America’s first professional wheelchair dancer, Mary Verdi-Fletcher, is selected to receive the international Henry Viscardi Achievement Award. The awards pay tribute to “exemplary leaders in the disability community who have had a profound impact on shaping attitudes, raising awareness and improving the quality of life of people with disabilities,” and, as the president and founding artistic director of Dancing Wheels Company & School, Verdi-Fletcher is a natural choice. She’s one of 12 recipients.
“We’re truly honored to bestow upon such a dedicated, diverse and trend-setting group of leaders this year’s Award,” said John D. Kemp, President and CEO of The Viscardi Center. “Every day people with disabilities are leaving their footprint in communities all over the world, and their work often transcends the geographical boundaries where they live. The Award recipients challenge us, reminding us all that our work does make a meaningful difference.”
The Dancing Wheels Company, founded in 1980, has reached audiences of over 5 million people and works with dancers but with and without disabilities.