Oakland, CA (September 20, 2005) - "We are very proud that Kathy Martinez will be the organization's Executive Director and confident that this well known disability rights and policy specialist will lead us in exciting new directions," announced Dr. Stanley Yarnell, Chairman of the Board of the World Institute on Disability. She was appointed by the Board following the resignation of Mark Breimhorst in July.

Martinez stated: "I am truly honored to be selected to direct this organization of innovators and mavericks who, since WID's beginnings, have been unafraid to create and test new ways to reduce the obstacles facing people with disabilities."

Blind since birth, Martinez, 47, is an internationally recognized disability rights leader specializing in employment, asset building, independent living, international development, diversity and gender issues. Since 2000 Kathy has supervised WID's technical assistance, international, employment, poverty reduction and training projects.

This spring, she led development activities with disabled women in Ethiopia for the International Labour Organization, and has collaborated on projects in Brazil, China, Indonesia, Honduras, Hungary, Korea, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Spain.

In 2004-2005 Martinez gave testimony and presentations to the U.S. Congress, the UN Committee on a disability rights convention, business leadership groups, diversity officers at Fortune 500 companies, a National Organization on Women's conference, disabled students, asset development specialists and independent living leaders. She is one of 15 Presidentially appointed members of the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency, and has just been appointed one of eight public members on the State Department's Committee on Disability and Foreign Policy.

Meet Martinez following WID's annual performing arts event, Ever Widening Circle, Thursday, September 29 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco.

Based in Oakland, WID is an influential public policy and research center, founded in 1982 by international disability rights and independent living leaders.