Today we kick off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy. Led by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), NDEAM also showcases supportive and inclusive policies and practices benefiting workers and employers.
“This year’s theme, ‘Access to Good Jobs for All,’ underscores our commitment to expand the number of employment opportunities for people with disabilities and the quality of those opportunities,” explains Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn M. Williams. “Good jobs change lives and all workers — including disabled people — deserve the opportunity to prepare for success in high-quality, good-paying jobs in workplaces free of discrimination.”
An essential part of ACL’s mission is to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In addition to funding programs that provide direct employment support services to people with disabilities and advocating for policies and practices that prioritize and support competitive integrated employment as a key component of community living, ACL also invests in research to increase knowledge about the benefits of employment of people with disabilities — both for the individual and for the employer — and to increase the availability of effective interventions to support employment.
Visit our website to stay up to date on ways to celebrate NDEAM throughout the month.