Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities Awards Programs
The Texas Governor's Committee has a long history of honoring the achievements of Texans with disabilities by presenting awards for best practices and exemplary endeavors of employers and media professionals. As part of our mission to further opportunities for Texans with disabilities to enjoy full and equal access to lives of independence, productivity, and self-determination, we proudly sponsor two annual awards programs.
About the Barbara Jordan Media Awards
In 1982, the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities created the media relations program which includes a series of prestigious annual awards recognizing outstanding contributions by individuals and organizations of the communications media. In 1998, the Committee added a high school student subcategory to the Barbara Jordan Awards competition in an effort to encourage and educate a new generation of journalists. Contributions are recognized for eliminating attitudinal, social, and physical barriers and encouraging accurate and progressive portrayals of people with disabilities.
The Barbara Jordan Media Awards recognize representatives of the communications media in the fields of print, radio, television, Internet, advertising, photojournalism, public relations, books, and special contributions for increasing public understanding of the abilities and potential of people with disabilities.
About the Lex Frieden Employment Awards
Since 1979, the Governor's Committee has highlighted the efforts of employers to hire and retain employees with disabilities, and to recognize Best Practices affecting employees with disabilities within the workplace. Annual awards are given in the following categories: The Governor's Trophy, awarded to the person who has achieved the highest success in enhancing the empowerment and employment of Texans with disabilities; the Entrepreneurship Award, for a business owner with a disability; Employer Awards (Small, Medium, Large, and Non-Profit Employers), for employers who go above and beyond legal requirements for employing people with disabilities; and the Martha Arbuckle Award, for outstanding activity by a Local Committee.
About the APA/GCPD Accessibility Awards
Beginning in 2010, the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) partnered with the Accessibility Professionals Association (APA), formerly known as the Texas Registered Accessibility Specialists Association (TRASA), to create an Accessibility Awards program that recognizes businesses and organizations that go significantly above and beyond the legal requirements of both physical and service accessibility for people with disabilities. Nominations are submitted by accessibility specialists, building owners or managers, or by appreciative public citizens. Site visits are made by APA professionals to inspect physical accessibility and by professionals familiar with disability issues to inspect for service accessibility (friendliness of staff, easily accessible accommodations, innovations such as Braille menus, etc).
Winners of the award are selected in several different categories, including Recreation, Education, Medical and Health Services, Restaurant and Entertainment, others. Each year the winners are recognized as part of APA's annual meeting in January.