Stone Belt Arc, a disability service provider in Bloomington, IN, honored IIDC's Adria Nassim last week for her work as a columnist and blogger, bringing attention to the lives of people with disabilities throughout her community and the state. Nassim was presented with the 2020 Elbert Johns Award for Self-Advocacy on a star-studded night at a local drive-in theater--a creative way to maintain safety and social distancing.
Stone Belt's Elbert Johns Award celebrates a person with a disability who uses their voice and speaks their mind. Nassim does just that in her bi-weekly column in the Herald Times and in "Adria's Notebook," a monthly blog about her independent living experiences in the community, published by IIDC.
Presenting the award, Anne Higley, Nassim's supervisor at IIDC's Center on Community Living and Careers, commented, "With her customary insight, humor, and intelligence, Adria tells us what it’s really like getting around town, finding appropriate medical care, and pulling open those heavy doors on businesses. She’s also weighed in on outmoded physical education games, Hollywood’s use of actors with disabilities, and getting through a fire drill with a service dog. And don’t get her started on politics! Now and then, she even lets Lucy bark out a column."
In addition to her writing, Nassim also serves on the Monroe County Autism Foundation and is a frequent presenter to Indiana University classes and area organizations.
