Disability Awards: Information, Nominations, and Winners

Disability Awards celebrate and acknowledge the achievements and contributions that individuals with a disability make to the community, as well as recognize individuals within the community who have contributed to the disability sector.

A person has been awarded a benefit means that the person has become entitled to a certain type of benefit. This definition encompasses not only newly entitled beneficiaries, but also cases where a person converts from one benefit type to another. An example of such a conversion is a case where a disabled-worker beneficiary attains the normal retirement age and becomes a retired worker. Another example is a case where a spouse of a retiree becomes an aged widow(er) upon the death of her or his spouse.

Visit our Disability Education category for information regarding Disability Scholarships, Grants, and Financial Assistance

A disability award might include a local group that has adapted its project to include and involve a person with a disability, a school that has gone out of its way to involve a child in a mainstream class, someone employing a person with a learning disability in a real job, perhaps by adapting the job or workplace as needed; or an individual that has gone the extra mile to encourage people with disabilities to get involved in their community.

The list of disability awards for groups, individuals, and companies is endless!

There are many different categories and types of Awards for disabilities, for example:

• Awards for people who have advanced the rights of people with disability.
• Young Disability Challenge Awards for younger people who have advanced the rights of people with a disability.
• Business Awards for large and small businesses which have improved opportunities for people with a disability, such as greater inclusion, participation and employment.
• Accessible Housing Award for property developers, builders and others in the building sector that have developed innovative and accessible private dwellings for people with a disability.
• Local Government Award for councils which have implemented substantial changes to improve physical, social, economic and cultural access and inclusion for people with disability and their families.
• Social Inclusion Awards for schools and community groups which have actively built in inclusion and full participation of people with disability alongside other students or members of community groups.

Listed below are awards that recognize individuals and organizations whose work is directly related to disability, as well as individuals and community organizations that have chosen to include a disability focus in their wider role.

Quick Facts: Canadian Veterans Disability Award

A Canadian Disability Award program provides injured Canadian Armed Forces members or Veterans with a tax-free award for an injury or illness resulting from military service. The amount of the award will depend on: the degree to which your disability is related to your service (entitlement); and the extent of your disability (assessment). Your military rank or years of service have no connection to the amount you may receive. More information at: www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services/after-injury/disability-benefits/disability-award