Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Dennis O’Brien (R- Philadelphia)
Shirley Walker, President and CEO of PAR, introduced Speaker O’Brien by saying, “PAR’s Humanitarian Award is based on years of dedicated service to people to people with disabilities and to PAR. A Humanitarian is one who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms.” She added, “PAR rarely reaches outside of its membership for a recipient of the Humanitarian Award. But Speaker O’Brien’s actions and advocacy on behalf of individuals with intellectual disabilities and people living with autism make him the ideal candidate for this honor.”
Speaker O’Brien had come to the PAR Solutions Conference to deliver opening remarks and to speak to “The Light of a New Day for Children with Autism in Pennsylvania.”
“For 36 years you [PAR] have been paving the way for new and innovative strategies for intellectual disabilities and I thank you for that." Speaker O’Brien said. “You all are the reason I believe people saw me as a fair and objective leader who could reach out to both sides of the aisle. Congratulations to all of you for making a difference, and believe me you do."
Speaker O’Brien thanked providers from him district who helped him understand the complexities of the service system in Pennsylvania and advocated strongly for HB 1150, a bill that would prohibit discrimination of children living with autism by private insurers. "People around the country are looking to Pennsylvania as a leader in providing autism services. We have to take advantage of our opportunities today.”
