DRA to Present Susan Dooha With the Inaugural Edith Prentiss Disability Justice Award
To honor and celebrate Edith’s legacy of fiery, grassroots disability advocacy in New York and across the Country
September 21, 2021—New York, NY—Today Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) announced, with support from the Prentiss family, that the inaugural Edith Prentiss Disability Justice Award will be bestowed upon long-time disability rights leader Susan Dooha.
DRA, a national non-profit legal center, came to know Edith as the organization established its New York office in 2010 and quickly recognized her as a fearless and generous leader in the disability community. After Edith’s death in March of 2021, DRA, with the blessing of the Prentiss family, announced the establishment of the Edith Prentiss Disability Justice Award.
“We’re so happy that Edith’s advocacy for people with disabilities will live on through this award,” said Edith’s brother, Andrew Prentiss. “It’s critically important that we inspire and recognize future generations of disability advocates to fight for what is right.”
Susan Dooha, the first recipient of the Edith Prentiss Disability Justice Award, will receive the award at DRA’s October 7th virtual gala. Susan has devoted her career to orchestrating significant positive change for people with disabilities, most recently through her leadership of Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY).
Kathy Martinez, President & CEO of Disability Rights Advocates, said, “DRA is proud to honor Susan’s incredible disability activism with the inaugural Edith Prentiss award. Susan has devoted her storied career to creating justice for people with disabilities resulting in more accessible transportation, voting, emergency preparedness, and more in one of the greatest cities in the country.”
In July 2021, Susan Dooha stepped down after 19 years as Executive Director for DRA’s long-time ally and collaborator, CIDNY. She built a strong, diverse disability-led organization that is recognized as a leading advocate in New York. Under Susan’s leadership, CIDNY has battled alongside DRA for equal access to the Queens Borough Public Library, to absentee voting during the 2020 election, to navigable sidewalks and curb ramps, inclusive emergency preparedness plans, and to the generally inaccessible NYC subway system.
After being informed of DRA’s decision to honor her with the award, Susan Dooha said, “I am so moved that DRA and the Prentiss family have made it possible to capture Edith’s legacy and carry forward the lessons of her life. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to honor Edith as a recipient of her award.”
Dan Brown, DRA Board Member and Pro-Bono Partner at Sheppard Mullin, will present Susan with the award at DRA’s gala. Dan reflects: “Susan Dooha is the ideal recipient of the first Edith Prentiss Disability Justice Award. Like Edith, Susan is an unflinching disability justice advocate who demonstrates the same fire, passion, knowledge, and relentlessness that made Edith Prentiss such an impactful voice for people with disabilities. Susan’s leadership and vision have resulted in immeasurable progress for people with disabilities and the impact of her legacy will always be part of New York City.”
DRA will honor Susan Dooha with the first Edith Prentiss Disability Justice at their virtual gala on October 7th, 2021, which will be free and open to all. Click here for gala details.
About DRA
With offices in New York and California, Disability Rights Advocates is one of the leading nonprofit disability rights legal centers in the nation. Its mission is to advance equal rights and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities nationwide. DRA represents people with all types of disabilities in complex, system-changing, class action cases. DRA is proud to have upheld the promise of the ADA since our inception. Thanks to DRA’s precedent-setting work, people with disabilities across the country have dramatically improved access to education, health care, employment, transportation, disaster preparedness planning, voting, and housing. For more information, visit www.dralegal.org.