National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Office of Public Affairs

1849 C Street, N.W

Washington, DC 20240

202-208-6843 phone

202-219-0910 fax

National Park Service News Release

For Immediate Release:� November 7, 2003

Contact:� Joan Moody (DOI) 202-208-6416

�� Elaine Sevy (NPS) 202-208-6843

�� Take Pride in America Award Presented to TelecomPioneers

(Washington) -- Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton today presented a Take Pride in America
�Award to �TelecomPioneers for the organization�s continuing commitment to improving the national
park experience for visitors with disabilities.� Take Pride is part of President Bush�s USA Freedom
Corps, dedicated to fostering a culture of service to others.

TelecomPioneers, formerly the Telephone Pioneers of America, is the largest industry related
volunteer organization in the world, made up of U.S. and Canadian telecommunications industry
employees.�

�I am delighted to renew this unique and important partnership with TelecomPioneers,� Norton said.
�It is also with great pleasure that I present TelecomPioneers with the Take Pride in America award
for their dedication and commitment to working with the National Park Service to help enhance the
enjoyment of our park visitors with disabilities.�

The TelecomPioneers and the National Park Service have shared a long-standing partnership for
10 years, which has saved the NPS and the American public hundreds of thousands of dollars
and has enhanced the level of visitor enjoyment for those with disabilities. �Today�s award
ceremony celebrating this successful partnership also heralded in another decade
long-commitment between both organizations through the signing of a new Memorandum of
Understanding.
�
�The National Park Service is committed to providing improved accessibility to our visitors with
disabilities,� said NPS Director Fran Mainella.� �We sincerely thank the TelecomPioneers for their
outstanding contributions over the years, which have taken us a long way toward fulfilling that goal.
We still have much to do, and we look forward to extending this partnership another decade, which
will help provide the nation�s millions of citizens with disabilities the chance to come to our national
parks and be able to experience the same opportunities afforded other citizens.�

Since 1990, over 100 projects in more than 100 National Parks have been completed.� Projects
included the donation of equipment, providing listening devices for visitors with hearing impairments,
Braille and large print publications for blind and visually limited visitors, telecommunication devices for
deaf visitors and audio recordings of interpretive information for blind individuals.� Other efforts have
�included major construction projects involving large numbers of volunteers working weekends under the
supervision of NPS employees to complete efforts such as the 1.5-mile Limberlost Trail, a wheelchair
accessible trail in Shenandoah National Park (VA), a similar trail in Yellowstone National Park
(WY, MT, ID), and an accessible boardwalk trail of more than 1,000 feet in Biscayne National Park (FL).

�I�m very pleased to accept this award on behalf of our many dedicated volunteers, the current employees
and retirees of the telecommunications industry, who work so hard to improve the quality of life for others,�
said James Gadd, TelecomPioneers Executive Director.� �I�m also proud to announce that the
TelecomPioneers Board of Directors has voted to renew the longstanding partnership we have had with
the National Park Service, enabling our Pioneers to continue volunteering their time and talents to
providing access, and enriching and enjoyable experiences in our National Parks for those with
disabilities.��

Supported by numerous private associations and organizations, Take Pride in America is a national
partnership that aims to inspire a new generation of volunteers to put their love of country to work to
improve our national parks, wildlife refuges, public lands, cultural and historic sites, playgrounds and
other recreation areas.

Secretary Norton launched the Take Pride in America program on April 16, 2003, at the National Press
Club. On June 27,Norton named Marti Allbright, former chief deputy attorney general of Colorado,
as the director.� For additional information, go to www.takepride.gov.

-DOI-