Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Federal Funding for Mass Transit Research and Visiting the AIT Laboratory -- October 21, 2011
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Thank you for reading the Carson Courier! For additional information, please visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov.
In this week's Carson Courier:
- Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month
- Federal Funding for Mass Transit Research
- Visiting the AIT Laboratory
Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month
As October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, it provides all Americans with an opportunity to recognize the important contributions of workers with disabilities. On Wednesday, I was honored to tour Crossroads Industrial Services, a nonprofit division of Easter Seals Crossroads, which provides jobs for people with disabilities. Crossroads Industrial Services employs over 100 employees, 75 percent of whom have a disability.
Crossroads is a proud participant in the Ability One Program. This program provides employment opportunities to more than 40,000 people by leveraging the purchasing power of the federal government to buy products and services from participating, community-based nonprofits dedicated to training and employing individuals with disabilities. I look forward to working with Crossroads and other disability providers in Central Indiana in the weeks and months to come.
For more information on the Ability One program, click here.
Federal Funding for Mass Transit Research
This week, I was thrilled to announce that a $2 million grant had been awarded to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This grant award will be used to conduct an alternative analysis of proposed bus rapid transit and light-rail routes along Indy's so-called "Central Corridors," which include Washington Street, Keystone Avenue between Carmel and the Southside of Indianapolis, College and Madison Avenues. I was happy to support this grant application because it will ensure that new transit lines are cost effective, while also reaching those in 7th District who would most benefit from transit service.
To learn more, click here.
Visiting the AIT Laboratory
On Tuesday, I toured the AIT Laboratory on the northwest side of Indianapolis. This top notch facility is recognized nationally as a leader in forensic testing and for providing critical pain management, clinical and pharmaceutical testing. I had the pleasure of discussing with employees a wide range of topics including healthcare, the economy and Medicare. With over 450 employees, this high-tech company serves as a model for the kind of sophisticated, high-tech jobs our country needs to help grow our economy.
Thank you for reading the Carson Courier. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. For more information, visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov, my Congressional Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanAndreCarson and follow me on Twitter @RepAndreCarson. I value your views and your input, which help me better represent the people of Indiana's 7th District.