This award is granted to a CILT member, or an ally recommended by a CILT member, who is a young disabled person showing leadership in disability activism and disability rights. The award recipient receives a Lifetime Membership at CILT and a cash prize of $300. Current employees of CILT cannot apply.
About Vic Willi:
Vic Willi was the executive director for the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto from 1989 to 2006. During this time, his leadership resulted in significant initiatives, such as the Self-Managed, Direct Funding Attendant service program in Ontario. He, along with other disability leaders and allies, created and advocated to the government for this unique program that puts disabled people in control of their own services and their own lives. This Direct Funding program challenges and counters the assumptions that disabled people are passive recipients of service and lack agency over their lives. Another important issue for Vic was bringing the younger generation into leadership roles within the disability community.
The Vic Willi Legacy Award is to honour Vic’s leadership and commitment to equity, diversity and social justice for disabled people. This award emphasizes these qualities of Vic and supports developing young disability leaders in Canada. Disabled people and their allies have developed this award for the next generation of disabled leaders.
The inaugural Vic Willi Legacy Award was first awarded in 2022.
Recipients for the Vic Willi Legacy Fund award are:
| Lexi Tokhi – 2023 | |
| Dante Wellington – 2022 |
