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.
Melissa Lewis is dedicated, exhibits the attitude and characteristics, and is an exemplary personal assistant. She "assists" rather than "directs". She treats the individuals she works for with the dignity and respect – and as her "employer" rather than someone she is "in charge of". As an "employee", she doesn't restrict or limit the activities of her "employer". She has been known to rearrange her schedule in order to work when and where she is needed – always finding a way to make it work.
The assistance Melissa provides allows the people with disabilities she works for to be involved in their communities, in educational opportunities, and in the disability rights movement. In turn, the individuals who are more independent because of her services help other people to become more independent. To quote the individual who nominated her: "She does anything I ask. She turns her life around so I can do what I want to do. She helps me do many activities that I couldn't do without her."