The deadline for this year’s Disability Section Awards nominations is fast-approaching. Do you know someone who has made a significant contribution to the health and quality of life of people with disabilities?  Now is the time to nominate him or her for one of the 2009 Disability Section Awards. The area of public health that addresses issues of people with disabilities, as well as the field of disability studies, have both advanced substantially through the contributions of many people associated with the Disability Section. Join us in honoring those who have made significant contributions to the field of disability within the context of public health.

The following is a list of awards and nomination criteria:

1. Allan Meyers Award: This award is presented to a person who has combined excellence across the areas of research, teaching and advocacy to improve the health and quality of life for people with disabilities. Nominees are required to be members of the Disability Section of APHA.

2.  Lifetime Achievement Award:  This award is presented to a person who, over the course of his or her career, has made a major contribution to the improvement of health and quality of life for people with disabilities in one or more areas of research, teaching, or advocacy. Nominees are not required to be members of the Disability Section of APHA.

3.  APHA DisAbility Section Student Member Award: This award is presented to a student who has conducted promising work to advance the health and quality of life of people with disabilities. Nominees are not required to be members of the Disability Section of APHA. A one-year Disability Section membership will be included as part of the award.

4.  New Investigator Award: This award recognizes a newer investigator who demonstrates evidence of a promising career in public health research in the area of health and wellness for people with disabilities.

New Investigator Award Eligibility Criteria:

The nominee must have been awarded his or her degree within eight calendar years of the nomination. (For example, for a nomination submitted anytime in 2009, the nominee must have been awarded the degree on or after Jan. 1, 2001.) Evidence documenting a nominee’s successful development as a new investigator must be provided. This evidence must include a minimum of one peer-reviewed publication for which the nominee has taken a substantial role. The nominee must be a member of the APHA Disability Section.

Nomination Instructions:

Please provide a brief description of your nominee’s contributions. You may address importance of the contributions, quality of the work, originality of the contribution as an exemplar, and courage involved. Feel free to use a separate page if needed.  Nominators do not need to be members of the Disability Section. See eligibility criteria for each award listed to determine the nominee’s membership requirements associated with each particular award.

For further information and/or to obtain a nomination form, please contact Awards Committee Chair Jennifer Rowland by email at jenrow@uic.edu. Winners will be given their awards at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia during the Disability Section Business and Awards Meeting on Monday night, Nov. 9, 2009. Past award winners are posted on the Disability Section Web site at www.apha.org.