What We Do - Bursaries and Awards

Council of Canadians with Disabilities Award

Each year ACCD presents the Council of Canadians with Disabilities award to an Alberta citizen for his or her "dedication and integrity in the continuing pursuit of full participation in society by people with disabilities in Alberta."

The deadline for nominations is November 15 each year.

The award winner will be congratulated in ACCD’s newsletter, Action News, and on the ACCD web site.

CCD Award Winners

Each year the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) presents an award to an individual in Alberta for his or her “dedication and integrity in the continuing pursuit of full participation in society by people with disabilities.” ACCD is proud to present this award to an Alberta citizen each year. Below is our most recent CCD Award winner (2006-2007). The write-ups on previous winners can be found in the annual reports.

Travis McNally — the 2006 recipient of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities Award

Travis worked as an apprentice jockey for two years and as a professional jockey for five, when he broke his neck in a horse racing accident in 1983. Now a quadriplegic, Travis has re-directed the determination that served him so well in achieving his goal to be a professional jockey. Today, and for the past two decades, he confronts the societal and political barriers that threaten an individual’s right to live independently.

As founder and director of the Grande Prairie Residential Society, Travis’s biggest challenge has been convincing the government of the importance of independent community living options for people with disabilities. His determination has had far-reaching effects for residents of Grande Prairie and its neighbouring communities.

When he first began advocating for barrier-free housing, Grande Prairie had no accessible, low-income units. But in 1987 his efforts were rewarded with the construction of five duplexes that contained ten, two-bedroom accessible units. More units came in 1996, with the addition of a six-plex, as well as 16 accessible units in the Margaret Edson Manor. Today, Grande Prairie has 58 accessible units built for and designed to accommodate individuals with a disability. Through Travis’s commitment to independent living, the quality of life for persons with disabilities in the Grande Prairie area has vastly improved.

ACCD president, Margot-Brunner Campbell, resides in Grande Prairie and is familiar with Travis’s achievements. She says, “His expertise is often sought out by city council and the local CPA. I have never seen him without a smile on his face and his enthusiasm is contagious!”

Council of Canadians with Disabilities Award Criteria

These individuals are recognized for their dedication and integrity in the continuing pursuit of full participation in society by people with disabilities in Alberta.

Nomination Criteria:

• The award is open to anyone who currently lives in Alberta and has been a resident of the province for at least one year.
• Nominees must show outstanding commitment to improving the lives of persons with disabilities by promoting the three guiding principles of the Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities: full participation, accessibility, and equity.

Selection Process:

1. To nominate an individual, complete a nomination form and submit it along with a minimum of one and a maximum of three letters of support (400 words or less).
2. The ACCD board of directors will select the individual it finds to be the most deserving of the award.
3. Current ACCD board members are not eligible for this award. Board members can be nominated after they have been off the ACCD board for one year.
4. ACCD will promote the award through its newsletters (Action News, Action Notes,) and other appropriate communication materials.
5. Information about the award will be placed on the ACCD web site along with a list of the names of past recipients.

CCD Award Nomination Form

Submit a Printer Friendly Nomination Form or the Microsoft Word Nomination Form.

Fax or email your nomination form and supporting documents to us and we will contact you.

Contact Information:

Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
10339 - 124 Street NW # 707, Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1
Tel: (780) 488-9088 / Fax: (780) 488-3757
TTY: (780) 488-9090 / Toll Free: 1-800-387-2514

E-mail: accd@accd.net