Massachusetts Council for Exceptional Children
​Self-Advocate of the Year Award

This award recognizes the accomplishments of a self-advocate (person with a disability) whose work or advocacy has advanced the field of special education. Massachusetts CEC awards the Self-Advocate of the Year annually to a self-advocate who has meaningfully contributed to creating change in the field of special education via activism, work or community activity that shifts or adjusts perceptions of disability in one of the following categories:

• Community Leadership
• Employment/Professional Advancement
• Volunteerism
• Media/Social Media
• Mentorship

Benefits of the Award
The recipient of the award will:

• Receive a certificate and recognition at an our awards ceremony at our annual conference
• Be invited to share his/her work, and be featured on our organization’s website
• Receive complimentary registration to the 2022 Fall conference
• Be featured in a press release and social media campaign

All nomination materials (including letters of recommendation and other nomination materials) must be submitted together by Sept 15, 2022.
Award recipients and nominators will be notified by October 15.   

To nominate for the Self-Advocate of the Year award, click here to complete our online form

Submission Materials:
Please submit a letter of nomination describing how the individual has meaningfully contributed to creating change in the field of special education through activism, work or community activity. We are particularly interested in work that shifts or adjusts perceptions of disability and that promotes social justice,  inclusion and equity. The letter must:

• identify an area/category in which the individual has meaningfully contributed to the field of special education. 
• address the areas of award relevance . 

• include evidence of positive change provided via examples or additional letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the work of the self-advocate. 
• describe how self-advocacy contributes to the individual's work and how this  addresses the area of award relevance. 

Submission Guidelines/Eligibility:

• Nominee must be a person with a disability.​
•  Nominations will only be accepted electronically on our website.
• All submissions will receive a confirmation e-mail within three business days.
•  Supporting materials uploaded to our website must be PDF files.
• Please use the file name to clearly label each section and all nomination materials (e.g., “Jane_Smith_2022_MCEC_SAOYAward.doc” or MCEC.doc” or “John _Smith_Vitae.doc”).
•  All materials submitted become the property of MCEC and will not be returned.
• Nominees may be nominated by a CEC-affiliated organization (unit, chapter, division, or subdivision), individual (principal, CEC member, fellow teacher/colleague, student, parent, self), educational organization (school, parent group, etc.), or community group.
• Only one nomination will be accepted from each CEC-affiliated organization in any given year per award.

Upon notification of the award, a photograph of the individual will be required.
The photograph may be either a headshot or a photo capturing the individual in action related to their award area.