Next week our calendars will turn to the month of October. October signals the end of Summer and it reminds us Winter is on the way. Given the challenges 2020 has brought, it also reminds us the end of the year is not too far away. And I think it is safe to say, everyone is looking forward to a new year.
But October is also one of the most exciting times in the year for Disability Inclusion, as October is National Disability Employment Month (NDEAM). This year’s theme is “ Increasing Access & Opportunity”.
But as with everything in 2020 things are shaping up to be a little different. Discussions about Disability Employment Awareness month have been unusually quiet. Typically, there is a lot of buzz a few months before October as companies begin to prepare for disability inclusion events. So, we took to the Twitterverse to see what we could find out.
We asked one simple question, “Has your company/organization begun communicating events for October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month? Over 3400 people responded. The majority of responses were No, at 50.9%; 18.5% responded – I don’t know; another 23% responded “We won’t do anything”; and only 7.5% responded, Yes.
Normally this would be a little alarming. But 2020 has us all a little overwhelmed and many companies are just not sure how to engage employees working remotely and operationally things are different then in any other year.
But don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with some great ideas of what you can do to get your employees involved in disability employment and inclusion in October.
Check out our February blog post 30 Awesome Things to Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the ADA. While this list was created for the anniversary of the ADA – the list provides a lot of variety in how you can focus on disability inclusion during the month of October.
Additionally, take a look at our blog from last October Disability Employment Awareness Month: Top 5 Do’s & Don’ts It is not too late to get started or expand on existing events. Don’t let October go by without letting your employees and customers with disabilities know that they are valued. #DisabilityInclusion #RepresentationMatters
What are you doing to support disability employment during Disability Employment Awareness Month? One way to make a difference is by becoming an NDIS support worker or a disability support worker. These professionals play a crucial role in assisting individuals with disabilities in their daily lives, providing support and promoting inclusion in the workforce. By choosing a career in this field, you can contribute to creating a more inclusive society and improving the lives of people with disabilities.