Disability and Disasters Award

The Disability and Disasters Award supports people with disabilities working in disasters, as well as those who care for, study, or advocate on behalf of those with disabilities. Award funds will allow the recipient to attend the annual Natural Hazards Workshop and the Researchers or Practitioners Meetings that follow.

People with disabilities have been identified as among the most vulnerable to disasters; however, research has shown that they also have tremendous capacity. This award will recognize those who advance and support the area of disability and disasters.

Recipients of this award will be recognized at the Workshop and will be asked to present a poster or to serve as panelists, where they can highlight their research and/or practical experiences with disability and disasters.


2024 Winners

Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Davis

Elizabeth Davis Elizabeth Davis is an emergency management consultant focusing on inclusive emergency management, marginalized population planning, disaster human services, and related issues through her firms EAD & Associates, LLC, and the National Emergency Management Resource Center. Both companies use a holistic, client-focused approach to providing quality services and real-world solutions.

Davis is an accomplished public speaker. She began her work in public service with the New York City's Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities as assistant to counsel and senior policy advisor. She later became the first director of the National Organization on Disability’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative. Davis is an advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sits on many research review boards and serves on several national advisory boards. Over the years, she has received many awards and honors for her work. Davis is an inaugural inductee into the International Women in Homeland Security & Emergency Management Hall of Fame.

Davis received a juris doctorate and a master's in education from Boston University, with a degree in the socio-bicultural study of deafness and American Sign Language. She holds an undergraduate degree with a major in sociology and a minor in political science from Columbia University.

Annika Doneghy
Annika Doneghy

Annika Doneghy is a dual degree student at Case Western Reserve University. She is working towards a PhD in medical anthropology and a Master of Public Health degree concentrated on health policy and management. Her research uses an ethnographic approach to uncover firsthand narratives and experiences of individuals with disabilities and other health conditions as they navigate ongoing cycles of disaster and recovery. Her research reconceptualizes disability and recovery to consider wide-ranging human ability and diversity in disaster contexts, showing that many people with disabilities and other health conditions have different definitions and perspectives of recovery when compared to governmental and nongovernmental organizations. She aims to illustrate how traditional disaster practice and policy often fail to recognize these diverse and challenging experiences due to lack of inclusion and disability expertise. Doneghy received a master's in applied anthropology from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s in anthropological sciences from the Ohio State University. She is also a Bill Anderson Fund Fellow.”


To see a list of all previous winners, please click here: Disability and Disasters Award Winners


Eligibility and Application

The application window for 2024 is Now Closed. Please check back again to apply in 2025.

Applicants must reside in the United States and be affiliated with a U.S. organization or academic institution. Previous in-person attendees of the Natural Hazards Workshop are not eligible. Preference is given to those who can demonstrate financial need. Hazards practitioners, students, and researchers with a strong commitment to the intersection of disability and disaster management and mitigation are encouraged to apply.

The Natural Hazards Center is supportive of educational opportunities for people without documentation and welcome them to apply for this award.


Special Thanks

The Disability and Disasters Award fund is possible thanks to the generous gift of an anonymous donor.


Request for Contributions

The Disability and Disasters Award supports people with disabilities working in disasters, as well as those who care for, study, or advocate on behalf of those with disabilities. Award funds will allow the recipient to attend the annual Natural Hazards Workshop and the Researchers or Practitioners Meetings that follow. To make a gift, please visit the CU Foundation site by clicking on the link below.


Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the Chair of the Disability and Disasters Award, Candace Evans candace.evans@colorado.edu.