Observed annually in October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. The theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.”
In 1945, President Truman established the National Disability Employment Awareness month and “issued the first national call for disabled people to access all the opportunities and rewards to work.” It took 23 years later, in 1973, for the Rehabilitation Act to be passed and 45 years later, in 1990, for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to become enacted.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the contributions made by disabled Americans and a time for all organizations to recommit to promoting equal opportunities to all qualified individuals with disabilities.
The Biden Administration also recognized the Month and acknowledged that “studies have found that Americans with disabilities are especially productive and motivated workers – but they still have a harder time getting jobs, promotions, and fair pay.”
The Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy has posted a YouTube video in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, please take some time to watch and learn more. (https://youtu.be/BVG4YqVZaR8)