THIRTY-FIVE NEW JERSEY COMPANIES NAMED TO NEW NATIONAL HONOR ROLL 
FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

List created by New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation recognizes companies that 
go above and beyond in recruiting and supporting people with disabilities

Trenton, NJ, November 7, 2011 – Thirty-five New Jersey companies were among the first named to a new national honor roll of businesses recognized for going above and beyond in recruiting and supporting people with disabilities, announced the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation today. 
    
The Disabilities At Work Honor Roll recognizes companies for 'going beyond compliance' in their recruiting practices, providing support for employees with disabilities, or supporting disabled causes with philanthropic investments.  Among the New Jersey companies named are McDonalds in Clinton, Aramark in Atco, Healthquest in Flemington, Pediatric Dental Associates in Annandale, Prudential in Newark, and Wakefern in Keasbey. Companies from outside New Jersey include Costco in Washington, JPMorgan Chase in New York, BoozAllen in Virginia and AMErican REPROgraphics in Maryland.
   
Each company on the Honor Roll will receive the Disabilities At Work logo for display on websites and Disabilities At Work window decals to display at its place of business. Consumers who want to support businesses that support people with disabilities can identify and patronize those businesses.
   
"People with disabilities have much to contribute to the workplace and to their communities," said Dana Egreczky, president of the Chamber Foundation. "Businesses that help people with disabilities overcome challenges and contribute to the bottom line deserve our thanks - and our business. We urge everyone to look for companies that display the unique Disabilities At Work logo and patronize them as often as possible."
   
Philip Koury, owner-operator of the Clinton McDonalds on Route 31, says, "It is just good business to give back to the community."
   
Companies on the Disabilities At Work honor roll must meet a strict set of endorsement criteria and be nominated by organizations that work with or support people with disabilities, including nonprofits, state agencies, schools and school districts. 
    
Agencies that work with the disabled can become endorsing agencies for the Disabilities At Work Honor Roll by registering on the Disabilities At Work website (www.DisabilitiesAtWork.org). Once registered, these organizations can endorse businesses that have met one or more of the Disabilities At Work endorsement criteria, available for review on the website. 
   
Endorsements last for one year. Companies will be added to the Disabilities At Work Honor Roll throughout the year and announced on a regular basis.  
 
To see the full honor roll, go to http://www.DisabilitiesAtWork.org/Endorsed_Businesses.html.


About Disabilities At Work
Disabilities At Work is a national initiative that provides opportunities for businesses to acquire and display a visible symbol of their support for people with disabilities.
   
By displaying the Disabilities At Work logo, businesses seize opportunities to display a visible symbol of their support for people with disabilities, and the potential for increased customer patronage. Businesses that display the Disabilities At Work logo on wall plaques, point-of-sale magnets, window decals, websites, letterhead, or products have earned the right to do so in a variety of ways.
     
People with disabilities, their families, friends, and supporters control an astonishing $200 billion in disposable income annually. Disabilities At Work uses its unique logo to focus the power of those consumer dollars to support businesses that support people with disabilities.
    
These businesses have earned the right to display the unique logo, as judged by specific nonprofit or state agencies working in local communities.

About The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The mission of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation is to build a highly qualified workforce through innovative collaborations with K-12 education and the workforce training and preparation system.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization supported by tax-deductible contributions. The Foundation has three areas of interest:  mitigating the predicted nurse shortage, providing enhanced employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and the workforce pipeline (K-12 education).

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