Wednesday, September 11, 2024
ASBESTOS DISEASE AWARENESS ORGANIZATION HONORS 20 YEARS OF ANTI-ASBESTOS ADVOCACY AT CONFERENCE & AWARDS DINNER
Experts, Artists, & Survivors Will Meet to Discuss Prevention, Policy & the Law
Washington, DC – The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an independent nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure through education, advocacy, and community work, will host its 20th Anniversary International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference, “Exploring the Intersection of Asbestos Prevention, Policy, and the Law,” on September 14, 2024, at The Westin Crystal City Reagan National Airport, Arlington.
WHO: Asbestos Disease Awareness Association and 30+ experts from the medical, scientific, and asbestos-victims communities dedicated to preventing asbestos-caused diseases, including:
Marilyn Amento, Dr. Henry Anderson, Rep. Don Bacon, Harminder Bains, Kathy Best, Perry Browder, Chris Carberg, Dr. Barry Castleman, Kim Cecchini, Ellen Costa, Martin Ditkof, Earl Dotter, Dr. Raja Flores, Dr. Arthur Frank, Kevin Hutton, Anne Kearse, Dr. Richard Lemen, Dr. Steven Markowitz, Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Patrick Morrison, Andy Oberta, Dr. Christine Oliver, Erik Olson, Emily Reinstein, Linda Reinstein, Barry Robson, Sara Salger, Robert Sussman, James Williams Jr., Dr. Andrea Wolf, and Jordan Zevon.
WHAT: ADAO’s 20th Anniversary International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention
Conference: “Exploring the Intersection of Asbestos Prevention, Policy, and the Law”
WHEN: Saturday, September 14, 2024
Academic Conference
9:00 AM ET – 4:00 PM ET
Awards and Recognition Ceremony with a performance by Jordan Zevon
6:00 – 9:00 PM ET
WHERE: The Westin Crystal City Reagan National Airport
1800 Richmond Highway Arlington, Virginia
HOW: Register Online
The annual conference is part of ADAO’s continuing efforts to educate the public about the dangers of asbestos, ban its use, expand prevention knowledge, and increase research efforts to improve treatment options.
More than 30 experts will discuss the latest in preventing and treating asbestos-caused illnesses such as mesothelioma and various cancers. The event will also cover global prevention and policy efforts, administrative law, and civil justice. Attendees will include artists, influencers, scholars, medical professionals, and scientific experts. The conference sessions include:
“Exploring the Intersection of Asbestos Prevention, Policy, and the Law”
Session I: Two Decades of Advocacy: Milestones, Challenges, and the Road Ahead
Session II: Asbestos Prevention and Health Impacts: Understanding Asbestos, Identifying Health Risks, and Advancing Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies
Session III: The Asbestos Policy Journey and Strategic Advocacy: Overcoming Challenges, Digital Storytelling, and ADAO’s Multi-Track Strategies
Session IV: Navigating Asbestos Law: ADAO Legal Overview, Administrative and Civil Justice, Legislative Hearings, Docket Filings, and the Impact of High Court Decisions
12:35 PM: Patrick Morrison, International Association of Fire Fighters, Keynote Speaker
Patrick Morrison is the Chief of Field Services for the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). The IAFF is a labor union representing nearly 350,000 professional fire fighters and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the United States and Canada.
Award-winning photographer Earl Dotter, whose work has captured the reality of some of America’s most dangerous jobs, has created a collection of eight “BADGES: A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers” posters that will frame each academic session.
ADAO will also unveil a brand new book, Shared Stories: How Asbestos Changed Our Lives Forever, dedicated to the brave Warriors who have shared their stories, tenderly expressed their pain, strengthened our community, and tirelessly fought to prevent all asbestos-caused diseases.
The book contains 200 stories of pain, loss, and resilience from asbestos survivors and their families and will be shared with elected officials in the coming weeks to underscore the importance of the need to take action now to end the scourge of asbestos in the United States.
A networking dinner, awards, and recognition ceremony will follow the academic conference. The awards ceremony will honor the champions from the asbestos advocacy community and celebrate the 20 years of progress the community has made possible. Musician Jordan Zevon, who serves as a national spokesperson for ADAO, will perform.
The conference is sponsored by Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP. The Gori Law Firm, Motley Rice LLC, and Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Meisenkothen Law Firm.
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