Los Angeles, CA, June 14 – For the second year, RespectAbility is proud to announce the recipients of its annual awards recognizing individuals working to advance opportunities for people with disabilities. Elizabeth Kim is the recipient of the 2023 Justin Chappell Memorial Award and Nicole Homerin is the 2023 Steve Bartlett Award recipient. Each will receive $1,000 and be honored on stage at RespectAbility’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, sponsored by Wells Fargo, in Los Angeles on July 27.
The Justin Chappell Memorial Award honors a former or current Fellow of the National Leadership Program who demonstrates a strong commitment to the advancement of the disability community in policy, entertainment, or philanthropy. The award honors Justin W. Chappell, who devoted his life to human and disability rights and passed away on September 9, 2021.
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim was an early member of the Executive Team that started the Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative (AADI). As Director of Outreach and Chair of the Board of Directors, Kim was instrumental in acquiring official 501(c)(3) status in 2021, helping to ensure AADI’s long-term success. Before joining AADI, Kim founded a disability advocacy organization at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also graduated magna cum laude. Kim was a RespectAbility Entertainment and News Media Fellow for the Spring 2023 cohort.
“I’m honored to be receiving this award,” said Kim. “I couldn’t have accomplished all that I have without the incredible people I met along the way. Their support and belief in me give me encouragement that I’m headed in the right direction, and I’m excited to see what comes next for our community!”
The Steve Bartlett Award recognizes and honors an individual in the private or public sector who demonstrates a strong commitment to using the political system to advance public policy in support of people with disabilities. The award recognizes local, state, and national leaders who advocate policies that help advance opportunities for people with disabilities in different areas including economic growth, educational excellence and achievement, sustainability, workforce and employment, and equity. The award honors Steve Bartlett, former Chair of RespectAbility’s Board of Directors, former member of Congress (1983-1991), and former mayor of Dallas (1991-1995).
Nicole Homerin
Nicole Homerin has more than a decade of experience working with children and youth with disabilities. She currently is the Inclusion Communities Manager at Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD), where she has worked to expand their Dinah F.B. Cohen NDMC DREAM Fellowship, which provides college students, graduate students, and recent graduates with disabilities an opportunity to develop leadership and mentorship skills alongside their peers over a 12-week period. In addition to her work at PYD, Homerin has consulted with a mainstream curriculum company on a disability history lesson series and written about disability-related topics for several blogs. Homerin was a Community Outreach Fellow at RespectAbility in Summer 2020 and continued working as an Education Consultant through April 2021.
“I am deeply humbled to be this year’s recipient of the Steve Bartlett Award and would like to thank RespectAbility for the recognition,” said Homerin. “It is an honor and privilege to work alongside young people with disabilities as we advocate for change to ensure that we create a world that amplifies voices of the next generation.”
“There were so many incredible nominees for these awards this year, but Elizabeth and Nicole stood out for their current work and future advocacy goals,” said Ariel Simms, RespectAbility’s President and CEO. “Both of them are truly worthy recipients, and we look forward to celebrating all they have done for the disability community at our July event.”
The awards began in 2022. To support future recipients of these awards, individuals may make a donation to the awards fund online here.
Tickets to RespectAbility’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, sponsored by Wells Fargo, are now on sale to the public and can be purchased online here. Those unable to attend the event can still support RespectAbility by contributing to the 10th Anniversary Fund online here.
