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March 1998
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March 1998
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This Month's Kudos:
Fidos for Freedom teaches dogs with the work ethic to earn their keep! This Laurel, Maryland based organization provides therapy dogs, companion animals and training for canines and their owners.
The Fidos For Freedom tenth annual awards banquet will be held on Saturday, March 21,1998 at the Best Western Maryland Inn Banquet Room To attend, jump to the announcement to print an RSVP.
Washington, D.C.-- Catharine (Katie) Mincey, an employee of the Columbia Lighthouse contracted to work at the U.S. Deponent of Education as the Director of the Alternate Format Center, has been named Blind Employee of the Year. The selection was announced this week by Dale T. Otto, President and CEO, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.
Mrs. Mincey will now be eligible to compete nationally for the Peter J. Salmon Award presented annually by the Board of Directors of National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and the General Council of Industries for the Blind (GCIB).
First presented in 1968, the national Blind Employee of the Year Award honors Peter J. Salmon, a leader in the field of blindness who is recognized for his efforts to improve services and opportunities for the blind community, with a focus on employment. Mr. Salmon was instrumental in getting the Wagner-O'Day Act passed by Congress in 1938. Amended in 1971, this legislation now known as the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, mandates agencies of the Federal Government to purchase,under certain terms and conditions, services and products manufactured by blind and low vision employees of NIB-associated industries.
Through her employment with the Columbia Lighthouse, Mrs. Mincey fills a contracted available in various formats such as braille, large print and on audio tape. She ensures the fulfillment of requests from Department of Education employees with disabilities who require written documents in alternate formats for presentations, meetings, conferences and seminars.
An active volunteer who gives service to the local and blind community, Mrs. Mincey served for two years as president of the National Capital Area Chapter of American Council of the Blind of Maryland. She assisted the Department of Public Works in 1991 with the development of eligibility requirements for public transportation assistance for people with disabilities, a program now known as Metro Access. As a member of the Prince George's County Committee for the Commission for Persons with Disabilities, she helped explore issues affecting Prince George's County citizens with disabilities, and in 1992, received the Prince George's County Blind Employee of the Year award.
Mrs. Mincey also assisted the Library Physical Access Committee for Americans with Disabilities by reviewing all Prince George's County libraries and making recommendations for facilities to comply with ADA requirements. In addition to serving her community, Mrs. Mincey volunteers with her church, coordinating the distribution of alternate format documents for the disabled congregation. Together with her husband, she established a bible study group for blind members of the congregation.
"We are pleased with Mrs. Mincey's example," said Mr. Otto. "She is a positive influence and strong role model for her community as well as the Lighthouse, and we take great pleasure and pride in naming her our Blind Employee of the Year."
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind
1421 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
1-202-462-2900
1-202-667-8095 (fax)
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