By Chelle Hart and Chip Hailey
The awards committee is searching for nominees who are deserving of national recognition for their work in ACB or the blindness community. The awards will be presented at the upcoming conference and convention in Minneapolis, Minn. Candidates will be judged on the quality of their nomination letter and how well they meet the spirit of the award for which they are nominated. Please assist the awards committee by presenting worthy candidates and clearly identifying the ways your nominee meets the criteria for the award you believe they are worthy of receiving.
The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2016. This means letters must be received electronically by 11:59 p.m. on that day. Please e-mail nomination letters to awards committee co-chairs Chip Hailey, [email protected], and Chelle Hart, [email protected]. You can help us out by getting the nominations to us as early as possible. Once we receive them, the awards committee must review and score the entries submitted. This work takes a little time, and it helps us if we begin the process as soon as possible.
The awards committee looks forward to the challenge of selecting worthy recipients of the 2016 ACB awards. Please tell us about these special people and how they meet the criteria listed below. These are national awards, and nominees will be judged accordingly.
The Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award is given in recognition of a blind person who may or may not be a member of a blindness organization but who has, through his or her personal characteristics and activities, unrelated to his/her employment, contributed most to the acceptance and understanding of blind people as capable, contributing members of the community.
The Affiliate Outreach Award is based on a recommendation by an affiliate president, which recognizes a local chapter for a new outreach program. This program must have a measurable outcome.
The George Card Award is given to an individual who has dedicated his or her life to work with and for blind people, making a real difference and improving quality of life, for providing leadership, and being a positive role model.
The James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award is periodically given to individuals who have made important contributions which have advanced opportunities for the blind community. This award can be given to an individual or an organization.
The Robert S. Bray Award is given to a person who has made a contribution for improving library technology or communication devices. It could also be given for expanding access for all blind people, or making opportunities within the mainstream media.
The Affiliate Growth Awards are based on the greatest increase in membership, as determined by the 2015-2016 membership reports.
Please submit your nominations right away! Late submissions will not be considered. If you need help with the nomination process, call Chip Hailey at (417) 781-6728 or Chelle Hart at (605) 332-6059.