FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mariana V. Nork
202-457-0046
AAPD TO PRESENT 2007
HENRY B. BETTS AWARD TO ESTEEMED
NATIONAL DISABILITY
RIGHTS ORGANIZER MARK JOHNSON
Award
Presentation to be Made at AAPD Leadership Gala
in
WASHINGTON, DC, December 10, 2006— The
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is delighted to
announce that the 2007 Henry B. Betts Award will be presented to Mark Johnson,
a nationally-recognized activist, community organizer, and Director of Advocacy
at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Henry B. Betts Award is named
in honor of Henry B. Betts, M.D., a pioneer in the field of rehabilitation
medicine who started his career with the Institute in 1964, making it the base
for his career as an advocate for people with physical disabilities and leader
in the field of rehabilitation medicine, and who has devoted himself to
improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. The award program,
which is administered by AAPD, was created in 1989 by the Prince Charitable
Trusts and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
"Mark Johnson is an extraordinary grassroots leader
who has helped to grow organizations, connect individuals and constituencies,
and catalyze major societal changes that are improving the quality of life of
people with disabilities around the country,” says Andrew J. Imparato, AAPD President and CEO. “His organizer's
approach is what the disability movement needs more of, and his pragmatic
strategies have proven effective in breaking down barriers to full
participation and equal opportunity in a wide range of areas,
including housing, transportation, health care, sports and recreation, and
worship."
Johnson, who at the age of 20 sustained a C 5-6 spinal cord
injury, went on to dedicate his life to creating an identifiable sense of
community among people with disabilities.
After completing a Masters in Education at the
In
Johnson also helped to create Americans Disabled for
Accessible Transportation (ADAPT) in 1984, a grassroots-driven organization
that has been an effective force for change in the national disability rights
movement.
In 1987, Johnson assumed the position of Director of
Advocacy at the
He is a founding member of the board of the Healthcare
Georgia Foundation, which awards more than $4 million annually to organizations
throughout Georgia, and was formed as the result of litigation filed against
Blue Cross Blue Shield, a case in which Mark was a plaintiff. Johnson also helped to create the Brain and
Spinal Injury Trust Fund, which provides independent living services to thousands
of people with brain or spinal cord injuries throughout
It was Johnson’s extraordinary vision and years of planning
that resulted in the Spirit of the ADA
Torch Relay, a tenth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) celebration hosted in 24 locations around the country in 2000. The Spirit
of the ADA Torch Relay was effective at bringing together - in cities and
communities around the country - people with disabilities, their friends and
families, and disability rights advocates, thus also bringing much public
national attention to the legislation.
Says his friend and colleague, Paul Timmons, CEO of Portlight Strategies, Inc., “Mark Johnson inspires us all
to believe, and helps us to get organized to succeed.”
The 2007 Henry B. Betts Award will be presented
collaboratively by AAPD and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at the AAPD
Leadership Gala, an awards ceremony and dinner, on