About the awards The Victorian Disability Awards recognise and honour the achievements and contributions of individuals, and organisations that provide support, leadership, advocacy, service and education to increase the social, economic and civic participation of people with a disability living in Victoria. The awards are a partnership between National Disability Services and the Department of Health and Human Services. Key stages and dates Milestone Date Entries open Monday, 19 February 2018 Entries close Midnight, Sunday 8 April 2018 Judging period Wednesday 18 Wednesday 16 May 2018 – Finalists announced Week of 2 July 2018 Awards ceremony Thursday 16 August 2018 Award categories The 2018 Victorian Disability Awards recognise excellence in the following categories. The Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing will also recommend a recipient for the Minister’s Award for outstanding Leadership from all the finalists. Emerging leader award This award recognises an outstanding individual as an emerging leader who has made a significant contribution to improving outcomes for people with a disability, by raising awareness and influencing others to shift community attitudes, creating cultural change or transforming services. Nominations of people with a disability in this category are strongly encouraged. Examples of work may include: a person who through leadership and/or self-advocacy has influenced the practice of others to increase the inclusion of people with a disability development of new and innovative programs, or strengthening of existing programs, to promote the inclusion of people with a disability in the community a person who advocates, creates social enterprise or strategic partnerships to increase employment and economic opportunities for people with a disability someone who embeds sustainable change within organisational practices to create more social, economic and civic opportunities for people with a disability. This category relates to pillar four of Absolutely Everyone: state disability plan 2017–2020, which is ‘contributing lives’. This has a focus on leadership and representation of people with a disability. Excellence in creating inclusive communities This award recognises the contributions of an individual or group towards building an inclusive community that improves the lives of people with a disability. This could be in the areas of changing community attitudes, improving buildings and infrastructure, enhancing communication (for example, access to the internet) or increasing the active participation of people with a disability in the communities with which they identify such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse and intersex (LGBTI) Victorians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
About the awards The Victorian Disability Awards recognise and honour the achievements and contributions of individuals, and organisations that provide support, leadership, advocacy, service and education to increase the social, economic and civic participation of people with a disability living in Victoria. The awards are a partnership between National Disability Services and the Department of Health and Human Services. Key stages and dates Milestone Date Entries open Monday, 19 February 2018 Entries close Midnight, Sunday 8 April 2018 Judging period Wednesday 18 – Wednesday 16 May 2018 Finalists announced Week of 2 July 2018 Awards ceremony Thursday 16 August 2018 Award categories The 2018 Victorian Disability Awards recognise excellence in the following categories. The Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing will also recommend a recipient for the Minister’s Award for outstanding Leadership from all the finalists. Emerging leader award This award recognises an outstanding individual as an emerging leader who has made a significant contribution to improving outcomes for people with a disability, by raising awareness and influencing others to shift community attitudes, creating cultural change or transforming services. Nominations of people with a disability in this category are strongly encouraged. Examples of work may include: a person who through leadership and/or self-advocacy has influenced the practice of others to increase the inclusion of people with a disability development of new and innovative programs, or strengthening of existing programs, to promote the inclusion of people with a disability in the community a person who advocates, creates social enterprise or strategic partnerships to increase employment and economic opportunities for people with a disability someone who embeds sustainable change within organisational practices to create more social, economic and civic opportunities for people with a disability. This category relates to pillar four of Absolutely Everyone: state disability plan 2017–2020, which is ‘contributing lives’. This has a focus on leadership and representation of people with a disability. Excellence in creating inclusive communities This award recognises the contributions of an individual or group towards building an inclusive community that improves the lives of people with a disability. This could be in the areas of changing community attitudes, improving buildings and infrastructure, enhancing communication (for example, access to the internet) or increasing the active participation of people with a disability in the communities with which they identify such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse and intersex (LGBTI) Victorians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.