Bristol-Myers Squibb Takes Top Honors for Commitment to Accessible Education.

Business Editors, Health/Medical Writers

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 24, 2000

Actor Danny Glover Presents `Enabling America' Award on behalf of

students with print disabilities

Acclaimed actor Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, The Color Purple) will present Bristol-Myers Squibb with Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic's (RFB&D) Enabling America Award at a gala to be held March 28 at the Essex House in New York City.

Donald J. Hayden, Jr., executive vice president for Bristol-Myers Squibb, will accept the award given in recognition of the company's longtime commitment to making education and opportunity accessible to all students, regardless of disability.

"Bristol-Myers Squibb has committed on every level to opening doors and providing opportunity to students who rely on technology like our accessible textbooks," said Richard O. Scribner, RFB&D president and CEO. "The Enabling America Award recognizes corporate citizens that work proactively to ensure that disabilities and differences do not preclude bright, motivated students from reaching their full potential."

"Our support for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic is an extension of our mission to enhance human life," said Hayden. "Our investment in the science of healing is only part of our commitment to improve the quality of life for our consumers, our employees and their families."

"Bristol-Myers Squibb's top priority is to develop the depth, breadth and diversity of global leadership talent at every level," said Richard J. Lane, president of the Worldwide Medicines Group at Bristol-Myers Squibb. "By supporting Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic's important work, we can extend our leadership and diversity focus to the communities where we live and work."

The Enabling America Award is presented as part of RFB&D's annual National Achievement Awards (NAA). The NAA gala also honors three blind college seniors and three high school seniors with severe learning disabilities who have demonstrated extraordinary scholarship, leadership, enterprise and service to others. This year's winners include students from New Jersey, Ohio, California, Minnesota and Illinois. Each has excelled academically in demanding fields of study while contributing to community and school life through civic leadership, church activities or athletics. Award-winning Danny Glover, who has dyslexia, will host the evening's presentations.

"The National Achievement Awards and the presentation of the Enabling America Award allow us to showcase students and corporations who are role models not only within the disability community, but for all Americans," said Scribner. "As our student award winners stand out among their peers in academia, Bristol-Myers Squibb has emerged as a standard-bearer for corporate investment in the potential of students and professionals with disabilities."

"The accomplishments and motivation exhibited by the National Achievement Award winners impact all of us personally and professionally," said Hayden. "As a person, I am inspired and awed by their potential. As a businessman, I appreciate the importance of investing in their education because these students hold so much promise as future leaders in our communities and our businesses."

Princeton-based RFB&D the nation's only nonprofit organization that provides textbooks on tape in every subject area and grade level for students who cannot read effectively because of a disability including visual impairments or severe dyslexia. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, RFB&D maintains a library of 80,000 titles which are read and recorded by specially trained volunteers working in 33 recording studios nationwide. Last year, a quarter of a million books were distributed among RFB&D's 76,000 members.

Last year, Bristol-Myers Squibb committed $125,000 to the continued research and development of fully accessible digital audio technology that will provide unprecedented user capabilities for students with print or other physical disabilities. In addition to easier navigation, better fidelity and portability, digital textbooks can be played over a standard PC and will display electronic text and synchronized audio. Pilot testing of new digital recording software is underway in six RFB&D studios across the country.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a diversified worldwide health and personal care company whose principal businesses are pharmaceuticals, consumer medicines, beauty care, nutritionals and medical devices. Visit Bristol-Myers Squibb on the World Wide Web at http://www.bms.com.

Photos will be available post-event upon request.