Bloomington, Ind. — The City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility (CCA)
recognized organizations and individuals committed to making Bloomington more
accessible to people with disabilities at the annual CCA Awards Ceremony, held
Monday at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46.
Pete Giordano,
Director of Community and Family Resources, congratulated all the nominees and
award recipients and thanked them on behalf of Mayor Mark Kruzan. Giordano
presented the Mayor's Award posthumously to Sophia Travis.
"Sophia was
tremendously influential and supportive of people with disabilities,” Giordano
said. “Along with her dedication and commitment to LifeDesigns as a Board
member, Sophia advocated on behalf of people with disabilities throughout the
community. She was instrumental in establishing the accessible Karst Farm
Splash Pad. She presided over the County Council when it passed a tax levy that
benefits families with disabilities needing respite. She made so many
contributions to our community in so many areas of life that it is difficult to
summarize them tonight. Bloomington and Monroe County are better today because
of Sophia Travis.”
The following award
winners also were recognized for outstanding service:
Self-Advocacy Award: Rachel Roby, for being highly engaged in the
community as an educator on behalf of persons with hidden disabilities and
breaking down stigmatizing barriers faced by people with mental disabilities
Professional and
Community Service Award: Rebecca Davis, for successfully launching Visually Impaired Preschool
Services (VIPS) in Bloomington
Business Service
Award: James McLary,
president and CEO of e2Taxi, for improving mobility for the entire community,
especially for people with disabilities, through accessible taxicabs
Employment Award: The Indiana University Wells Library, for
providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities
Housing Service
Award: Lauren and Peter
Cowan, owners of Agewise Design, for addressing the growing need to modify
living spaces for aging adults and people with disabilities
Special Recognition: Lake Monroe Boat Rental, for donating pontoon
boats for the last three Fish-tival events organized by the Southern Indiana
Center for Independent Living on Lake Monroe; Dr. James Laughlin, for
outstanding contributions to children with special medical needs through
establishment of a local clinic in partnership with Riley Hospital for Children;
and St. Thomas Lutheran Church under the leadership of Pastor Lyle McKee, for
extraordinary efforts on behalf of persons with disabilities, enabling them to
be fully included in congregational activities
Kristin Willison
Volunteer Service Award: Carle Crawford, for volunteering on behalf persons with disabilities at
Area 10 Agency on Aging, Citizen Advocacy of South Central Indiana, Monroe
County Crop Walk, New Leaf-New Life, Monroe County Public Library, in nursing
homes and wherever he sees a need
Mayor's Award: Sophia Travis, for her passionate commitment to
better our community
The ceremony also
included recognition of several fully accessible local businesses and a keynote
presentation by Lou Moneymaker, the president and CEO of Bosma Enterprises.
The Awards Ceremony
was presented by the City of Bloomington’s Community and Family Resources
Department. For information on the Council for Community Accessibility, go to http://bloomington.in.gov/cca or contact Special Projects Coordinator Craig
Brenner at 349.3471 or brennerc@bloomington.in.gov.
No comments:
Post a Comment