The Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities and the New York Yankees celebrated Disability Awareness Night as part of the Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities' commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities Commissioner Matthew Sapolin and General Counsel Jason Mischel presented a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to the New York Therapeutic Riding Center at Yankee Stadium.

"Once again, I am pleased to present a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the Mayor to the New York Therapeutic Riding Center, an organization that plays a significant role in furthering the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act by making horseback riding accessible to New Yorkers with disabilities," said Commissioner Sapolin.  "We are again fortunate to continue our successful partnership with the New York Yankees through their Disability Awareness Night, which continues to provide a platform for our message of inclusiveness and diversity for people with disabilities, and look forward to continuing our partnership in the coming years."

The New York Yankees are one of the most successful and popular sports franchises in the world.  Each year, the Yankees host Disability Awareness Night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, at which the Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities is invited to present awards to organizations and individuals who have made a difference in improving the lives of New Yorkers with disabilities.  The Yankees and the Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities, along with other private and public organizations, worked together to ensure disability accessibility in the new Yankee Stadium.

Based at Chateau Stables in Manhattan, the New York Therapeutic Riding Center conducts its therapeutic horseback riding program, EQUESTRIA, which serves children and adults living in the five boroughs of New York City with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.  These disabilities include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, post-traumatic stress disorder, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, emotional disabilities, mental retardation, Down Syndrome, visual and hearing impairments, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and autism.  In addition, the New York Therapeutic Riding Center serves patients referred by major New York City hospitals and rehabilitation agencies.  Its mission is to help in providing people with disabilities with a healthier outlook for a brighter future, and by making the impossible possible by teaching the equestrian skills needed to become good riders and to use horseback riding activities to facilitate specific rehabilitation objectives.  Accepting the Mayor's Certificate of Appreciation is Board Director Richard Brodie, along with Samuel Greenberg and Joshua Brundidge, two students in the New York Therapeutic Riding Center program.

The Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities, established in 1973, serves as a liaison between city government and disabled individuals, as well as organizations dedicated to improving the lives of New Yorkers with disabilities. The Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities will continue its festivities commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act with its annual ADA Awards assembly and reception at Gracie Mansion on Tuesday, August 10, 2010.