Contact:

Christiana Ferris Doug Mahan

602-262-6169 602-534-3751

June 7, 2000

The city of Phoenix and the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission have received the National Organization on Disability Award from Sister Cities International for its efforts to include people with disabilities in sister cities programs.

The award, sponsored by the National Organization on Disability, recognizes innovative community projects giving people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in sister cities activities. The award will be presented at the upcoming 44th annual Sister Cities International conference in Denver, Colo. Phoenix also received the Best Overall Program Award for U.S. cities with more than 300,000 people.

The PSCC was honored for initiatives by its Hermosillo Committee and Ad Hoc Committee on Disabilities to promote disability awareness among Phoenix's sister cities. In October 1999 the commission presented assorted medical equipment and a van reconfigured with a wheelchair lift to sister city Hermosillo, Mexico, for its accessibility needs. In addition, the committees hosted a wheelchair basketball exchange in Phoenix earlier this year. Plans also call for a wheelchair basketball exchange with Calgary, Canada, next winter.

"We are proud of the unique programs our Hermosillo Committee and Ad Hoc Committee on Disabilities have instituted," said Paula West, PSCC executive director. "We are even more excited about future exchanges that will allow citizens with disabilities to take advantage of our many activities."

Phoenix is one of nearly 1,300 cities in the U.S. affiliated with more than 2,000 international cities in 137 countries in the sister cities program and has been coordinating student, educational, cultural and economic development exchange programs since 1972. For more information, call 602-534-3751.

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