For Immediate Release: September 18, 2025
Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is thrilled to announce it is increasing the award amount for the Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leaders Award, from $10,000 to $25,000 per recipient, beginning in 2026. The Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leaders Award is given annually to two outstanding emerging leaders with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the broader cross-disability community.
Paul G. Hearne was an advocate and visionary leader with a lifelong disability who achieved success as a nonprofit executive, foundation president, federal agency director, and mentor to countless people with disabilities. A passionate advocate for increased employment of disabled people, Paul opened doors for thousands through his leadership of Just One Break, an employment agency for people with disabilities in New York City, and The Dole Foundation for Employment of People with Disabilities in Washington, DC.
In 1995, Hearne also founded AAPD, fulfilling his vision of creating a national association that gave people with disabilities more consumer power and a stronger public voice. He died just three years later in 1998.
Because he was deeply passionate about cultivating and supporting disabled potential leaders to carry on the disability rights movement, AAPD founded the Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awards to do just that in his honor. There have been over 75 Hearne award recipients since its inception, each of whom have made significant contributions to the disability community by putting their own bold ideas into action.
The award program has maintained the same level of funding since 2000 – every recipient of the Hearne Award in the past 25 years has received $10,000. $10,000 provided significantly more support to awardees in 2000 than it does today in 2025, as the costs of living and costs of project implementation have increased over time. AAPD not only wants to ensure that the increased award enables recipients to make a bigger impact in their communities, but also ensure that recipients receive meaningful compensation in recognition of their time, efforts, and outstanding leadership.
The award now includes $10,000 in recognition of the recipients’ outstanding contributions to disability rights and $15,000 dedicated to furthering a new or existing project or initiative that increases opportunities for people with disabilities.
“Paul G. Hearne had a bold idea to create AAPD,” said AAPD President and CEO Maria Town. “He believed in fostering community, and now the community we’ve built in his name has powered AAPD and the movement for disability rights for 30 years.
“This meaningful increase is one of many ways AAPD is honoring the award program and ensuring exponential growth of the programs’ impact for the next 25 years and beyond,” Town concluded.
“Paul Hearne dedicated his life to combatting the high rates of unemployment and underemployment that disabled people face. As we discussed how to recognize Paul’s life and legacy as part of AAPD’s 30th Anniversary celebration, it felt essential to recognize and pay disabled leaders for their time, brilliance, and efforts,” said Christine Liao, Vice President of Programs at AAPD. “I cannot wait to witness the exponential impact of the increased award, and am eager to continue to support and honor emerging disabled leaders.
Applications for this year’s award cycle will remain open until Monday, October 20 at 5 pm ET. Learn more on our website.