I want to thank you all for coming back to the exciting panel of accessibility. Im tom hicks, vice chair of the Business Commission and you will see two people on my panel today. The third is coming and the fourth is also coming. I will introduce the folks who are here. To my left virginia atkinson is the senior accessibility and inclusion specialist at the International Foundation for electoral systems. She is more than a decade of experience working on disability rights and government issues. She provides Technical Assistance and training to Civil Society organizations and election management bodies. She is also the lead author of the equal access how to include persons with disabilities and elections and political processes. On my right is stafford ward. Hes secretary of the board of the overseas Vote Foundation as well as the technology and Voting Systems advisor. The foundation provides us citizens with Voting Services and election data central to the mission. You are over here. [
The general assembly, distinguished guests and members of the media, welcome. To the members of our national guard, our servicemen and women and our veterans, thank you on behalf of of the most grateful state. [applause] god bless you. To the citizens, the taxpayers of illinois, it is an honor to serve you. My report on the state of the state, this bicentennial year, begins with a reflection on what has been born, built and grown in illinois. Our history is rich. We were the first state to ratify the constitutional amendment to abolish slavery. President lincoln, grant, reagan and obama called illinois home. We taught the world to rebuild the city when we scraped the sky after the chicago fire. We invented the 20 and started the First Nuclear chain reactor. With 36 fortune 500 companies, one point to million Small Businesses and 72000 of the nations greatest farms we are the worlds 17th largest economy. We are a top signed the Medical Center and 82 foreign consulates help connect us to
Voting accessibility for disabled person. It concluded with a question and answer session with the commissioners. This is an hour and a half. Good afternoon, everyone. I want to thank you all for coming back to the exciting panel of accessibility. Im tom hicks, vice chair of the electrics commission. And on my left you will see a panel, and to my left is coming, and the other left is also coming. So i will introduce you to folks who are here. Virginia so, im going to introduce the folks who are here [ laughter ] so, to my left, virginia atkinson is the senior accessibility and accessible inclusion specialist at the National Foundation for Electoral Systems, and she has more than a decade of experience work on disability rights and governance issues. And she provides Technical Assistance and training to Civil Society, organization and election management bodies. She is also the lead author of the manual equal access, how the include persons with disabilities in elections and political p
Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we are beginning our livesteam of tonights john f. Kennedy sentinual award ceremony. I am delighted to welcome our audience of online viewers. There are many, many people who take credit for our decision to go online. One of the most important ideas came from the person who constantly gives us great ideas on how to use technology and other initiatives at the library and that is my friend who claims to have a day job, but i doubt it. Ed slotsberg. I thank ed. [applause] and you will be happy to know, ed, mike barnacle, seconded the idea. We thank him for that. We have so much to celebrate tonight including president and ms. Kennedys deep appreciation for the arts. Our next guest is a multiple grammy award winner whose songs are among the great pillars of american music. His music spans generations and his songs have provided the soundtrack across decades of our lives providing a source of warmth and wisdom and beauty in a changing world. James taylors
Annual profile and courage award at the john f. Kennedy library in boston. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we are beginning our livesteam of tonights john f. Kennedy sentinual award ceremony. I am delighted to welcome our audience of online viewers. There are many, many people who take credit for our decision to go online. One of the most important ideas came from the person who constantly gives us great ideas on how to use technology and other initiatives at the library and that is my friend who claims to have a day job but i doubt it ed slotsberg but i doubt it. I thank ed. [applause] and you will be happy to know, ed, mike barnacle, seconded the idea. We thank him for that. We have so much to celebrate tonight including president and ms. Kennedys deep appreciation for the arts. Our next guest is a multiple grammy award winner whose songs are among the great pillars of american music. His music spans generations and his songs have provided the soundtrack across decades of our live