The Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) is proud to present the 2026 Helen Henderson Literary Award, granted to an individual who has produced an outstanding piece of writing related to raising public awareness of a disability issue or barrier. This award is presented annually as part of CILT’s commitment to honouring Helen Henderson and raising public awareness about.
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible:
- Submit one published piece of writing (either on a website, blog, open letter to the editor, or in a journal, newsletter, or magazine)
- The submission must be in English or French
- The piece should be generally between 700 – 3000 words (marginally different lengths will be considered)
- The submission must address at least one disability issue or barrier
The award recipient will receive:
- A cash prize of $1,000
- A certificate of recognition from CILT
- An opportunity to have their work showcased on CILT’s website and social media channels
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: September 1, 2026
To apply:
- Email a link or attachment to your published writing along with your full name and address
- Describe the piece and why it is significant to the disability community and your interest in the topic
- Applications can be self-nominations or submitted by another person, in which case the nominator must provide a letter of reference
Please submit your work and statement by email to cilt@cilt.ca.
For any accommodation requests, please email cilt@cilt.ca or call 416-599-2458. The award will be officially presented during CILT’s AGM on September 25, 2026.
Since 2016, the Helen Henderson Literary Award has annually recognized passionate and inspiring disabled writers raising awareness about disability topics like:
- Transforming how we think about accessibility
- Accepting cerebral palsy as an inherent part of identity
- Operating your own personal attendant care company to meet your personal care needs
- Social justice for disabled people and how it’s tied to our ability to move through the world
Find more information about the award and Helen Henderson, the pioneer of the Toronto Star column that brought disability issues to the public, on the Helen Henderson Literary Award page.
We encourage applications from disabled people who are also Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2-Spirit, LGBTQ+, Immigrants and Refugees, people living in poverty, unhoused, underhoused people and anyone else from communities experiencing systemic barriers.
Support CILT’s efforts promoting the Independent Living philosophy and our goal of facilitating the socio-economic equity of persons with disabilities by becoming a CILT member.
