Midland, MI - October 24, 2007

On October 24, 2007, Dow was one of six recipients to be recognized with the 2007 New Freedom Initiative Award (NFI), which was presented by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The New Freedom Initiative Award was established in 2002 to encourage the use of public-private partnerships to develop and implement strategies that enhance employment opportunities and career advancement for individuals with disabilities. The award is presented annually to one or more individuals, non-profit organizations, small businesses or corporations that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts to further the employment objectives set out in President George Bush’s New Freedom Initiative. Award applicants must submit a formal nomination application that outlines the organization’s strategies and efforts to enhance opportunities for people with disabilities.

This is the first year that Dow has been honored with this award, and it is also the first award the company has received that recognizes Dow’s efforts around employees with disabilities.

The award was accepted on behalf of Dow by Dave Kepler, senior vice president, chief sustainability officer and chief information officer.

“It is a great honor for all of us at Dow to receive the Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award,” Kepler says. “We want to continue to make our company a more vibrant and diverse workplace where people are recognized not for their limitations, but for their unique contributions and abilities. On behalf of everyone at Dow, I want to express my gratitude to Secretary Chao for this honor and also my appreciation to all of the hard-working people at Dow who have made this award possible.”

One of the attendees at the October 24 ceremony was Dow employee Tom Provoast. Tom is an employee with a disability, who has been with Dow in Midland since 1995 and has been actively involved with the development of the programs and initiatives that Dow is being recognized for in the New Freedom Initiative Award. About the award, Provoast says, “This gives validation that we are heading in the right direction and to set our goals higher next year. This recognition also gives the employees of Dow an opportunity to celebrate all the hard work they have done over the years regarding disability awareness – all done voluntarily.”

According to Secretary Chao, Dow was recognized for several efforts.  These include:

• A global position statement that recognizes people with disabilities as “a unique source of talent who can deliver substantial value to our company, our customers and our communities.” 
• A DisAbility Employee Network comprised of employees living with disabilities, employees who are parents of a child with a disability and other employees who support the network’s vision. 
• A pilot program to recruit summer interns with disabilities to full-time opportunities throughout the company. 
• Dow’s active participation in Disability Mentoring Day and corporate sponsorship of the Michigan Youth Leadership Forum; both aimed at providing mentoring and leadership opportunities for students with disabilities.

Other award recipients at this year’s ceremony include Gap, Inc. (San Francisco, CA) and Northrop Grumman Corp. (Los Angeles, CA), along with two non-profit organizations and an individual award given to John Kemp, president of the United States International Council on Disabilities. Kemp spoke at Dow’s corporate center in October 2006 when Dow’s Position Statement on Employees with Disabilities was initially announced.

Past NFI award winners include Aetna, Cingular Wireless, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Merck, Microsoft and Raytheon, among others. As a recipient of the New Freedom Initiative Award, Dow is now included in the Department of Labor’s Circle of Champions, which works together on an ongoing basis to share proven strategies with other businesses that want to hire and retain talented employees. Additional information about the New Freedom Initiative Award is available on the Department of Labor website at www.dol.gov/newfreedom/nfiaward.htm.

About Dow

Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of innovation, science and technology to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company offers a broad range of products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $49 billion and employs 43,000 people worldwide. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

Editorial Information:

Kate Nigro
The Dow Chemical Company
989-638-9629
KNigro@dow.com