EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

DATE: 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 28, 2011.

EVENT: In recognition of his notable and sustained service and leadership in Michigan and beyond, Richard Bernstein will receive the University of Michigan 2011 James T. Neubacher Award. The award will be presented by U-M Regent Julia Donovan Darlow. The event is free and open to the public.

The Neubacher Award honors members of the U-M community (faculty, staff, student, or alumna/alumnus) who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in enabling full participation in programs and services by people who have disabilities; promoted acceptance and awareness; advocated for civil rights of people who have disabilities; and demonstrated a commitment to the concept that all people, regardless of disability, have the right and obligation to be full and contributing members of society. The Neubacher Award was established in 1990, in memory of U-M alumnus and Detroit Free Press columnist Jim Neubacher, who advocated tirelessly for equal rights and opportunities for people who have disabilities.

“As a tireless advocate for disabled rights, who gives voice to those who would otherwise be forced to be silent, U-M alumnus Richard Bernstein meets and exceeds all of our criteria,” said Anna Ercoli Schnitzer, chair of the Neubacher Award Committee. “It is obvious that he is dedicating much of his life to the cause of helping others. He has specifically helped make his world and ours kinder and gentler by working on such factors as advocating for accessibility in the U-M Stadium wheelchair area, improving travel at Detroit Metro Airport for individuals who need special assistance, and pressing for transportation in the City of Detroit for people who have mobility challenges.

“His energy and enthusiasm in his work inspires others, and the fact that he is completely non-sighted is forgotten. People who have disabilities who know him feel strengthened because they know they can turn to him for advice. Richard also knows how to have fun. He competes in marathons and triathlons, and shows others what can be done if one has the will and discipline to do it. In other words, he is a role model for everyone, whatever their level of ability.”

Also at the event, Certificates of Appreciation will be presented to the following individuals in recognition of leadership and service in raising consciousness about disability issues, and advocacy on behalf of individuals or groups who have disabilities:

• Robert Adams, assistant professor of architecture & urban planning
• Renee Echols, graduate student, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
• Ronald Gilgenbach, professor and chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering
• Paul Guttman, construction services director, Plant Operations
• Lori Isom, professor of pharmacology
• Jacqueline Kaufman, assistant professor of physical medicine & rehabilitation
• Sgt. Jacob Mouro, Department of Public Safety Security Officer, U-M Health System
• Rebecca Parten, student, LSA
• Kathleen Russell, alumna
• Edward Eric Timke, graduate student, LSA
• Michigan Student Assembly Commission on Disability Team:

U-M students Michael Brandon, Mitchell Crispell, Robbie Dembo, Elan Green, Alllison Horky, Megan Marshall, and Jeremiah Devlin-Ruelle

PLACE: University of Michigan Rackham Building Assembly Hall, 915 Washington St, Ann Arbor.

WEB: Additional information: http://hr.umich.edu/ability/iaw/events.html#28

NEUBACHER AWARD/SPONSORS: The University of Michigan’s Council for Disability Concerns established the James T. Neubacher Award in October 1990 as a memorial to Jim Neubacher, an alumnus of the university who was a columnist for the Detroit Free Press and an advocate for equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities.

The award is presented annually in October during Investing in Ability Week, a series of programs and activities designed to increase awareness and understanding of people who have disabilities and disability-related issues. The award is sponsored by the Council for Disability Concerns, the Office of Institutional Equity, and the Office of the President. For more information, visit: http://hr.umich.edu/ability/iaw/events.html.

BERNSTEIN BIO: Blind since birth, Bernstein is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Northwestern University School of Law. He is an attorney with the Sam Bernstein Law Firm in Farmington Hills.

Bernstein successfully partnered with the U. S. Department of Justice to force the City of Detroit to fix broken wheelchair lifts on its buses. He also is working to affect change at Detroit Metro Airport to make the airport more accessible to travelers who have disabilities. He fought the State of Michigan and won to preserve special education funding throughout the state.

Further, Bernstein represented the Paralyzed Veterans of America in an action against the University of Michigan’s plans for disabled seating in Michigan Stadium, and represented disabled residents who sued the Oakland County Road Commission after roundabout traffic circles were built without disabled access.