The following announcement was provided by Rep. John Lawn’s Office:
Watertown State Rep. John J. Lawn, Jr. was recognized as one of two Legislative Champions Awards recipients by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities at this year’s Annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebration in the Great Hall of Flags at the Massachusetts State House. The event recognized the invaluable contributions of employees with disabilities, alongside policymakers, employers, service providers, and key stakeholders in the disability community in Massachusetts and the Country.
“Representative Lawn cares deeply about the disabled community,” said Commission on the Status of persons with disabilities Chairwoman Rep. Denise Garlick (D-Needham). “He has consistently shown his commitment to fighting for the community through his championing of priority legislation such as Operation House Call and his continued advocacy for its funding. He is a strong ally of the disabled community.”
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities as one of this year’s Legislative Champions,” said Watertown State Representative John J. Lawn, Jr. “This recognition is very personal to me, as my best friend David has an intellectual disability. Over the past 42 years, he has worked in the McClean Hospital kitchen and has taught me that disability employment is not a charity or a gesture of good will, it’s smart business and a matter of equality. It’s about creating workplaces that reflect the diversity of the world around us, because when we empower people to fully participate in the workforce, we unlock a wealth of untapped ability and create a more equitable and prosperous world.”
Representative Lawn has long been an advocate of the disabled community, such as championing priority legislation like Operation House Call. Offered by The Arc of Massachusetts, the program trains medical, nursing, and allied health students in essential skills to improve healthcare for individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), with a focus on learning from families and self-advocates. He has also been able to secure significant funding for the program in the FY24 and FY25 Budgets.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is celebrated every October in the spirit of honoring the value and talent that workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy. The spirit of this year’s official theme is “Access to Good Jobs for All,” which builds upon NDEAM’s purpose – to ensure that disabled workers have access to good jobs, every month of every year.
Established by the 2020 law enforcement reform legislation, the permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities is a 23-member, independent state agency with a broad charge to advance the cause of all persons with disabilities in the Commonwealth. The Commission works to improve employment and transportation for people with disabilities, assess data and disparities, promote inclusion in the workforce, evaluate state agency practices, advise lawmakers, and foster collaboration among local disability commissions, advocacy groups, and employment service providers.
Congratulations Rep. Lawn!!
Congratulations John, we appreciate your dedication to those with disabilities and ensuring that it is a top of the mind issue for continued support by our legislatures.
Congratulations and well deserved. Rep Lawn leads in this area and should be followed by others at the State House. Bravo!
I know John Lawn. He has helped me an several occasions when the bureaucrats were making my life difficult. He is a great Representative.