NEW YORK, July 26, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Torbay Holdings Inc, (OTCBB:TRBY) announced this morning that Designer Appliances Inc. (DAI), Torbay Holdings Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious 2004 New Ability Awards. Organized by The New Freedom Foundation, the winners of the various categories will be announced at a Gala event in the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier in Chicago on July 30th 2004.
The New Freedom Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation, takes a proactive leadership role in America's commitment to people who have a disability. Since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990 and President Bush's New Freedom Initiative in February 2001, thousands of individuals and organizations have stepped forward to create new freedoms for people with disabilities. The efforts of those individuals and organizations have had life-changing results for the more than 57 million Americans with disabilities, yet those efforts remain under-funded and under-acknowledged. The New Freedom Foundation was formed to unify those efforts into an exciting new industry . . . The "New Ability" Industry.
The New Freedom Foundation's mission is to inspire the creation of new abilities and improve the quality of life for those people who have a disability, through educational programs, public awareness campaigns, research grants and scholarships.
Designer Appliances Inc. is one of 10 finalists selected for the "2004 Best New Ability Award" in the Product or Technology category. This award acknowledges the product, technology or innovative design recognized as the most extraordinary in providing new abilities for people who have a disability.
Tom Large, President & CEO of Torbay Holdings Inc. stated, "The New Ability Awards Gala is described as a formal awards ceremony not unlike the Nobel Prize or the Academy Awards. At the inaugural event in 2003 over 800 leaders from corporate America, from city, state, and federal government, and from all those great organizations that serve people who have a disability came together to recognize the accomplishments of those people who create new freedoms for people who have a disability."
"To even be nominated for an award as significant as this is very gratifying. It shows that we are being recognized by the market we seek to serve. To then qualify as a finalist is to me equivalent of 'making it to the Assistive Tech Product Olympics.' Attendance at the Gala also allows for the opportunity to be able to network with industry, government and national support organizations that are committed to 'New Ability', this is an 'award' in itself."
John Chmela, Joint Managing Director of The New Freedom Foundation, stated, "We are delighted by Designer Appliances Inc.'s nomination and participation in an event that seeks to recognize and promote corporations, organizations and individuals that are breaking new ground in this important area. It is especially refreshing to be able to recognize the work of new organizations such as Designer Appliances Inc. who are successful in developing products and technologies that do not differentiate or discriminate against persons who need assistance as they work the same for all."
Designer Appliances Inc. is a leading supply of Assistive Technology computer input devices, a member of the Microsoft Assistive Technology vendor program, and has recently enrolled into the IBM PartnerWorld for Developers and HP's Developer & Solution Partner Program (DSPP).