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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face=Arial>CONTACT:</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>Pamela
Roark-Glisson, Executive Director</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>Independence
Place, Inc.</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>(859)
266-2807</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>(859) 948-3663
(Cell)</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face=Arial>pglisson@independenceplaceky.org</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><FONT face=Arial>Statewide Disability Advocates Demonstrate
Engaging <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Independence</st1:City></st1:place> Through Access In Capitol
Rotunda</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>Disability
Rights Advocates Across Kentucky Converge Upon Frankfort’s Capitol Rotunda to
Exhibit Visibility and<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Vigilence
While Voicing Celebration of Freedom and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Independence</st1:City></st1:place> by the Americans with Disabilities
Act</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><st1:City
w:st="on">Lexington</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">KY</st1:State> (July 25,
2011):<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Independence Place, Inc. –
The Kentucky Center for Independent Living Serving Central and Eastern KY –
hosts and joins with Disability Rights Advocates traveling from Ashland,
Hopkinsville, Williamsburg, Murray, Independence, Bardstown, New Concord,
Lancaster, Louisville, Covington, Hazard, Lexington and hundreds of Kentuckians
passionate about access throughout the Commonwealth at 11 A.M. on Monday morning
in the State Capitol Rotunda until 1 P.M.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Disability Rights Leaders exemplify the significance of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) to inspire Peer Mentors with severe disabilities who
ENGAGE the new era of accessibility and freedom to promote positive and
inclusive RELATIONS among fellow community citizens.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>2011 is the 21<SUP>st</SUP> year of the
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">ADA</st1:place></st1:City>. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Enormous strides have been accomplished
to create full access to goods, services and meaningful life styles for
Kentuckians with disabilities; yet the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">ADA</st1:City></st1:place> must remain alive and well for the
increasing numbers of YOUTH with disabilities to continue to mature into a new
generation of Peer Mentors with the PASSION to “lead On”. </FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>John Glisson,
President of the <st1:City w:st="on">Lexington</st1:City> Chapter of the
Kentuckiana Regional Group of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Inc.
said:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“In this greatest land of
opportunity, our children and adults with significant disability deserve the
chance to aspire to reach their American Dream along side all Americans – a
DREAM for which thousands upon thousands of men and women of these United States
have chosen to give their lives!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Without goods and services accessible to and usable by people with
disabilities through full and complete access, the billions and trillions of tax
dollars channeled through our Federal and State rehabilitation programs can be
nothing more than serving those without disability and establishing an immoral
pattern of failure to reach the Goal.”</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 16.8pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt 0.25in" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face=Arial>1 in 4 Kentuckians has a significant disability.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>People with disabilities constitute the nation's largest minority group,
and the only group of which anyone can become a member at any time.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The unemployment rate of people with
disabilities is ten times greater than the national unemployment rate, yet many
of those unemployed individuals have the skills needed in the local community.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Nearly sixty million Americans have
at least one disability, making them the largest minority group in the nation.
As the baby boomer population ages and more veterans return from combat duty,
this number will double in the next 20 years. Notwithstanding the strides made
in advancing equality for people with disabilities during the past forty-five
years, the majority of people with disabilities are poor, under-employed and
under-educated due largely to unequal opportunities. People with disabilities
make up an estimated 20 percent of the total population. It is a diverse group,
crossing lines of age, ethnicity, gender, race, sexual orientation and
socioeconomic status. It is the RIGHT THING TO DO to continue the MARCH toward
FULL INCLUSION in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:State></st1:place>’s communities, thus breaking the
bonds of isolation, depression and terror!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 16.8pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt 0.25in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial>“Every man,
woman, and child with a disability now can pass through the once closed doors
into a bright new era of freedom, independence, and equality (President George
Bush, July 26, 1990).” </FONT></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
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class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>For more information on Independence Place, Inc. and the movement to
‘Engage Independence’, please visit <A
href="http://www.independenceplaceky.org/">HTTP://www.independenceplaceky.org</A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
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lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>#######<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>About Independence Place, Inc.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 16.8pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt 0.25in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Independence
Place, Inc. is a nonprofit, consumer driven, nonresidential center for
independent living, serving people with disabilities of all ages. The mission of
Independence Place, Inc. is to assist people with disabilities to achieve their
potential for community inclusion through improving access and equal
opportunity.</SPAN></EM><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>