On Sept. 12, Options for Independence hosted its annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon at the Springside Inn. Options presented two community service awards to two individuals and their organizations that have made creating positive change within the disability community a priority. Options for Independence likes to recognize our businesses and organizations that make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. It may be by making their facilities more accessible. It may be giving money to Options or other disability advocacy groups. It may be putting their name behind positive change.

Our first Community Service Award was presented to Mark Covich, an individual who really does go above and beyond in our community. While he works for the Seneca/Cayuga ARC, an organization that works with people with disabilities, he is known as someone who not only loves his work, but wants to make the experiences of every individual with a disability and their family members or care givers the best it can be.

Under Covich's leadership, Camp Columbus had made numerous physical improvements to increase access, from accessible pathways and buildings to a newly installed lift.

It is easy to say that this is just part of his “job,” but Covich is thinking 24/7 about Camp Columbus, year round. He has taken a leadership role in coming up with innovative and successful fundraising efforts to pay for the improvements at Camp Columbus.

Our second community service award was presented to William Ryan, the president of Cayuga Lake National Bank of Aurora, for his commitment and that of his bank to not only support organizations like Options financially, but to also take the greater step in making his facilities accessible. Ryan is someone who keeps a very low profile. While his business may be banking, his first priority always seems to be making sure that Cayuga County is a better place to live and raise a family in.

For nearly a decade his bank has been a staunch advocate of Options' work, supporting our annual conference held each spring and also taking out a membership during our annual July 4 Membership Drive.

But his support of Options and the disability community is not limited to just financial support. He also wants to make sure that his facilities are accessible to his customers. Last year he contacted Options to look at one of his facilities to check how accessible it was. He asked us to do an on-site review to look at what barriers to access existed, from steps and inclines to whether electric door openers would be able to be installed to make it easier for people to gain access to his bank, whether using a wheelchair or a stroller and everything in between, to gain access to his bank.

When looking at businesses, individuals and community organizations we don't recognize those who “just do their job.” While it is easy to recognize individuals who do their job well or their organization if it operates efficiently, we try to find those who go above and beyond the normal work they do. Mark Covich and William Ryan do just that.

Amanda Derby is the housing advocate for Options for Independence. She can be reached at 255-3447.