Annual Meeting/Awards Dinner
The Arc of the Central Chesapeake Region’s Annual Awards Banquet celebrates those individuals who deserve very special thanks for their contributions in the field of developmental disabilities.
CLICK HERE FOR 2010 NOMINATION FORM.
The award categories are as follows:
People First
The Arc believes that all people with developmental disabilities have strengths, abilities and inherent value, and must be treated with dignity and respect. The award recipient(s) in this category will have demonstrated, consistently, activities that promote the advancement of those strengths and abilities, as well as meeting people’s needs. This can occur within other community agencies, our educational system, government agencies, other community service agencies, employers and/or non-disability specific community agencies such as Head Start or Workforce Development and Anne Arundel Community College, to name just a few.
Democracy
The Arc believes in a democratic process that values the input of both people with disabilities and family members in decision-making, policies and procedures. The award recipient(s) can include, but is not limited to, active involvement on community agencies’ Boards of Directors, Governmental Boards and Commissions, Advisory Committees and/or the County Board of Education, school committees (such as last year’s Educator of the Year, who included a student with disabilities on the school safety patrol), legislative and governmental affairs activities and/or self-advocacy groups. Award recipients can be either the individuals with disabilities and family members themselves or the organizations and professional staff who facilitated these activities.
Visionary Leadership
The Arc leads by promoting the mission, core values and position statements. We lead with integrity, accountability, and by open, honest and timely communications. The award recipient(s) in this category will have demonstrated strong leadership in systems change which advances the core values of The Arc. The organization and/or the individual will lead with integrity, accountability and open, honest communication. Likewise, the award in this category may go to a person or organization who first changed one person’s life and then persuaded, offered training and technical assistance to others to accomplish these changes, whether in education, employment, worship or any community activity.
Diversity
The Arc values and insists on diversity in its leadership, services and activities. As such, The Arc values the input and participation from diverse groups in our community (including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, religion, age, geographic location, sexual orientation, gender and level of disability). The recipient(s) of this award can be a group and/or individual who have welcomed people with developmental disabilities into their organizations, faith communities, civic associations, etc. Likewise, it can also be a group and/or individual who have actively joined The Arc family, in leadership or membership so that all people with developmental disabilities and their families can benefit.
Community Participation
All people have the fundamental, moral, civil and constitutional rights to live, learn, work, play and worship in safe and healthy communities of their choosing. The recipient(s) of this award will have demonstrated the highest levels of commitment and work in integrating and including people with developmental disabilities into their home communities, neighborhood schools, civic associations, Chambers of Commerce, recreational activities, employment and/or faith communities. Likewise, this award can also be given to an individual and/or organization that has worked to maintain people in community settings.
Integrity and Excellence
The Arc conducts its business with integrity and reflects quality and excellence in all its work. This is perhaps The Arc’s highest award. The recipient(s) will have demonstrated solid integrity, quality and excellence in at least one, but preferably more, of the above categories. The recipient must have a solid philosophy and commitment to community participation, in any or all of the organizations mentioned above, with the problem solving skills, leadership ability and accountability to put that philosophy into action. The recipient will also have demonstrated a very solid commitment to maximizing people’s strengths and abilities and to meeting their needs in typical community settings, along side their non-disabled peers.
