Mayor honors local businesses at annual breakfast

ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

In its third incarnation, the Annual Mayor's Breakfast featured a host of local businesses that have made exemplary efforts to employ people with disabilities.
Von's, UC Santa Barbara and Woody's BBQ received awards from Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, along with KEYT Channel 3 and a group of local marine consulting and diving firms.

"I appreciate all of you coming and all you do for people with disabilities," Mayor Blum told the audience. "It's another way we make our community great."
Before she dished out the honors, however, the mayor introduced keynote speaker Anthony Sauer, the director of California's Department of Rehabilitation, who addressed the issue of disability employment from a personal angle.
"When I was 18, I was on top of the world," Sauer said. "I had just graduated from high school and was having a great time."
A few days later, he was stretched out on the ground getting poked with pins to see if he could feel his legs. A motorcycle accident had left Sauer paralyzed from the waist down. Now 46, he spoke of his disability as a gift.
"Gifts can come wrapped in very ugly packages," he said.
He explained how support from his family and a counselor with the Department of Rehabilitation helped him regroup and continue his life.
"It wasn't easy," Sauer said. "What really helped me during that time was that the counselor really believed in me. ... He gave me the hope and encouragement to move on."
After founding and running a successful cabinet making business for 14 years, Sauer held positions with an independent living center, the Department of Rehabilitation and the Nevada-Sierra Regional In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority before returning to take his current position in June.
As he continued his keynote, Sauer discussed the concept of "disability pride," explaining how people with disabilities add value to the workplace by bringing in change and light.
"The problem is managers try to hire people to fit the job description," Sauer said. "What we need to do is find the people we need and change the job description to fit them."
Von’s received the "Grand Award" from Mayor Blum for its efforts in hiring disabled people, its district employment coordinator Trish Manfredonia accepting the honor. Mayor Blum described how Manfredonia is spearheading a regional and statewide disability employment effort.
"There are many amazing people, hardworking people with disabilities," Manfredonia said. "Luckily, we've been able to hire many of those people."
UC Santa Barbara received recognition for their efforts in helping Earl Stewart, a music and black studies professor, return to work after he suffered a disabling injury. Mayor Blum also gave a nod to KEYT Channel 3 for hiring a person with a disability 14 years ago, saying it made his dreams come true.
Gino Stabile, owner of Woody's BBQ, also received honors for his sponsorship of a restaurant training program for special education students at San Marcos High School, donations of more than $10,000 to local disability programs, and employment of a person with cerebral palsy.
Lad Handelman took the final award of the morning — accepted by his daughter Laurie — for founding a local nonprofit spinal injury support organization, operating two local marine firms and sitting on the boards of other organizations. Handelman worked as an offshore deep-diving technician before he broke his neck while skiing.
In addition to the regional office of the Department of Rehabilitation, several other regional disability employment assistance organizations — including UCP/WORK, Inc., Work Training Programs, Inc., and Tri-Counties Regional Center — helped put on the Mayor's Breakfast.