by Debbie Rozear and Debra Trevino
The awards committee is searching for nominees who are deserving of national recognition for their work in ACB or the blindness community. Awards will be presented at the upcoming conference and convention in Rochester, N.Y. Candidates will be judged on the quality of nomination letters and how well the candidate meets the spirit of the award for which they are being nominated. Please assist the Awards Committee by submitting 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 April 5, 2019. This means letters must be received electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on that day. Please email nomination letters to Debra Trevino, [email protected], and Debbie Rozear, [email protected]. We are the new co-chairs of the ACB Awards Committee. You can help us out by getting the nominations to us as early as possible. Once we receive your nomination letters, committee members must review and score the entries submitted. This work takes time, and we will need every minute of it to get the job done.
The committee looks forward to the challenge of selecting worthy recipients for the 2019 ACB awards, and we need your support to complete our important work. Tell us about these special people and how they meet the criteria listed below. Remember that 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 George Card Award is given to an individual who has dedicated his or her life to work with and for people who are blind, 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 for making opportunities within the mainstream media.
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 Affiliate Growth Awards are based on the greatest increase in membership, as determined by the 2018-2019 membership reports.
Please submit your nominations right away! Late submissions will not be considered. If you have any questions, call Debra Trevino at (302) 286-7276 or Debbie Rozear at (610) 295-7929.