- Published:
- Thursday 25 August 2022
The outstanding achievements of Victorians with disability and those advocating to break down barriers for a fairer, more inclusive community have been honoured at the Victorian Disability Awards.
Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Colin Brooks congratulated the winners of the annual Victorian Disability Awards, which are now in their eleventh year and were announced yesterday at an online ceremony hosted by comedian Alistair Baldwin.
The awards showcase the positive impact made by people who work to improve accessibility, advocate for the rights of people with disability and build more inclusive workplaces and communities.
The 2022 Minister’s Award for Outstanding Leadership was awarded to the Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria Volunteer Ambassadors, who improve access to sport and recreation at the local, state, national and international level and actively advocate for inclusion for people who are blind or have low vision.
The ambassadors, 13 committed volunteers with lived experience of being blind or having low vision, also won this year’s Volunteer Award for their work in boosting participation and inclusion in sport.
The winners and inductees for the 2022 Victorian Disability Awards also include:
- Emerging leader award - Abbey Dalton and Chloé Hayden
- Excellence in creating inclusive communities - Lance Nilsson, Doncaster All Abilities Basketball Inc
- Excellence in employment outcomes – Where is My Coffee?, VMCH
- Excellence in promoting disability pride – I CAN Network Mentoring Team
- Excellence in promoting health, housing and wellbeing - Jane Tiller, Monash University
- Excellence in promoting rights, fairness and safety - Mary Ritchie, Rubix Support
- Lifetime achievement honour roll - Amanda Golding, Autism Family Support Association
- Lifetime achievement honour roll - Effie Meehan, Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities
- Lifetime achievement honour roll - Karen Underwood, Department of Education and Training
- Lifetime achievement honour roll - Nigel Caswell, Multiple Sclerosis Limited
- Lifetime achievement honour roll - Sue Dymond, iDareU
For more information on the finalists and the awards visit: dffh.vic.gov.au/victorian-disability-awards(opens in a new window).
Quotes attributable to Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Colin Brooks
“I congratulate all the winners and finalists of this year’s Victorian Disability Awards – thank you for your ongoing service, exceptional leadership and dedicated advocacy. Your contributions are invaluable to building a more inclusive Victoria.”
“The Victorian Disability Awards recognise people who lead with perseverance and determined efforts to break down barriers to participation and inclusion. Thank you for all that you do.”