HP Launches Worldwide Disability Mentoring Day Programs

HOUSTON, Oct. 19, 2005, HP today launched its Disability Mentoring Day programs by hosting activities in several countries around the world including the United States, where the company opened the doors of its Houston campus to students with disabilities.

Designed to acquaint students with the potential careers in the technology industry, the Houston activities will include shadowing HP employee volunteers as they work and viewing an exhibit of products created by the company’s assistive technology partners using HP technology platforms.

Since 1999, HP has partnered with the American Association of People with Disabilities to support National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Disability Mentoring Day.

Through its international presence, HP has transformed what had been a U.S.-only initiative into a global program that underscores the company’s efforts to increase accessibility for a global market of 500 million people with disabilities and age-related limitations.

“In the U.S. and around the world, HP is delivering on our commitment to diversity and accessibility to information and technology by introducing students with disabilities to potential careers in a technology company,” said Michael Takemura, director, Accessibility Program Office, HP. “This year, volunteer mentors to the students include recently hired employees with disabilities.”

HP also announced it will receive a 2005 da Vinci Award. Given annually by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Michigan Chapter and The Engineering Society of Detroit, the award applauds the most innovative developments and research in adaptive and assistive technology. HP was recognized for its Developer and Solution Partner Program, which provides free product development and marketing support to assistive technology companies.

Six of HP’s assistive technology partners will demonstrate their products during Disability Mentoring Day and Accessibility Awareness Day in Houston. The products range from a keyless keyboard to HP iPAQ Pocket PC-based devices such as a picture-based handheld originally created to help autistic children and a movie captioning device. The da Vinci Awards will be presented on Oct. 21 at a ceremony in Dearborn, Mich.

“HP’s participation in AAPD’s Disability Mentoring Day program is a good example of the company’s commitment to the job training and employability of people with disabilities,” said Andrew J. Imparato, president and chief executive officer, AAPD. “AAPD thanks HP for its participation in Houston and many locations in the United States, as well as the strong work the company has done to expand the program to several international locations.”

More information on HP accessibility programs is available at www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/accessibility.

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2005, HP revenue totaled $85.2 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com

Contact Information

Media Hotline

HP Media Relations Department

HP

Contact via E-mail