Washington, DC * Project SEARCH Cincinnati, Ohio * Salt Lake Community College Skills Center Projects With Industry Salt Lake City, Utah BUSINESSES: * A & F Wood Products Howell, Michigan * Hewlett- Packard Company Palo Alto, California * MBNA America Bank, N.A. Wilmington, Delaware * Microsoft Corporation Redmond, Washington * SunTrust Banks, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia _________________________________________________________________ Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.
