On the Status and Well-being of People with Intellectual Disabilities
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Senator Tom Harkin with Special Olympics Iowa athlete Katie Meade 8 March 2006 when Special Olympics athletes, along with coaches, state Program leaders and family members, met with their U.S. Representatives and Senators on Capitol Hill to urge Congressional support for Special Olympics Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations requests. Meade, of Des Moines, Iowa, USA, was an International Global Messenger from 2002 through 2004. |
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies will hold a field hearing in conjunction with the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games to discuss the health status and related needs of people with intellectual disabilities and policy and other opportunities. It will take place on Sunday, 2 July 2006 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the Benton Auditorium, located in the Scheman Center at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
The hearing is open to the public, and Special Olympics athletes, family members, coaches and volunteers are encouraged to attend.
< Download a Field Hearing flier (Adobe PDF, 365K) to print or e-mail >
The Hearing is an update on a Senate Field Hearing that was conducted in conjunction with the 2001 World Winter Games in Alaska. Five years after the 2001 Hearing, there are still barriers to full inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities and this population still does not get the justice and dignity it deserves. Presiding over the hearing will be U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member, Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Scheduled w itnesses include:
- Julie Gerberding, MD, Director, Centers for Disease Control
- Timothy Shriver, Ph.D., Chairman, Special Olympics, Inc.
- Antonia Novello, MD, Commissioner of Health, New York State Health Department, former U.S. Surgeon General
- Kyler Prunty, Special Olympics Iowa athlete
- Family Member(s)
- Educator
The following panels are planned:
- Health/Wellness: Status of People with Intellectual Disabilities
- Education/Training: Challenges and Opportunities for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Senator Harkin is an Honorary Chair of the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games and has been a leading voice in the U.S. Senate on behalf of people with intellectual and other disabilities. Senator Harkin authored the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark legislation that protects the civil rights of more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. He was instrumental in securing
US$4 million in federal support for the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games.
Harkin was recently interviewed by Special Olympics Iowa athlete Katie Meade for the Quarter 2, 2006 issue of Spirit magazine. Meade noted that during the 2005 Global Athlete Congress, "many of our athletes said they were more interested in taking a more active role in government affairs. What advice would you give so they could be more effectively involved?" Harkin responded, "I would encourage them to get involved on issues they care about, to personally meet with their elected representatives and to help educate them on why the issues are so important."
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