Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay will be honored by Disabilities Rights Maine (DRM) at DRM's 15th annual Membership Dinner at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport on Friday, Oct. 16.

CMBG will be awarded DRM's 2015 Business Award. The Gardens, located on 270 acres of tidal shore in Boothbay, is committed to providing guests of all abilities with a fun and inspiring experience. With its diverse topography and expansive acreage, achieving this goal has not always been easy. Despite these challenges, The Gardens is committed to ensuring that their facilities are fully ADA-compliant, both now and in the future.

Laura Fortman, deputy administrator, Wage & Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, will deliver this year's keynote address. DRM will also recognize the recipients of the 2015 Equal Access for All Award and the Helen M. Bailey Advocacy Award.

Senator Roger J. Katz is the recipient of this year's Equal Access for All Award. Senator Katz is a true friend to the disability community in Maine. Senator Katz has shown an unwavering commitment to disability issues, through his advocacy of community inclusion, employment of people with disabilities and access to justice for DRM's clients. 

John Dunleavy is the recipient of the 2015 Helen M. Bailey Advocacy Award.  A politically aware and passionate person, John became deeply involved in Deaf issues in Maine upon moving here in 2001.  He joined and led many local social and political groups, including the Deaf Rights Group, the Deaf Tea, Senator King's Disability Advisory Council, the Portland Disability Council, MEAD, and the Maine Center on Deafness' (MCD) Board of Directors.  In 2013, John began working work for MCD, first as a civil rights advocate and then serving as the interim director.  He held this position until April 2015, when he moved to New York.

"The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is landmark civil rights legislation for people with disabilities. Our membership dinner is an opportunity to recognize some of the inspirational leaders who have worked to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities across Maine," said Kim Moody, executive director of Disability Rights Maine. "This year's awardees have advocated for the employment of people with disabilities, broken down walls within the Deaf community, and ensured that a popular Maine destination is fully accessible to all individuals."