Melwood’s 2021 Ability Awards will be held virtually on Thursday, October 7, 2021. Join us for a lively celebration of the people and organizations who are impacting, accelerating, and advocating for people with disabilities and injured veterans in the areas of employment.

Melwood will award the Advocacy, Accelerator, Impact, and Resiliency awards, recognizing the outstanding individuals, employers, researchers, policymakers, and innovative companies that have advanced the field of employment for individuals with disabilities and injured veterans. The awards ceremony will feature members of Congress, Biden Administration officials, notable figures in the fields of disability advocacy and employment and, of course, the finalists and winners of Melwood’s 2021 Ability Awards. During the formal program, the audience will also have a chance to participate in a silent auction packed with exciting art, travel, and entertainment packages. After the formal program, guests can go to various interactive rooms for social mixing and networking. Sponsorships are available. Additional details can be found on our website.

Melwood is calling for nominations of outstanding employers, researchers, policymakers, organizations and individuals who are working to advance the field of employment for people with disabilities and injured veterans:

• Melwood’s Accelerator Award celebrates individuals, programs, and/or organizations that are paving the way for ADA 2.0 by innovating and pushing boundaries towards the goal of a fully inclusive, neurodiverse workforce.
• Melwood’s Advocacy Award recognizes individuals, programs, and/or organizations whose advocacy has had a substantial impact on the employment rights of people with disabilities.
• Melwood’s Impact Award honors individuals, programs and/or organizations that have achieved extraordinary outcomes related to neurodiversity and employment.
• Melwood’s Resiliency Award recognizes a person or organization that had the commitment and was successful at providing services, assistance, and/or accommodations to individuals with disabilities or injured veterans during the COVID-19 crisis.

You may nominate yourself or others for the 2021 Melwood Ability Awards. The judges panel includes key representatives from Marymount University, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Dominion Energy, Prince George’s County, Kaiser Permanente, NFP | The Meltzer Group, and the Special Olympics. For awards criteria and eligibility requirements HERE. The deadline for nominations is July 1, 2021. Please click HERE to submit your nomination.

Winners will be announced at the Virtual Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 7, 2021. If you would like to be a corporate sponsor, please go HERE.

Please email questions to Kirsten Dillon at [email protected].