The Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) has named Benchmark Advisory Committee Member, Val Bradley, as a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Award for Direct Support Workforce Advocacy & Leadership for 2017. Ms. Bradley will be formally recognized, along with fellow recipient, Marianne Taylor, in Omaha, Nebraska on September 9, during a special ceremony at the NADSP Annual Meeting & Conference.
A press release from NADSP stated the following about Bradley and Taylor:
Without question these two women have carried out John F. Kennedy Jr’s vision of the intersection of a quality direct support workforce and outcomes of people with disabilities. Their careers are distinguished with excellence and iconoclastic leadership that support NADSP’s mission. Their contributions have occurred at the individual, organization and national levels. If not for the contributions of these women, NADSP, the credential program, accredited training curricula and the Code of Ethics would not exist.
Ms. Bradley and Ms. Taylor’s work over decades has shown brave leadership and commitment to advancing programs and practices designed to increase the knowledge, skills and values of direct support professionals in our communities through improved training programs and career paths. Their work has influenced policy, practice and outcomes of community supports for people with disabilities.