The AAPd Hearne Leadership Award Program

In 2009, The American Association of People with Disabilities will once again recognize those outstanding individuals personifying leadership, advocacy, and dedication to and for the disability community at large. Three individuals, who are emerging as leaders in the cross-disability civil rights movement, will each receive $10,000 to help them continue their progress as leaders and further connect their work with the national grassroots of AAPD. The recipients of the 2009 Hearne Leadership Awards will also have an opportunity to meet and network with national disability leaders at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, DC in March 2009. U.S. residents with any type of disability are eligible to apply.

SELECTION CRITERIA

An "emerging leader" is defined as someone who has demonstrated leadership qualities in his/her personal and professional life, and who has dedicated his/her passion to the pursuit of inclusion, equality and justice for all people with disabilities. The ideal candidate is an advocate, teacher, mentor, and leader within disability community, and who is recognized as such at a local, regional or national level. Winners of the 2009 Hearne Leadership Award will demonstrate all of the following:

* Leadership achievements that show a positive impact on the broader community of people with all disabilities;

* Connections they have made between individuals with disabilities and others in their communities;
* A positive vision for the disability community and a continuing commitment to their pursuit of that vision;

* The demonstrated ability to collaborate with other leaders, to follow when necessary, and to cultivate new leaders within their organizations and communities; and,

* The potential to contribute to the disability rights movement at a national level.

AAPD encourages emerging leaders with disabilities of any age to apply. The 44 previous awardees represent a diverse group of people with many different disabilities aged 11 to 56. Former honorees have assumed leadership positions in diverse organizations and agencies, including but not limited to the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, the National Council on Independent Living, Access Living in Chicago, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, Mental Disability Rights International, and the U.S. Dept. of Justice. For more information on many of the past awardees and what they have accomplished since receiving this award, please visit AAPD's web site at www.aapd.com <http://www.aapd.com/> .

AAPD HONORS A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP

Paul G. Hearne was a strong advocate and visionary leader with a lifelong disability who achieved success as a nonprofit executive, foundation president, federal agency director, and mentor to countless people with disabilities. A passionate advocate for increased employment of people with disabilities, Paul opened doors for thousands through his leadership of Just One Break, an employment agency for people with disabilities in New York City, and The Dole Foundation for Employment of People with Disabilities in Washington, DC.

In addition to sharing his expertise and working as an advocate, Paul also used his wonderful sense of humor and positive outlook on life to "win people over" in many situations.
Until he died in 1998, Paul was consumed with two burning passions: to create a national association to give people with disabilities more consumer power and a stronger public voice and to cultivate potential leaders to carry on the disability rights movement. Paul achieved his first goal during his lifetime with the 1995 creation of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), now recognized as the largest and fastest growing force for disability empowerment.

The Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation established The Paul G. Hearne Leadership Awards in 1999 to honor their friend and former board member, and to help realize Paul's second goal by helping to find and support emerging leaders with disabilities.
In 2000, the administration of the awards program was turned over to AAPD. Funding for the 2007 awards were provided by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation and Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES

To be considered for a Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award, a candidate must complete an application which includes a statement of no more than 1000 words that addresses all of the selection criteria, as well as a letter of commitment from his/her mentor or supportive colleague who is prepared to work with the applicant in pursuing his/her leadership goals, of no more than 500 words. Please note that, to avoid conflicts of interest, applications will be rejected if the mentor or supportive colleague is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the award, or a member of the Board or staff of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), or a relative of any of these individuals. Members of the NAC, AAPD Board and AAPD staff are listed on the AAPD website at: www.aapd.com.

Applicants should be aware that, if they are selected for an award, they will be expected to:

* Make time, in the late fall/early winter of 2008, to participate in a video that highlights their leadership activities which will be shown at the AAPD Leadership Gala;

* Attend the AAPD Leadership Gala in March 2009 and participate in a gathering for emerging leaders with disabilities on the day following the gala;

* Submit two articles of approximately 750 words each over the next 12-month period to be published in the AAPD quarterly newsletter, AAPDnews;

* Submit six advocacy pieces to the Justice for All (JFA) email listserv over the next 12-month period; * Submit a report on the recipient's leadership activities on the one-year anniversary of receipt of the award to be posted on the AAPD website, and provide periodic updates on leadership activities and accomplishments thereafter; and

* Promote The Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards program and work with AAPD to help grow the program.

The cash award will be disbursed in two $5,000 payments: the first payment at the Leadership Gala in 2009, and the balance contingent upon successful completion of the requirements above by the first-year anniversary of receipt of the award.

Applications may be submitted on paper, via e-mail to aapdhearne@aol.com, by audiocassette, or by videotape. (The text of the audio or video transcript should not exceed the word limit for written submissions.) No faxed applications will be accepted.

All eligible applications will be evaluated by a review team selected by AAPD. The review team will identify semi-finalists who will be asked to participate in phone interviews. The top semi-finalists will be recommended for further evaluation by the National Advisory Committee. The National Advisory Committee will make recommendations to the AAPD Board of Directors, who will ultimately select the winners.

Mail or e-mail applications to:
2009 AAPD Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award AAPD 1629 K Street NW, Suite 503 Washington, DC 20006 phone: 1-800-840-8844 (voice/TTY) or 202-457-0046 (voice/TTY) e-mail: aapdhearne@aol.com

Applications must be RECEIVED by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Friday, September 30, 2008. If you are submitting your application by U.S. Postal Service, we strongly encourage you to mail the application two weeks in advance of the deadline. Due to the possible delay in the receipt of electronic submissions, we also encourage you to submit them prior to September 16, 2008. No late applications will be accepted.

Any questions concerning The 2009 Paul G. Hearne/ AAPD Leadership Awards should be directed to AAPD at 1-800-840-8844 (voice/TTY) or e-mail aapdhearne@aol.com.
THE 2009 PAUL G. HEARNE/AAPD LEADERSHIP AWARDS APPLICATION
Please complete this application which includes a statement of no more than 1000 words that answers the questions below. Your application must also include a letter (no more than 500 words) from a person you have identified as a mentor/supportive colleague.
* This individual can be the personal or professional reference you identify below or a different individual. * Your mentor/supportive colleague must be committed to working closely with you during the twelve months after you receive the award.

* In the letter, this individual should address your qualifications for the award; your commitment to pursuing your personal leadership goals; and the specific ways in which he/she will assist you in achieving those goals.

Your application is not considered completed until the letter has been received in the AAPD office. Please be sure this person is aware of the firm submission deadline.

U.S. residents with any type of disability are eligible to apply.
Note: AAPD will discard and not consider supplementary materials in excess of the application requirements.

APPLICANT INFORMATION NAME (as you would like it to appear on official documentation if selected for an award) TITLE/ORGANIZATION STREET ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP PHONE/TTY/FAX E-MAIL ADDRESS
TYPE OF DISABILITY* AGE* GENDER* ETHNIC GROUP* * These questions are optional. We ask that you answer them so that we can ensure a diverse group of awardees.
In order for us to continue to improve our outreach and dissemination, please let us know how you heard about this awards program/and or received the application:

PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE
NAME TITLE/ORGANIZATION STREET ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP PHONE/TTY/FAX E-MAIL ADDRESS ESSAY QUESTIONS: This section can be answered in one essay up to 1000-words or four separate essays with a TOTAL word count of up to 1000 words (it is not 1000 words per essay).

1) You are making a presentation about disability history* to a group of high school students with disabilities. Which historical figure and/or event would be central to your presentation, and why?
*By 'disability history', we mean the life and times of disabled people throughout history, including but not limited to the history of the disability rights movement.

2) What are the most serious barriers for people with disabilities and how have you organized others to address these barriers in your leadership activities?

3) What are your top personal priorities for the next three years, and how will you work with AAPD to achieve these priorities?

4) How do you choose and make good use of your personal mentors?

Application Deadline: 5:00pm Eastern Time, Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
PLEASE SUBMIT COMPLETED APPLICATIONS TO:
2006 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards AAPD 1629 K Street NW, Suite 503 Washington, DC 20006 e-mail: aapdhearne@aol.com phone: 202-457-0046 (voice/TTY) or 1-800-840-8844 (voice/TTY)

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