Posted on November 30, 2015
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice, is pleased to share a Year-End Summary of Accomplishments including our education, advocacy, and community impact in 2015. As a leader in social media advocacy, we are on the front lines working to end the asbestos man-made disasters on many levels. ADAO further strengthened its network of victims, physicians, researchers, public health practitioners, and labor union members by utilizing social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Some of our biggest highlights of the year include: presenting at 6 conferences around the world spanning from Pakistan to Australia, hosting our 8th Congressional Staff Briefing, participating as a stakeholder in legislative discussions. being a resource for the media, publishing nearly 200 “Share Your Stories,” coordinating Global Asbestos Awareness Week, launching the ADAO Prevention Advisory Board & State Leadership Team, and hosting our 11th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference. After a year of such success ADAO looks towards 2016 with excitement for continued progress.
Every accomplishment ADAO achieved in 2015 was possible because of the generosity of the volunteers, sponsors, and donors who fuel our work and further our cause. The organization’s growth continues reflects the growth and progress made around the world in this issue area. We look forward to continued shared success in 2016.
2015 Educational Initiatives: In an effort to educate the public about the dangers of asbestos, ADAO:
- Distributed 12 monthly and 1 special edition eNewsletters with recent asbestos-related news and events to a global audience
- Hosted ADAO’s 3-day 11th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference: “Where Knowledge and Action Unite,” which brought together nearly 40 expert speakers and over 100 patients, physicians, researchers, educators, and public health advocates from 9 countries to discuss updates on the prevention, detection, and treatment of asbestos-related disease and global advocacy for an asbestos ban
- Held our 8th Congressional Staff Briefing: “Asbestos: Impact on Consumer Safety, Public Health, and Asbestos Victims’ Civil Rights”
- Created the “Hear Asbestos. Think Prevention.” Campaign to raise asbestos awareness by featuring asbestos information and educational resources, and highlighting helpful organizations
- Continually updated ADAO’s website highlighting asbestos-related news and events and housing extensive educational resources, including an Asbestos Video Library of conference videos and educational presentations
- Established the first bi-monthly #ENDMeso online Twitter Chat about prevention, health, safety, and civil rights
- Established a 7-person Prevention Advisory Board (PAB) to serve as expert resources for questions regarding asbestos prevention and abatement from individuals, politicians, publications, government websites, or other social non-profits
2015 Advocacy Initiatives: In order to advocate for an international ban on asbestos use, mining, and exportation of this known carcinogen, ADAO:
- Ensured the passage of U.S. Senate’s 11th Annual Resolution, which designated April 1-7, 2015 as “National Asbestos Awareness Week”
- Championed the 4th U.S. Surgeon General’s Asbestos Awareness Week warning statement
- Served as a media resource and/or quoted in The Hill, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Green Divas Podcast
- Quoted as an expert resource in publications by The Center for Public Integrity, The Hill, and The Guardian
- Published numerous Op-Eds in The Hill and Roll Call
- Collaborated with health and safety influencers and leaders with guest blogs raise asbestos awareness and action
2015 Community Initiatives: To provide a community of support for those affected by asbestos, ADAO:
- Coordinated Global Asbestos Awareness Week to raise public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure
- Published and shared nearly 200 “Share Your Story” submissions from patients and families from 38 states and 8 nations who have been devastated by asbestos-related disease. We are still seeking asbestos victims’ stories from DE , KS, ME, MS, ND, OK, RI, SD, UT, VA, WY
- Sponsored Earl Dotter’s travelling photographic exhibit, “Badges: A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers,” at numerous educational and occupational health conferences
- Hosted more than 3 virtual candlelight vigils throughout the year via ADAO’s “Light a Candle” website. These vigils provide an opportunity for individuals to honor loved ones who have lost or are currently fighting a courageous battle with asbestos-related disease
- Utilized ADAO’s Facebook Page, Facebook Group pages, and Twitter presence to provide an interactive medium for those seeking a space to share, connect, or access information
- Continued the virtual running team for “Miles for Meso” Mesothelioma Awareness Day and was designated the beneficiary of the event.
- Created the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s Impact from 2005 – 2015 infographic
- Published numerous video and blog interviews with mesothelioma patients and experts
ADAO 2015 Presentations:
“Global Asbestos Challenges and Progress in the 21st Century,” World Congress, Karachi, Pakistan, January 31, 2015
“Asbestos: The Human Cost of Inaction,” Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY), Verona, NY, February 26, 2015
“Asbestos: Still Legal. Still Everywhere,” EWG Congressional Briefing, Washington, D.C., March 10, 2015
Senators Barbara Boxer and Ed Markey’s Press Conference, Washington, DC, March 17, 2015
“Where Knowledge and Action Unite,” ADAO 11th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference, Washington, D.C., April 18, 2015
‘Badges, A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers”, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations’, Washington, DC, April 27, 2015
The Fight against Asbestos and Mesothelioma: The Human Cost of Inaction,” 5th International Symposium on Lung-Sparing Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Santa Monica, CA, May 2, 2015
“Asbestos: Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams,” European Asbestos Forum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, May 27, 2015
“The Human Cost of Inaction,” European Asbestos Forum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, May 27, 2015
“OSH Perils Workers Face without an Asbestos Ban,” National Council for Occupational Safety and Health National Conference, Baltimore, MD, June 2 – 4, 2015
Mesothelioma Action Day, London, England, July 3, 2015
“Asbestos: Impact on Consumer Safety, Public Health, and Asbestos Victims’ Civil Rights”, 8th ADAO Congressional Staff Briefing, Washington, DC, July 2015
Symposium & Exhibit Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, Mt. Sinai, NYC, NY, October 2015
“Leveraging Social Media for Success and Social Good”, Southland Technology Conference Long Beach, CA ,October 2015
“Asbestos: The Human Cost of Inaction” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, October 2015
“Asbestos Public Health Campaigns and Disease Prevention Movements in the 21st Century”, 143rd American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, Chicago, IL, November 2015
“Global Burden of Asbestos”, Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA), Brisbane, AUS , November 2015
“Research and Advocacy Initiatives to Curb The Health Impacts of Environmental Contaminants”, Unite for Sight, Yale, CT, December 2015