October is recognized as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). It was created in an effort to educate the public on the challenges that employees with disabilities face, and for employers to seek to be more inclusive in their hiring practices.
In 1945, Congress passed a law, establishing the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the name was revised and the word ‘physically’ was removed to include those who have a disability that was unseen. Later in 1988, Congress extended the week of celebrations to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Here are a few facts about Americans living with disabilities:
1. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some form of disability including visual, hearing, mobility, and cognitive.
2. A 2022 news release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 21.3% of people with disabilities were employed.
3. Many employers overlook hiring individuals with disabilities because they expect them to be less productive, however, a 2018 study by Accenture found that companies who hired people with disabilities outperformed their peers.
4. Transportation is one of the biggest obstacles that many people with disabilities face; however, remote work has helped to reduce this challenge (NBC News).
How do you plan to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month?
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