Nominations Open for 2016 National Disability Awards
21 June 2016 at 10:13 am
The National Disability Awards, which recognise the outstanding achievements of those who have improved the lives of Australians with disability, are open for nomination.
The annual awards are part of the activities for International Day of People with a Disability (IDPwD) on 3 December, which is sponsored by the federal department of social services.
Now in it’s 10th year, nominations are open for individuals, organisations or initiatives that deserve to be recognised in one of eight categories that align to the key priority areas under the National Disability Strategy.
Nominations are being sought that provide evidence of community partnerships, accessible community design, improving participation for people with disability in all areas or in a specific area such as employment, education, health, housing, sports, arts and cultural events.
Nominations close on 30 June 2016. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony at Parliament House on 7 November 2016.
In 2015, the top award – the Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement in Disability went to Keran Howe, the founding executive director of Women with Disabilities Victoria.
Preventing violence against women with disability was a key focus of Howe’s advocacy, working as a disability rights campaigner for more than 40 years.
Howe developed strategic alliances across the disability and health sectors to ensure greater inclusion of women with disability despite her own physical challenges, the result of a car accident at the age of 19, which she said gave her a unique perspective on disability issues.
Also last year, the Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) Foundation received the Excellence in Community Accessibility Award.
“There are so many barriers to providing disability services to remote communities. With the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), it is critical to highlight the work of those organisations who are delivering services effectively to understand what works, and recognise the challenges,” MJD chief executive officer, Nadia Lindop said.
“The foundation’s credibility and reputation has also been validated with the award highlighting the significant difference MJD is making to improve the lives of people with disability in the community.
“Receiving a National Disability Award is definitely something MJD uses in our grant applications to provide confidence to our sponsors and funders in our capacity to deliver outcomes for our clients.”
For more information about the National Disability Awards or to nominate visit the International Day of People with Disability website.
