Each October, Americans observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) by honoring the accomplishments of the individuals with disabilities “whose work helps keep the nation’s economy strong and by reaffirming their commitment to ensure equal opportunity for all citizens.” The origins of this effort to increase awareness about the issues related to disability can be traced back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week of October each year as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” The word “physically” was removed in 1962 and about 25 years later Congress expanded the week to a month, adopting the name used today. As covered in a previous issue of this Bulletin, the theme for NDEAM 2024 is “Access to Good Jobs for All,” conveying a message that can be affirmed to ensure that workers with disabilities “have access to good jobs, every month of the year.” To communicate this theme widely, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) of the U.S. Department of Labor, provides a video; poster; ideas for events, articles, and social media messages; and more, including Year-Round Employer Strategies for Advancing Disability Inclusion. Additional information and suggestions for NDEAM are available on the webpages from ODEP, which provides periodic updates, and from the Library of Congress.
NDEAM Webinar on October 9, 2024: A Panel of Professionals Who are Blind, DeafBlind, or Have Vision Loss to Discuss Their Career Journey in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, or Mathematics (STEAM)
Inspired by NDEAM, this webinar goes “Full STEAM ahead!” with a panel of professionals who will talk about their careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, or mathematics. They will also “share the supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit employees and employers alike.” This program aims to benefit staff from state vocational and blind services; community service and nonprofit organizations and foundations; employers and businesses; individuals who are blind, DeafBlind, have vision loss or other disabilities; and college and university employees. Panelists are Dr. Sara Coleman, owner of SB Coleman Consulting LLC, who is DeafBlind with Usher Syndrome; Aaron Graham, a software engineer with Usher Syndrome type 3A, who experiences mild hearing loss and varying degrees of vision loss; Chancey Fleet, blind tech educator and activist, who is Assistive Technology coordinator at The New York Public Library; and Joe DiNero, assistant program director of Assistive Technology Services with Helen Keller Services for the Blind. For additional information and a registration link, visit the Helen Keller Services webpage for this NDEAM Webinar.
