John Romer Advocacy Award lisadanford April 19, 2023

John Romer Advocacy Award

Nominations for the John Romer Advocacy Award will open May 1. Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services (HCDDS) created this award to honor John’s legacy and the impact he had on so many lives.

The award will recognize someone whose exceptional advocacy work on behalf of themselves and others has made a significant impact on their community. Nominees must live in Hamilton County and be at least 16 years old.

How to nominate yourself or others
  1. Nominations must be 300 words or less. They should provide examples of the nominee’s advocacy work and impact in the community.
  2. Send your nomination form to the Community Relations team at communityrelations@hamiltondds.org by Friday, May 26. You can also mail the nomination form to:

Hamilton County DD Services

c/o Community Relations

1520 Madison Road

Cincinnati, OH 45206

  1. Make sure to include a phone number or email address so the award committee can reach you. Award winners will be notified in June.

Download the nomination form as a Word document or a PDF

John Romer was a giant in the advocacy world. During his life and career, he lifted the voices of people with disabilities, always encouraging everyone to speak up for themselves and advocate for change.

John, who was the HCDDS advocacy director for many years, passed away suddenly last fall. Learn more about John and his career in this story, published when he retired in June 2021. You can also read about his impact on the lives of people with disabilities in this My Life magazine story.

Former Advocacy Director John Romer sits at a table. He is smiling and looking at the camera.
Three people smile for a picture. The woman in the middle has her arms around the other two, a woman on her left, and a man on her right.