WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), which combines education, advocacy, and community to prevent exposure and ensure justice for asbestos victims, today announced that it will sponsor a special photography exhibit, "Badges, A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers", honoring the legacy of Dr. Irving J. Selikoff. The travelling exhibit features the work of renowned photographer Earl Dotter, and will be an interactive part of the upcoming 11th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference, culminating on April 18 in Arlington, Virginia.
Mr. Dotter's groundbreaking exhibit will feature ID badges worn by asbestos workers alongside historic photographs of work sites, product advertisements, vintage photos, and product catalogs from industrial companies, connecting the human faces to the industry. Participation is open to any conference attendee who possesses a workplace photo ID badge of a family member or loved one who was exposed to asbestos products or used asbestos materials at that particular place of employment. The badges and family memorabilia will be carefully scanned by Earl Dotter, the photographer and designer of this exhibit, who will incorporate them into a special traveling exhibit, with the next stop at the AFL/CIO on April 27 in advance of Workers' Memorial Day.
"My goal in creating this exhibit is not just to touch those viewers who are already sympathetic to the overwhelming number of tragedies faced by asbestos victims and their families, but to command the attention of those who might forget them today," stated Mr. Dotter. "As I prepared this Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers, I quickly came to the realization of just how pervasive asbestos exposure was, with carefully documented medical evidence unrelentingly presented by Dr. Irving Selikoff, an asbestos disease pioneer and worker health advocate born 100 years ago. It is to a new generation of the public that this exhibit, with the malfeasance and travail it portrays, is aimed. I appreciate this opportunity to honor the lives and memory of asbestos exposed workers and thank the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization for its generous sponsorship."
"ADAO is privileged to have the opportunity to sponsor Earl Dotter's meaningful exhibit to honor asbestos workers and their families and loved ones, while also paying tribute to such a key asbestos disease awareness pioneer as Dr. Selikoff," stated ADAO Co-founder and President, Linda Reinstein. "Mr. Dotter's 'Badges, A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers' exhibit brings together the historical and present day human side to the asbestos man-made disaster. His esteemed work, which includes monumental documentation of the dangers associated with such sites as Ground Zero after 9-11, is a key part of the efforts to remember those who came before us, and create awareness for future generations so that someday, asbestos disease and its tragedy can become a thing of the past. We thank Mr. Dotter for his commitment to workers’ health and safety and are honored to premiere his exhibit at our upcoming conference."
ADAO's 11th Annual Asbestos Awareness Conference features more than 40 renowned medical experts and asbestos victims from ten countries, focusing on the latest advancements in asbestos disease prevention, treatment for mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused diseases, and global ban asbestos advocacy. To register for ADAO’s 2015 conference, click here.
About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO is the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice through our education, advocacy, and community initiatives. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org. ADAO, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, does not make legal referrals.
