The Golisano Foundation Move to Include Awards are given to those who both "believe" and "act" in the purest realm of the essence of "move to include."
It is an award that challenges its very name.
Read about the Award
Presented to Allen Wong, DDS, EdD, DABSCD, on October 28, 2019. Dr. Wong, who practices dentistry in San Francisco, California, is a widely-recognized expert in special care dentistry, with more than 25 years of experience caring for with people with special needs. He has been working with Special Olympics and Special Smiles for 20 years adn was appointed a global clinical advisor of Special Olympics International Healthy Athletes Special Smiles program in 2016.
Dr. Wong traveled to the Abu Dhabi to train local dentists for the 2019 Special Olympics World Games, which drew more than 7, 000 athletes from 175 countries. Read more
Presented to Dr. Matthew Holder, an international leader in the care of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) at this year’s annual American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry’s (AADMD) One Voice Igniting Change Conference, which was held in Rochester, NY.
In presenting the award Ann Costello, Director of the Golisano Foundation said, “Matt is a gifted doctor who epitomizes the characteristics of the Award every day in his work, life and professional associations. Throughout his career he has demonstrated that inclusion is never an afterthought or a “do over” effort in social justice. He understands that true inclusion is not something created through a mission statement, a tagline or a bumper sticker.” Read more
Presented to Rick Rader, MD, Co-Founder, American Association of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry and Director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center at Orange Grove Center, June 29, 2018 in Seattle Washington at the AADMD One Voice Conference to reverse the healthcare disparity for people with IDD. One Voice brought business leaders and IDD professionals together to ignite change. It marked the beginning of the USA Special Olympics 2018 National Games.
Dr. Rader is engaged as a medical futurist - predicting the future medical problems of people with neurdevelopmental disabilities. He is cross trained in internal medicine and medical anthropology. Dr. Rader “believes and acts” in the purest realm of the essence of “move of include," believes in “sanctity, value and merit of “together,” and knows that “together” transcends inclusion. Read more
The awards were presented October 15, 2015 at the Foundation's 30th Anniversary Celebration.
Julie J. Christensen, PhD, LMSW
Rick Guidotti
Daniel M. Meyers
Martha Mock, PhD
Joseph A. Ruffalo
Shirley F. Szekeres, PhD, CCC-SLP
Samuel Beckett, the novelist and poet observed, “Words are all we have.” If that is true then we need to be mindful of those we use.
The disability field is fond of the word “include,” believing it refers to society embracing and celebrating value in human diversity. The reality is that the word is derived from the Latin word meaning “to shut in, enclose.” It can mean to “make room for,” “take into account,” “work in,” “accommodate,” and “admit.” All of which, does not describe the Golisano Foundation’s Move to Include Award.
This Award is not given to individuals and organizations that strive to “fit people in,” and “make room” for people with intellectual disabilities. The Award is not intended to honor the movement to include people despite their disabilities; and certainly not because of their disabilities.
The Golisano Move to Include Award was designed to demonstrate that inclusion should never be an afterthought, a “make room” effort or a “do over” effort in social justice. The Award points out that in our society there are individuals and organizations that understand that inclusion, true inclusion is not something that is created through a mission statement, a tagline or a bumper sticker. The Move to Include Award celebrates the “movement” - the arduous and tenacious movement - that strives to embrace people, not as an afterthought, and equally important to move the psyche of individuals, systems, communities and societies that will one day eliminate the need to offer awards noteworthy for succeeding in “allowing people; people with novelties” to be welcomed into the fold.
We do not learn anything by simply “including,” “allowing,“ or “permitting” others to live and work alongside of us. We do not profit or grow by “accepting,” or even “welcoming” people with disabilities.
We, as a neighborhood, community and society learn, grow and profit by “believing” in the sanctity, value and merit of “together.” The essence of “together” transcends “inclusion.” The Golisano Award belongs to those who believe that being together, not by mandate, statute or fiat; is the only way we can benefit from the joys, challenges and perspectives that “believing in being together” can be promoted and realized.
The Golisano Move to Include Award is given to those who both “believe” and “act” in the purest realm of the essence of “move to include.” It is given in the hope that the understanding of “include” can be elevated, promoted, ingrained and demonstrated at the highest levels of human behavior.
Award narrative written by Rick Rader, MD, Co-Founder, American Association of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry
