Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards Past Recipients

Henry Viscardi Achievement Award Recipients

2024

• Kirk Adams, PhD, Innovative Impact, LLC, U.S.
• Joyce Bender, Bender Consulting Services, U.S.
• Brooke Ellison, American Academic and Disability Advocate, U.S.
• Shakeel Khan, Disabled Welfare Association, Pakistan
• Andraéa LaVant, LaVant Consulting, Inc., U.S.
• Barbara (Bobbi) Linn, Bronx Independent Living Services, U.S.
• Jose R. Ramos, Wounded Warrior Project, U.S.
• Irene Villa González, Irene Villa Foundation, Spain

2023

• Afshan Afridi, Disabled Welfare Association, Pakistan
• Alex Elegudin, Advocates for Children, U.S.
• Jesus Hernandez-Galan, Fundación ONCE, Spain
• Mindy Henderson, Muscular Dystrophy Association, U.S.
• Peter W. Thomas, Powers Law Firm, U.S.
• Constantine Zografopoulos, Z Life, U.S.

2022

• Shaheena Ali, Disabled Welfare Association, Pakistan
• Dr. Alex H. Cohen, Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind, U.S.
• John Cronin, John’s Crazy Socks, U.S.
• Susan Henderson, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, U.S.
• Emily Ladau, Disability Rights Activist, U.S.
• Nkosinathi Freddy Ndlovu, Presidential Working Group of Disability (PWGD), South Africa

2021

• Dani Bowman, DaniMation Entertainment, U.S.
• Rebecca Cokley, Ford Foundation, U.S.
• Deepak, KC, World Bank Group Nepal/National Paralympic Committee of Nepal, Nepal
• Lalit Kumar, Evara Foundation, India
• Scott Michael Robertson, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S.
• Paul W. Schroeder, American Printing House for the Blind, U.S.
• Miguel Tomasín, Reynols, Argentina

View this video and meet the 2021 Award recipients.

2020

• Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Action to the Community Development Institute, Vietnam
• Caroline Casey, The Valuable 500, Ireland
• James Raymond “JR” Harding, Florida State University, U.S.
• Judith Heumann, The Heumann Connection, U.S.
• Andrew J. Imparato, Disability Rights California, U.S.
• Braam Jordaan, Convo Communications, South Africa
• Jaime Huerta Peralta, Universidad Privada del Norte, Peru
• Edmund “EQ” Sylvester, United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA), U.S.
• Mata’afa Fa’atino Utumapu, Nuanua O Le Alofa, Samoa
• Duong Thi Van, Hanoi Association of People with Disabilities, Vietnam
• James J. Weisman, United Spinal Association, U.S.

View this video and meet the 2020 Award recipients.

2019

• Major Jas Boothe, Final Salute Inc., U.S.
• SFC Joseph Bowser, U.S. Army, U.S.
• Virginia A. Jacko, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, U.S.
• Kamran Khan, Saaya Association of Persons with Disabilities, Pakistan
• Abha Khetarpal, Cross the Hurdles, India
• Dr. Dinesh Palipana, Gold Coast Health, Australia
• Chano Park, Seoul Center for Independent Living, South Korea
• Ali Stroker, Tony Award-Winning Actress, U.S.
• Yves Veulliet, IBM, Belgium
• Dr. Hoang-Yen Thi Vo, Disability Research and Capacity Development, Vietnam

2018

• Prof. Dr. Alireza Darvishy – Zurich University of Applied Sciences/Institute of Applied Information Technology, Switzerland
• General (ret.) Frederick M. Franks, Jr. – Retired Four-Star General of the U.S. Army, U.S.
• Ilan Gilon, The Knesset, Israel
• Thomas A. Hoffer – Regional Health Command – Pacific, U.S.
• Prudence Mabhena – Prudence Mabhena Music, Zimbabwe
• Bonface Ophiyah Massah – Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi, Malawi
• Jawaid Rais – Disabled Welfare Association, Pakistan
• Maria Town – Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, City of Houston, U.S.
• Glen W. White, Ph.D. – Delta Air Lines Advisory Board on Disability, U.S.
• Mohammed Yousuf – EquallyAble Foundation/Accessible Transportation Technology Research Initiative at the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, U.S.

View this video and meet all of the 2018 Award recipients.

2017

• Vashkar Bhattacharjee — Access to Information (a2i) Program, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister’s Office/Young Power in Social Action (YPSA)/GAATES Board of Directors, Bangladesh
• Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu — Ministry of Social Development, South Africa
• Justin Constantine —The Constantine Group, U.S.
• Col. Gregory D. Gadson — U.S Army Veteran/Patriot Strategies, U.S.
• Matt King — Facebook, U.S.
• Dr. Satendra Singh — University College of Medical Sciences, India
• Yuval Wagner — Access Israel, Israel
• Thomas J. Wlodkowski — Comcast, U.S.
• Asim Zafar — Saaya Association/Community Based Inclusive Development Network, Pakistan

View this video and meet all of the 2017 Award recipients.

2016

• Saima Aslam – National Forum of Women with Disabilities, Pakistan
• Senarath Attanayake – Uva Provincial Council, Columbo, Sri Lanka
• Peggy Chenoweth – Author/Advocate/Blogger, U.S.
• PJ Edington – IBM Government & Regulatory Affairs Executive, U.S.
• Hiroyasu Itoh – Chairman, Japan Abilities, Tokyo, Japan
• Jim Mayer – U.S. Army/Vietnam Veteran (ret.), Walter Reed Hospital, U.S.
• Dave McGill – VP, Reimbursement & Compliance, Ossur, U.S.
• Curtis Pride – former Major League Baseball player, MLB’s Ambassador for Disability Inclusion, U.S.
• Juan Pablo Salazar Salamanca – President, National Council on Disability and Presidential Advisor, Colombia
• Dr. Louise Sinden-Carroll – International Federation of Hard of Hearing People, Auckland, New Zealand

View this video and meet all of the 2016 Award recipients.

2015

• Jim Gibbons – President & CEO, Goodwill Industries International, U.S.
• Mark Johnson – Chair of The ADA Legacy Project and Director of Advocacy at Shepherd Center, U.S.
• David Krupa – CEO, The Range of Motion Project and Certified Prosthetist, Ecuador
• Ed Lucas – Founder, The Ed Lucas Foundation; Sports Journalist, U.S.
• Lonnie C. Moore – Program Analyst, Career and Education Readiness Branch, U.S. Army Warrior
  Transition Command, U.S.
• Winfred G. Mugure – University of Nairobi, Kenya
• Toby Olson – Executive Secretary State of Washington; Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, U.S.
• Marilyn E. Saviola – Senior Vice President for Advocacy and the Women’s Health Program, Independence Care System, U.S.
• Mark Wafer – President, Megleen, operating as Tim Hortons, Canada

View this video and meet all of the 2015 Award recipients.

2014

• Jim Abbott – Former MLB Pitcher & Gold Medal Olympian, U.S.
• Marca Bristo – President & CEO of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, U.S.
• Rory Cooper, Ph.D. – Distinguished Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, U.S.
• Maryanne Diamond – General Manager Advocacy and Engagement at Vision Australia, Australia
• Neil Jacobson – Founder & CEO of Abilicorp, U.S.
• Arlene Mayerson – Attorney at the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), U.S.
• Marlee Matlin – Academy Award & Golden Globe Award-winning Actress, U.S.
• Ron McCallum – Emeritus Professor at The University of Sydney, Australia
• Thomas Porter – Volunteer at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, U.S.
• Susan Sygall – Co-founder & CEO of Mobility International USA (MIUSA), U.S.
• Yevgeniy Tetyukhin – Professor at the Petropavlovsk North Kazakhstan State University, Kazakhstan
• Mary Verdi-Fletcher – President & Founding Artistic Director of Dancing Wheels, U.S.

2013

• Laurie Ahern – President, Disability Rights International, U.S.
• Rosangela Berman Bieler – Senior Advisor on Children with Disabilities, UNICEF,U.S.
• Tony Coelho – Former U.S. Rep. from California, Primary Sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, U.S.
• Lex Frieden – Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Biomedical Informatics; Director of the Independent Living Research Utilization program at TIRR Memorial Hermann, U.S.
• Yoav Kraiem – Chairman, National Council for Community Relations – Mental Health, Israel
• U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin – Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, U.S.
• Kathleen Martinez – Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S.
• Patrick D. Rummerfield – Community Liaison, International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Kennedy-Krieger Institute, U.S.
• Michael Ashley Stein – Executive Director, Harvard Law School Project on Disability, U.S.