Somehow it’s already November. But every October, it is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. And showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices that benefit employers and employees. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) chose “Advancing Access and Equity” as the theme for NDEAM 2023.
I shared these resources within my company at our monthly Accessibility Community of Practice meeting:
- How to react when an employee discloses a disability
- How to help employees with disabilities thrive
- A disability language style guide
- Inclusive language: using non-apparent disability vs “invisible” or “hidden”
I also shared the good news that civil rights litigator Karla Gilbride was sworn at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The role was vacant as she waited a year and a half to be confirmed. She will lead the EEOC’s critical litigation efforts on behalf of workers accusing their employers of discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, and other characters. Gilbride is blind and the first person with a known disability in the role of general counsel at the EEOC. This is in line with our “Nothing About Us Without Us” motto and I’m glad of it.
Visit Global Disability Inclusion for more information! On the history of disability employment awareness in the United States, and some of the stigma still surrounding it.
[…] National Disability Employment Awareness Month just ended, but it’s on my mind all year long. I’m making this post in the hope that it will help someone else. Or help some folks understand me better and my non-apparent disabilities. […]