Home > Advocacy in Action > 2010 Disability Caucus
Awards:
Independent Living Hall of Fame:
Chairman's Award:
The Outstanding Personal Assistant Award was created in response to a request by people with disabilities to honor the individuals who make it possible for them to maintain their independence by serving as personal assistants with extraordinary care and distinction. Personal assistants are almost always underpaid and over worked and are sometimes underappreciated. This award is intended to recognize the invaluable role these individuals play in the independence and quality of life of individuals with disabilities.
Kevin Nichols exhibits the right attitude and characteristics important in an outstanding personal assistant. He understands his role of "assisting" and treats the individuals he works for with the utmost dignity and respect – and as his "employer" rather than someone he is "in charge of".
It is difficult to find people that will stick with the job of personal assistant. There is a high degree of turnover due to the difficult and often stressful nature of the work as well as the traditionally low pay. Kevin has been helping people with disabilities for most of his life. He has traveled around the country with the people he has worked for. He has gone to many conferences and meetings throughout the state and has never hesitated to help anyone with a disability, whether he was being paid to do so or not.
In 2000, Kevin accompanied Ken Ervin on the ADAPT march from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. He stayed up most nights, while others were resting, to make sure wheelchair batteries were charged for the next day so the march could be a success. At one of the Disability Caucus marches, he rescued a service dog in distress from the heat and dehydration. The dog could no longer "march", so Kevin carried him to safety.
Kevin Nichols educated himself about the disability community, ADAPT, and the disability rights movement. He has helped ADAPT WV move people out of nursing homes. He makes himself available to people with disabilities in his community when they can't find other help. Kevin embodies the role of an Outstanding Personal Assistant.