Warren County dental office honored for enhancing accessibility for patients with disabilities
WASHINGTON BOROUGH, NJ (Warren County) – A Washington Borough dental office that modified its facilities to improve access for people with disabilities received the 2024 Thomas M. Kennedy “Excellence in Accessibility” award from the Warren County Board of County Commissioners Wednesday night.
Dr. Lauren Cannavo of Warren County Dental Center said that when she purchased an older Victorian home on Belvidere Avenue to open the practice, the building was not accessible at all. Finding a way to install a ramp and make other improvements while maintaining the aesthetic of the building was a challenge, she said, “but something my staff and I thought was very important.”
Cannavo noted that dental visits can be stressful enough without patients having to worry whether they will be able to get into the office or maneuver a wheelchair inside, and she wanted to take away any anxiety over accessibility.
“Thank you on behalf of Warren County,” Commissioner Director James R. Kern III told Dr. Cannavo.
The award is named for Thomas M. Kennedy, a relentless advocate for people with disabilities who also served on the county Department of Human Services’ Advisory Council on Disabilities. The award was established after Kennedy’s death in 2008 to recognize individuals, businesses, organizations and service groups that are user-friendly and accessible to all, and/or have initiated notable efforts and improvements that facilitated accessibility.
Commissioner Lori Ciesla said the award recognizes businesses that provide accessibility for those who need it, and highlights those businesses that make it easy for anyone to use them.
