2015 NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship Thanks to a generous contribution from NBCUniversal, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is proud to announce the NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship. The NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship will offer four scholarships, which can be used in the spring, summer, or fall semesters of 2015, to 2​nd year associate' students; undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors; and graduate students with disabilities pursuing communication or media­related degrees. Each recipient will receive $5,625 for the tuition and fees at their college or university. Tony Coelho: Disability Rights Champion This scholarship has been named in honor of Tony Coelho, a former United States Representative from California and the primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Coelho was elected to Congress in 1978 and served for six terms until 1989. During his terms, Coelho authored the original ADA, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. By 1994, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 800,000 more people with severe disabilities were employed than when the ADA was first enacted, in large part thanks to the work of Coelho, his successors, and predecessors. From 1994 to 2001, after being appointed by President Bill Clinton, Coelho served as Chairman of the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. He also worked as the Vice Chair of the National Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. In 1998, Clinton appointed Coelho as the United States Commissioner General at the 1998 World Expo in Portugal. Clinton also appointed Coelho as Co­Chair to the U.S. Census Monitoring Board, a position he held until his appointment as general chairman of the Gore Presidential Campaign. From June 2009 to June 2010, Coelho served as the Chairman of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country’s largest cross­disability membership organization. _____________________________________________________________________ American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2013 H St. NW, 5​th ​Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone: (800) 840­8844 (V/TTY) w​ ww.aapd.com ​ Email: [email protected] TO APPLY ● Applications must be received by 5​:00 PM EST on or before Friday, April 24th, 2015. ● Applicants must submit the following items. o Completed application o Resume o Unofficial transcript (for the degree you are currently pursuing) o Two 300­350 word essays (topics provided on application) o One letter of recommendation from a professor, academic advisor, or mentor All applications must be submitted in an accessible format. Any candidate who submits an application in an inaccessible format will be automatically disqualified. Submit all application materials to s​[email protected] Eligibility ● Any 2​nd year associates degree student; undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior; or graduate student who s​elf­identifies as an individual with any type of disability and is pursuing a communication or media­related degree is invited to apply. o PLEASE NOTE: You will not be required to disclose your specific disability; however, your application for this scholarship will signify that you consider yourself a person with a disability. This is a scholarship run specifically for students with disabilities by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest cross­disability membership organization. ● Applicants for the 2015 NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship release information provided on their application for use on by AAPD, program funders and potential employers. What Happens Next _____________________________________________________________________ American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2013 H St. NW, 5​th ​Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone: (800) 840­8844 (V/TTY) w​ ww.aapd.com ​ Email: [email protected] 1. Completed applications received by AAPD before 5​:00 PM EST, Friday, April 24th, 2015 will be collected and submitted for an anonymous review by our Scholarship Review Team. o PLEASE NOTE:​ A​ ll applicants will be evaluated based on demonstrated leadership characteristics, the connectivity between your degree and the disability community, engagement within the communications and/or media fields, difficulty of coursework, success in coursework, and character. AAPD reserves the right to alter this list during the selection process. 2. Applications will be selected for a final anonymous review by our Selection Committee, consisting of AAPD Board Members, Staff, and an NBCUniversal Representative. 3. Recipients selected to receive a scholarship will be notified late May. 4. AAPD expects to mail scholarship checks directly to the recipients’ colleges or universities for tuition and fees upon the receipt of IRS Form W9. _____________________________________________________________________ American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2013 H St. NW, 5​th ​Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone: (800) 840­8844 (V/TTY) w​ ww.aapd.com ​ Email: [email protected] 2015 NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship Application Deadline: Friday, April 24th, 2015 at 5:00 PM, EST Please read all instructions before completing your application. SECTION 1: Scholarship Eligibility First Name: ___________________________ Last Name: ___________________________ Permanent Address: _________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________ State: ______ Zip: _______________ Telephone: _____________________________ Mobile: ____________________________ E­mail: ___________________________________________________________________ School Name: ______________________________________________________________ Please check to attest Disability: □ ​I am a person with a disability. Citizenship: (You are not required to be a U.S. citizen to receive a scholarship. However, applicants are required to reside in the United States.) □ ​I am a U.S. citizen with proof of citizenship. □ I​ am not a U.S. citizen, but am a U.S. resident with proof of legal residence. I am currently an: □ ​Enrolled 2​nd ​year associates degree student. □ E​nrolled sophomore, junior, or senior undergraduate student (degree­seeking). □ E​nrolled master’s degree student. □ E​nrolled Ph.D. Student. I am currently pursuing a: □ C​ommunications degree. □ D​egree in a media­related field. Please specify _________________________________ Anticipated Graduation Date: __________ Please tell us how you heard about this program: __________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2013 H St. NW, 5​th ​Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone: (800) 840­8844 (V/TTY) w​ ww.aapd.com ​ Email: [email protected] SECTION 2: Qualifications Please submit an up to date resume in an accessible format (PDF preferred). SECTION 3: Essays Please submit your responses to the following essay questions in an accessible format (PDF preferred). A. What inspired you to pursue a communications/media related degree?(300­350 words) B. How will you use your degree to positively impact the disability community?(300­350 words) SECTION 4: References Please ensure that your letter of reference is submitted in an accessible format (PDF preferred). If sent in an email separate from the other application components, please make sure that the email includes the applicant name. A. Please attach one (1) letter of recommendation. PLEASE NOTE: Additional references and/or materials will not be considered. _____________________________________________________________________ American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2013 H St. NW, 5​th ​Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone: (800) 840­8844 (V/TTY) w​ ww.aapd.com ​ Email: [email protected] SECTION 5: Demographics AAPD is committed to encouraging diversity in education with respect to disability, gender, race, geographic location, sexual orientation, and age. To ensure AAPD’s outreach is connecting with a diverse group of applicants, you may choose to share with us the following information, but you are not required to complete this section. Disability: ____________________ Sexual Orientation: __________________________ Gender: _____________________ Veteran Status: _____________________________ Age: ________________________ Race or Ethnicity: ___________________________ Important Note: A​ APD offers the NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship in order to identify and support college students and graduate students with disabilities, connect them with AAPD, engage them in the broader disability community, and expose them to career opportunities. One of the unique features of this scholarship is the ability network with a variety of other people with all types of disabilities. Thus, your willingness to identify publicly as a person with a disability is an integral part of this program. Those selected to receive this scholarship understand that any information provided in this application, including the acknowledgment of being a person with a disability, may be shared with our program funders and potential employers, as well as used on the AAPD.com website, in public materials, and/or in press releases. Deadline: ​A​ pplications must be received by 5:00 PM EST on or before Friday, April 24th, 2015 Submit all application materials to s​[email protected] For office use only. Application #___________________ _____________________________________________________________________ American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2013 H St. NW, 5​th ​Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone: (800) 840­8844 (V/TTY) w​ ww.aapd.com ​ Email: [email protected] .