[Archived] City of Alexandria Named as Finalist in 2009 Accessible America Competition

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  February 27, 2009 

Contest Will Award Disability-Friendly City $25,000

The National Organization on Disability (NOD) has announced seven finalists in its 2009 Accessible America Competition. The finalist cities in alphabetical order are: Alexandria, Virginia; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; New Haven, Connecticut; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Surprise, Arizona. The finalists were selected from entries received from around the country. Applications came from cities nationwide and with populations ranging from 300 to more than 700,000 people, and disability populations ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands. Alexandria, Indianapolis, Louisville, New Haven, and Sioux Falls are repeat finalists.

Houston, Texas won last year’s contest; previous winners include Berkeley, California; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Irvine, California; Pasadena, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Venice, Florida. The award, sponsored by AARP, recognizes communities that have made extraordinary efforts to create an accessible environment for people with disabilities.
NOD presents a cash award of $25,000 to the winning community to recognize and encourage comprehensive disability accessibility and opportunity. The money encourages further progress and can be used to fund local disability-related efforts.

These towns and cities documented their commitment to the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of life. All U.S. cities and towns were eligible to enter the contest. In addition to recognizing community-wide progress, the Accessible America Award encourages replication of efforts by other communities. For more information about the award, visit http://www.nod.org.