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Iowa Civil Rights Commission: Iowans celebrate ability statewide-honoring the ADA Baseball events announced
6/25/2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Ralph Rosenberg or Shawna Anderson Organization Name: Iowa Civil Rights Commission Telephone Number: 515-242-6537 or 515-281-0367 Email Address: Ralph.Rosenberg@iowa.gov or Shawna.Anderson@iowa.gov

To celebrate and honor the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), AmeriCorps VISTAs, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, as well as an ADA Planning Committee composed of private and public sector representatives are teaming up with minor league ballparks across Iowa to hold special events this July.

The Iowa Cubs, the Waterloo Bucks, the Sioux City Explorers, the Quad Cities River Bandits, and the Cedar Rapids Kernels will each be hosting an ADA Night during the month of July in honor of the federal law that protects individuals with physical and mental disabilities from discrimination. Signed into law July 26th of 1990, the ADA affords protections to persons with disabilities as does the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, and other characteristics.

In Des Moines, the Iowa Cubs will be hosting their ADA Night at Principal Park on Wednesday, July 21st. The following groups are helping sponsor and support this event: the Iowa Cubs, VSA Iowa, MetLife—Friends of Hollister Farrell, Central Iowa Society for Human Resource Management, Iowa Department of Public Health, RPO Consulting, Career Resources Group, Principal Financial Group, Whitfield & Eddy P.L.C., and Polk County Health Services. Beginning at 4:30pm, there will be a pre-game reception and a performance by the New Visions Dance Troupe, to be held on the grassy area in front of Gate D. Directly preceding the 7:05 game, a video recording of Senator Tom Harkin will play on the JumboTron. Before and during the game, disability organizations will have tables at each gate, handing out information and ADA temporary tattoos. VSA Iowa will also be present, providing face painting and spin-art. To reserve tickets for this event, please visit http://www.adaiowa.webs.com, and click on the I Cubs link on the left sidebar. Additional press releases will be announced on other activities during the month of July.

In addition to the games across the state, there will be an ADA Celebration on the West Terrace of the Capitol on Saturday, July 24th. Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tom Harkin has been confirmed to speak, and other officials have been invited. Various disability organizations will be present, offering educational activities for families of all ability levels. VSA Iowa artists will be providing art and entertainment for all. The Olmstead Consumer Taskforce helped sponsor this event. More details will follow closer to date.

To reserve tickets for ADA Night with the I Cubs, or for more info on the celebration on the 24th, visit http://www.adaiowa.webs.com, or contact E.B. DeBruin at Elizabeth.DeBruin@iowa.gov or at 515-281-0337, or Shawna Anderson at Shawna.Anderson@iowa.gov or at 515-281-0367.

For information on the Waterloo Bucks game on July 18th, contact Teresa Wasko with the Waterloo Commission on Human Rights, at hruser2@waterloo-ia.org or (319) 291-4441. For more information on the Quad Cities River Bandits game on July 28th, call 563-3-BANDIT.




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