Award Will Recognize 18 Businesses From the US and Canada That Have Shown a History of Inclusive Hiring and Employing People With Disabilities; Judges Will Include the Likes of Richard E. Marriott

/EINPresswire.com/ -- BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - March 31, 2016) -  The Ruderman Family Foundation and The Jewish Week Media Group has opened the nomination period for the second year of the Ruderman Best in Business Award, recognizing exemplary businesses that have demonstrated a history of employing people with disabilities, training and supporting them and developing innovative approaches to maximizing employee's abilities.

Last year marked the inaugural year of the award, highlighting businesses selected through a national nomination and review process by judges from the business and disability communities, including Richard E. Marriott, Chairman of Host Hotels & Resorts and the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities. This year, 18 businesses from the United States and Canada will be awarded.

"People with disabilities are the largest minority in our country, yet they remain largely segregated from our society and unemployed at the rate of seventy percent. A decent society would not stand for this injustice and therefore the Ruderman Family Foundation in partnership with The Jewish Week has chosen to recognize those business leaders who have taken action against injustice and excelled in including people with disabilities in their workforce," said Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation. "I believe these businesses will set the standard for all businesses to make it a priority to hire people with disabilities."

The Ruderman Best in Business initiative will raise awareness about the benefits of inclusive hiring for both employees and employers. Whether the company is a Fortune 500 company or a grassroots local business, the recognition will showcase businesses that have made an effort working toward inclusion.

A few winners from last year include: Wegmens Food Market in Rochester, NY; Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, FL; ULTRA Testing LLC in New York; and [words] Bookstore in Maplewood, NJ.

The winners of the award will be featured in a special supplement in The Jewish Week's print and online editions due out September 15 of this year, highlighting the ever-important work of each.

Gary Rosenblatt, editor and publisher of The Jewish Week, praised Ruderman and his Foundation for initiating the project and noted that The Jewish Week was proud to be associated with shedding light on an important issue in the community. "We believe that awareness is the first step toward empathy and positive action," he said.

For more information about the Ruderman Best in Business Awards and to nominate a business, please visit www.thejewishweek.com/bibawards. Nominations will be accepted through May 25, 2016.

About the Ruderman Family Foundation:

The Ruderman Family Foundation believes that inclusion and understanding of all people is essential to a fair and flourishing community.

Guided by our Jewish values, we support effective programs, innovative partnerships and a dynamic approach to philanthropy in our core areas of interest: advocating for and advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the Jewish community; fostering a more nuanced understanding of the American Jewish community among Israeli leaders; and modeling the practice of strategic philanthropy worldwide.

The Foundation provides funding, leadership, expertise and insight in both the U.S. and Israel, with offices in both countries. For more information: www.rudermanfoundation.org

About The Jewish Week:

The New York Jewish Week covers local, national and international news and features, including "The New Normal: Blogging Disability," an innovative blog bringing important voices on inclusion and the Jewish community to thousands of readers each week. "The New Normal" bloggers include people with disabilities, their family members, professionals in the disabilities field and community members who are passionate about inclusion and educating the larger Jewish community about the importance of inclusion.

Media contact:
Jake Sharfman
Jake@JCubedPR.com

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