How to Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month — Part 1

Recognizing this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), whose theme is “Celebrating Value and Talent,” I would like to address how government agencies can observe NDEAM. The month highlights the positive effects of employing workers with disabilities.

(You can learn about the benefits of employing people with disabilities in my prior piece, titled “Hiring People With Disabilities.”)

When planning for your agency’s NDEAM observances, collaborate with your agency’s disability-related employee interest group (if there is one) and/or employees with disabilities. Including people with disabilities is important and dovetails with the disability mantra of “Nothing About Us Without Us.” Employees with disabilities can help plan your agency’s NDEAM commemorations and lead discussions and workshops.

Your workplace can celebrate NDEAM both internally and externally. All methods are important. However, if your agency’s NDEAM activities involve just posting on social media, your workplace may be seen as virtue signaling and its activities as merely performative.

Your agency can celebrate NDEAM internally by:

• Training your employees on how to work with people with disabilities. – Training only individuals with disabilities is not sufficient.
• Revising your agency’s policies and creating new policies that help employees with disabilities. – For example, your agency could create a reasonable accommodations policy. The Federal Communications Commission explains its “Reasonable Accommodations Policies and Procedures,” which links to a 20-page long document detailing exact procedures.
• Sending an agencywide e-mail – The e-mail can discuss NDEAM, the importance of employees with disabilities, and resources for workers.
• Creating an employee interest group for employees with disabilities. – Some workers with disabilities may not want to join, in part because they may not want to “out” themselves. However, some employees with disabilities may benefit from the community.
• Holding a NDEAM event. – The event can include a speaker or speakers, film screenings, and more.
• Putting up a NDEAM poster in an in-person or hybrid office.
• Utilizing the NDEAM virtual background during remote meetings.
• Making your workplace more accessible for people with disabilities.
• Sharing articles and books about how to make workplaces inclusive and welcoming of people with disabilities.

During NDEAM, your agency can meaningfully help people with disabilities by:

• At the state level, governors can sign executive orders that declare the state a “model employer.” – These orders call for examining state policies and creating task forces to study the state government’s employment of people with disabilities.
• Launching policies that benefit employees with disabilities. – For example, during NDEAM 2025, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed Executive Order N. 646, “Re-Establishing the Governor’s Special Advisory Commission on Disability Policy.” You can learn more about employing people with disabilities in my prior articles, “Hiring Practices That Help People With Disabilities Contribute Their Talents” and “Hiring Preferences for People With Disabilities.”
• Holding and/or promoting a Disability Mentoring Day. – On this day, the third Wednesday in October, youth with disabilities can visit state and other offices for interactive programs, job shadowing, and advice. According to the Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns, more than 950 Kansas students and people looking for jobs have participated in the day in the past, and both Kansas and national media have discussed the day.

Learn more about how to commemorate NDEAM in my next piece, “How to Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month — Part 2.”

Miriam Edelman, MPA, MSSW, is a Washington, D.C.,-based policy professional. Her experience includes policy work for Congress. Miriam’s undergraduate degree is from Barnard College, Columbia University, with majors in political science and urban studies. She has a master’s in public administration from Cornell University, where she was inducted into the national honorary society for public administration. She has a master’s of science in social work (focusing on policy) from Columbia University. She is a commissioner of the DC Commission on Persons with Disabilities. Miriam aims to continue her career in public service. She is especially interested in democracy, civic education, District of Columbia autonomy, diversity, health policy, women’s issues, and disabilities.

Photo Credit: Katie Rainbow, Pexels