[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 84 (Monday, June 7, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S4612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING AMBASSADOR JEAN KENNEDY SMITH AND VSA

  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I wish to recognize VSA, the International 
Organization on Arts and Disability. VSA is an affiliate of the John F. 
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and was founded in 1974 by 
Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith--a pioneering leader in the area of 
access and inclusion in the arts for children with disabilities. For 
over three decades, she has blazed the trail for VSA to become the 
preeminent international organization on arts and disability. As a 
result of Ambassador Smith's tireless efforts and sustained vision, VSA 
is changing perceptions all over the world about people with 
disabilities. Each year, 7 million people of all ages and abilities 
participate in VSA programs in dance, music, drama and the visual arts.
  Ambassador Smith and VSA have created an extraordinary network of 
educational resources, programs, festivals, and services that bring the 
arts into the lives of individuals of all ages--with and without 
disabilities. VSA programs occur in schools, community centers, 
hospitals, performing arts centers, art galleries, and college and 
university campuses. They involve teacher and artist training programs, 
the development and distribution of educational resources, and 
performance and exhibition opportunities for individuals of all ages. 
Through the development, implementation, and dissemination of model 
programs and initiatives, VSA helps acknowledge the importance of the 
arts in academic and vocational achievement for individuals of all 
abilities. These programs operate in all 50 states and in 51 countries 
around the world.
  From June 6 to 12, more than 2,000 people will convene in Washington, 
DC, to celebrate Ambassador Smith's vision and to share their talents 
and accomplishments with all of us. From the Kennedy Center, to the 
Smithsonian Institution, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Union 
Station, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, and many venues in 
between, performances and exhibitions will showcase the work of these 
outstanding artists and provide first-rate entertainment to residents 
of the Washington metropolitan area as well as visitors from around the 
world.
  Among the professional artists who will lend their talents to this 
extraordinary gathering are world-renowned artists Dale Chihuly, Dame 
Evelyn Glennie, Patti LaBelle, Salif Keita, Marlee Maitlin and 
architect Michael Graves.
  As part of the festival, hundreds of educators, policymakers, 
parents, and disability advocates will convene for the International 
VSA Education Conference, which will feature sessions that provide 
participants with tools and resources to advance inclusive education in 
their own communities.
  Countless individuals have worked tirelessly for many years to create 
and expand the diverse programming and rich history of VSA. The 
leadership that Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith has provided for more 
than 35 years has inspired those efforts and made these many 
accomplishments possible. The 2010 International VSA Festival is a 
tribute to her and to those individuals who embraced her vision and 
shared her passionate belief that all people should have the 
opportunity to participate in the arts. In honoring VSA and the work 
done by Ambassador Smith, we recognize the magnitude of her mission, 
and the importance of the arts not only for individuals with 
disabilities, but in all of our lives.

                          ____________________