CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF NEW ZEALAND’S DISABILITY COMMUNITY
Pictured: The 2020 Attitude ACC Supreme Award winner Grace Stratton
Nominations for the 2021 Attitude Awards have opened today, calling for Aotearoa’s unsung heroes leading the way in the disability community. Celebrating New Zealanders excellence and achievements in the disability community, the annual televised event recognises athletes, employers, employees, young people and other game changers. Nominations for this year’s awards are open from now until July 23rd.
Last year’s Attitude ACC Supreme Award winner was 20-year-old Grace Stratton, who was recognised for her incredible work bringing accessibility and inclusion into the fashion industry. Auckland-raised Grace co-launched All is for All, an accessible communications, media and talent agency, with her friend Angela Bevan in 2019. Grace, who uses a wheelchair, understands the challenges of purchasing garments online only to discover they aren’t usable for someone who lives with a disability. All is for All seeks to solve this simple problem for millions of people around the world, by designing an accessible e-commerce space that reframes how designer garments are spoken about.
Grace’s achievements since launching All is for All are extensive, but include contracting more than ten models with disabilities and working with over 20 designers, showcasing at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019, as well as providing consultation work for 18 people with disabilities in advisory roles for The Warehouse Group, Bumble, Estee Lauder and more. Grace was a Young New Zealander of the Year finalist in 2018 and was named one of InStyle’s ’50 Badass Women for 2019’. She is a full-time student at AUT, studying a double degree in law and communications. Grace accepted the Attitude ACC Supreme Award in front of a sold-out crowd of friends, family and members of the disability sector.
Now in its 14th year, the Attitude Awards will present nine categories including Attitude ACC Employer, Spirit of Attitude, Sporting Endeavour and Youth Courage Award. The awards will take place on Wednesday, 1st December with a televised black-tie gala dinner at Auckland’s Cordis Hotel.
Attitude’s CEO Dan Buckingham, a Paralympic gold medallist who uses a wheelchair after sustaining a spinal cord injury aged 18, said the awards are not only a fantastic night of celebration, but also play a crucial role in raising awareness of the benefits of integrating people with disabilities into every aspect of life in Aotearoa. “We’re incredibly proud to share stories of success and achievement in the disability sector through the Attitude Awards, and we continue to be blown away by the amazing nominees that come forward year on year. If you know someone who deserves to be nominated, or indeed are that person yourself, we’d love to hear from you.”
Other 2020 winners include Libby Hunsdale, winner of the Youth Spirit Award for her incredible resilience and budding acting career, Hamilton City Councillor Timothy Young who received the Community Champion Award for his work improving the city’s public facilities for Kiwis with disabilities, and Jonathan Mosen, who won the Impact Award for his ground-breaking initiatives at Workbridge and efforts in advocating for the blind community.
For the 14th year running, ACC returns as principal sponsor. On the awards, ACC Chief Executive Scott Pickering says: “The Attitude Awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s disability community. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to nominate a friend, family member, colleague, or employer who deserves to be recognised. The awards are especially meaningful for us at ACC because many of those nominated each year are, or have been, clients. We are proud to have played a role in their recovery, and to have supported them to meet their rehabilitation and life goals.”
Other sponsors and supporters for the awards include APM Workcare, Barfoot & Thompson, Sport New Zealand and Lotto New Zealand.
The Attitude Awards will be aired as an hour-long television special on TVNZ1 on Sunday, 5th December, with thanks to NZ on Air. The special will feature entertainment, winners and highlights from the evening.
For nomination information and entry forms, visit http://attitudeawards.org. Nominations close on July 23rd and finalists will be announced in late August. Winners will be revealed at a black-tie gala for over 500 people including figures from the disability sector on Wednesday 1st December, at Auckland’s Cordis Hotel.
The nine categories for this year’s awards are: Attitude ACC Employer Award, Community Champion Award, Enterprise Award, Impact Award, Sporting Endeavour Award, Youth Award, Spirit of Attitude Award, and Creative Award.