News release

Compaq Celebrates Disability Mentoring Day with Career Development Emphasis (Advisory)

Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) will open its doors tomorrow to groups of high school students in Houston, Greenbelt, Md., Alpharetta, Ga., Colorado Springs, Co. and Nashua, N.H. as part of its celebration of Disability Mentoring Day.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and companies across the nation are offering a variety of programs to educate employees on the importance of accessibility in the workplace. An estimated 54 million Americans live and work with a visual, hearing, mobility, speech or cognitive disability. Compaq is a national sponsor of Disability Mentoring Day.

DMD enables students to spend part of a day with a volunteer mentor, and it's an opportunity for students to explore possible career paths and develop lasting mentor relationships. As a mentor, employees will learn more about the experience of disability and tap into a pool of potential future employees.

Compaq employees from disciplines as varied as engineering, human resources, business management, marketing and supply chain management will assist students with career planning tips and an overview of the work environment at Compaq. This is the second year Compaq has participated in Disability Mentoring Day.

On the national level, Michael Takemura, Compaq's director of the Office of Accessibility, will represent Compaq at a DMD kickoff event Wednesday at the U.S. Department of Labor with The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, United States Secretary of Labor.

"We are proud to open our doors to young people in our communities who hope to work for companies like Compaq—companies that recognize and value the skills, hopes, and contributions of working people with disabilities," said Takemura. "At Compaq, we also recognize that accessible technology will go a long way toward helping our young people emerge better prepared to enter the working world, and we are dedicated to making our products compatible with the vast array of accessible computing technology available to our nation's future workforce."

Earlier this month, Compaq sponsored Accessibility Awareness Day to emphasize the importance of using the power of technology to increase accessibility.

"Economic empowerment is at the heart of disability rights," said Andrew J. Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. "Until young people and students gain access to meaningful career opportunities, they cannot truly become full participating members of our society. Disability Mentoring Day provides an excellent opportunity for students with disabilities to make connections that can provide a competitive edge about how to successfully join the workforce and contribute to our nation's economic growth. We are grateful for companies like Compaq—one of our National Corporate Sponsors—who are making Disability Mentoring Day a reality by hosting students at work sites across the country."

Company Background

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation ("Compaq") is a leading global provider of enterprise technology and solutions. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.