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  4. AUCD Celebrates October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month

AUCD Celebrates October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month

October 3, 2016

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM), sponsored by the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. This is the 71st anniversary of the first #NDEAM, started just as World War II was ending. This year the theme for #NDEAM is #InclusionWorks, highlighting the role that disability has in diverse workplaces and the contributions made to businesses by people with disabilities.

While the Americans with Disabilities Act has made access to buildings, programs, and almost all walks of life, the one area that has stubbornly been slow to improve has been employment for people with disabilities. In August 2016, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the workforce participation of people with disabilities was 30.4%, far less than half that of the general population, which was 76.3%. The good news is that for the past five months, the workforce participation rate has risen from 30.1% to 32.0% for people with disabilities.

Join AUCD as we highlight both the need to increase disability employment and the great value that people with disabilities bring to businesses.

NDEAM Events

NDEAM Resources

  • Presidential Proclamation for 2016 National Disability Employment Awareness Month
  • NDEAM toolkit from the Office of Disability Employment Programs (ODEP)
  • nTIDE (National Trends in Disability Employment) project, from the New Hampshire Institute on Disabilities, AUCD, and the Kessler Foundation: the latest disability employment statistics and the next free monthly lunch 'n' learn webinar
  • Final Report of the Advisory Committee on Increasing Employment for Individuals with Disabilities
  • "Bottom Dollars," an original documentary by Rooted in Rights that exposes the exploitation of people with disabilities through personal stories and expert interviews, and presents clear employment alternatives with competitive wages and community inclusion.