October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

This October marks the 77th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month! Since 1945, employers have spent every October recognizing the value that individuals with disabilities have in the workplace, and showcasing their integral role. The term “Disability Employment Awareness” was coined in 1988 and has been in place ever since. The education and awareness that October brings allows everybody to gain increased access and opportunities within their communities.

The U.S Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) creates a theme each year, for which they then create a list of strategies that workplaces can implement to create supportive and inclusive employment policies. The theme for October 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation”.  Promoting equity in the workplace can be done in many different ways—from using this time to advocate for individuals with disabilities, educating others, increasing opportunities available, or creating resources for those with disabilities.

However, the support doesn’t need to stop after October! According to ODEP, here are some ways to continue support for individuals with disabilities in the workplace all year long:

Host a Disability Mentoring Day:

Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) promotes career development for individuals with disabilities through hands-on programs, shadowing opportunities, and ongoing mentoring. Originally, this day was dedicated to the third Wednesday of every October. Now, they have expanded into a year-long initiative to encourage career exploration for individuals with disabilities

Sponsor a Lunch-and-Learn About Disabilities: 

Schedule a date, time, and place and invite employees to learn about a wide range of disability-related information. Presenters can be called in from outside sources, or within your own company. Disability Employee Resources Groups are great sources for discovering which topics to discuss!

Display Posters that Promote Disability Inclusion:

Including posters that promote inclusivity is a great way to show employees that their workplace is one that is supportive of disabilities, may make them feel more comfortable and included, and may even prompt someone to learn more. You may also choose to change posters depending on specific disability recognition months—i.e. April is World Autism Month.

It is essential that organizations carefully and intentionally craft an inclusive workplace, rather than just discussing disabilities. Educating the workplace and promoting advocacy are vital practices, but it is important to remember that workplaces should ensure they have an inclusive environment for all individuals as well. That may look like creating opportunities for people with disabilities and ensuring that they will have the same upward mobility within a company that anyone else would have. It can also look like making sure the physical environment itself is accessible and safe for all individuals. Making these changes allows for a more inclusive workplace community, and all individuals should receive that.