[Blind-international-students] information about the Paul G. Hearne award the grant that I have been talking about

[Anmol Bhatia]

Good morning to all,
Unfortunately, the deadline to apply for the Paul G. Hearne  award for 2011 has already past. But good news is that we have more time to astablish our organization and carry out some a project or two to demenstrate that we are group of individuals who are committed to cary out the mission of this award and make Paul G. Hearne proud. We have time to prove that we are a group of emerging leaders with disabilities who 
want  to improve lives for other people with disabilities.
The application says that two individuals will be honored, but I think that a group such as the Blind International Network should qualify.
I would encourage us to best utalize this  extra  time to think about projects we can do and do some work and apply for this award in summer of 2011.
I would also encourage all of us to join American Association for people with Disabilities.
I was once a member and need to renew my membership. It is only $10 for students and $15 for everyone else.
AAPD is the largest and I think the only political action action committee for people with disabilities.
You should visit their webcite at
www.aapd.com
There are other political action committees serving particular disabilities such as the NFB, but I think AAPD is the only political action committee serving all disabilities.

Below is information about the Paul G. Hearne award:
The Paul G. Hearne AAPD Leadership Award is an annual award supported by 
Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation
(MEAF) and AAPD to recognize and honor emerging leaders with disabilities working in the cross-disability civil rights movement. The award is named in honor
of Mr. Paul G. Hearne: a pioneer, advocate, activist, and national leader for people with disabilities.

Each year, we select up to two individuals whose work, life, and passion mirrors the life and legacy of Mr. Hearne to receive the annual Paul G.Hearne AAPD
Leadership Awards. Hearne Award recipients are featured at the AAPD Leadership Gala in short documentary films chronicling their disability advocacy work.
In addition, Hearne Award receipients each receive $10,000 to help them continue their progress as leaders and have an opportunity to meet and network
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 goal of finding and supporting emerging
leaders with disabilities. Since 2000, support for the Hearne Leadership Award has been provided by AAPD and MEAF.

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.
Paul shared more than just his expertise while working as an advocate. He shared his wonderful sense of humor and positive outlook on life everyday. 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 creation of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) in 1995 which now recognized as the largest and fastest growing force
for disability empowerment.

In 2011, MEAF and AAPD will once again recognize those outstanding individuals personifying leadership, advocacy, and dedication to and for the disability
community at large.  Two 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 2011 Hearne Leadership Awards
will also have an opportunity to meet and network with national disability leaders at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, DC, March 15, 2011.  U.S.
residents with any type of disability are eligible to apply.

**NOTE: The Paul G. Hearne AAPD Leadership Award is intended to recognize the outstanding achievements of emerging leaders in the disability community.
Unfortunately, at this time AAPD does not offer scholarships, grants, individual funding, or other types of direct financial assistantce to individuals.
	http://www.disaboom.com/scholarships/

Anmol

I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.
Hellen Keller