Self-Advocate Leadership
of the Year Award

BC People First is proud to present the annual Self-Advocate Leadership of the Year Award. In celebration of self-advocacy and the power of self-advocates. This award goes to someone in BC who has shown leadership and knowledge throughout the past year in the field of advocating for the rights of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Nominations are due November 10, 2025. A winner will be selected by a judging panel based on the answers given in the nomination forms. The winner will be announced after the selection process ends – announcement should be made by early December in our BCPF newsletter, website, and social media.

The winner receives a $250 grant that can be used in 2026 to host a learning or advocacy event in their area of the province. We can help the winner plan the event if they need support. The award grant can be used for a speaker honorarium, room rental fee, snacks, or other costs for the event – paid for directly by BCPF. Or the winner can also use the grant to take a community college class about leadership skills or marketing or another skill that can support their advocacy work, or even attend a leadership skills conference in their area. There are options with what the grant can be used for, it just has to be related to building self-advocacy or leadership skills.

Do you know someone that should be nominated for the Self-Advocate Leadership of the Year Award?

Nominee Eligibility Criteria:

The person being nominated must have completed self-advocacy and disability rights related work throughout the past year.
The person being nominated must identify as having an intellectual, developmental, learning, or cognitive disability.
They must also be a resident of British Columbia.
And have not won the award in the past.

Nomination Guidelines:

Nominations must be in by 11pm, Saturday, November 10, 2025 to be considered.
The Nominator must complete the nomination form and answer the nomination questions about the person they are nominating.
Please fill out the below nomination form in full, including adding a headshot style photo of the Nominee. Ask them for a photo if you don't have one.
Email us at hello@bcpeoplefirst.com if you have any questions.
The nominator or nominee may be contacted to verify information that has been given.
The nominee should know about their nomination – the nominator should get permission to nominate them, just in case they don't want to be nominated.
People can be nominated by a friend, colleague, family member, support worker, or other community member.
You cannot nominate yourself for the award – but don't be afraid to ask someone you know to nominate you! Especially if you have been hard at work doing advocacy for disability rights and helping others.
The nominator and nominee can work together to make sure information in the nomination form is right.

Click the link HERE to find the nomination form.

Please email us at hello@bcpeoplefirst.com if you have any questions about the nomination process.

Before nominating someone, take some time to think about the questions in the nomination form. And think about what things the nominee has been doing in the past year or so. You don't have to share any confidential information, just share what makes sense.

Questions:

How does the nominee advocate for their own needs or wants in their life? What self-advocacy work have they done this past year?
Please describe how the nominee supports the efforts of other self-advocates in their community?
Has the nominee completed any workshops or training about self-advocacy or leadership skills? If so, what did they learn in the course that they have used in their own life?
Describe how the Nominee has raised awareness about self-advocacy to other people in their community.
What makes this nominee exceptional at self-advocacy or advocacy in general?
Is the nominee a Member or Volunteer of a self-advocate connection group? A provincial group or local group in their area, or both. If so, how do they get involved or take action with their group?

2025 NOMINATION FORM