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National Disability Employment Awareness Month is observed throughout the entire month of October and recognizes the accomplishments and contributions that men and women with disabilities make each day within our nation. This observance includes Disability Mentoring Day, which is a nation-wide effort held by the American Association of People with Disabilities specifically on the 3rd Wednesday of each October.
This observance dates back to the return of service members with disabilities from World War II and an increase in public interest related to the contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace. Key dates include:
• In 1945, a Congressional resolution was approved by President Harry S. Truman to declare the first week of October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.”
• In 1962, to acknowledge the contributions and needs of individuals with all types of disabilities, the word “physically” was removed from the observance.
• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was important legislation for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities, providing a wide range of services.
• In 1988, the week was expanded by Congress to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month”.
• In 1989, the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program was established to provide free assistive technology and support services to federal employees with disabilities as well as service members who had functional limitations.
• In 1990, The Americans with Disabilities Act, which was modeled after the Civil Rights Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.
• In 1995, a referral program called the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities was established. This partnership between the U.S. Departments of Labor and Defense connected public- and private-sector employers nationwide for summer or permanent jobs with post-secondary students and recent graduates with disabilities.
• In 2001, the Office of Disability Employment Policy was established by Congress. The ODEP purpose was to develop policies and practices that would increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities to ensure full integration within the workforce.
• In 2010, disability activists Justin W. Dart Jr. and Helen Keller were inducted into the U.S. Department of Labor’s Labor Hall of Honor to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ADA.
• In 2010, Executive Order 13548 was signed by President Barack Obama and called to increase recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities by federal departments and agencies.
• On May 20, 2015, CAP reached a milestone of providing its 150,000th accommodation.
A person with a disability is defined as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among people with disabilities was 12.9 percent. Additionally, 56 million Americans, or 1-in-5, live with disabilities. The Department of Defense is the nation’s largest employer with an ongoing commitment of inclusion by employing thousands of qualified workers with disabilities to pursue their full potential.
Equal opportunity and inclusion should be ensured for all citizens as each person brings unique skills, talents, and abilities to the workforce. President Barack Obama stated, “As a nation, we must continue to promote inclusion in the workplace and tear down the barriers that remain — in hearts, in minds, and in policies — to the security and prosperity that stable jobs provide and that all our people deserve. And we must actively foster a culture in which individuals are supported and accepted for who they are and in which it is okay to disclose one’s disability without fear of discrimination.”
The Fort Riley Equal Employment Opportunity office plays a vital role in assisting the installation to be a model employer with a diverse workforce and a discrimination-free workplace. The EEO office has many programs related to affirmative employment, which includes the reasonable accommodation process.
"The Fort Riley EEO office assists individuals with disabilities and their supervisors through the entire process with advice, guidance, and recommendations for effective accommodations. We are happy to support Fort Riley's exceptional workforce,” said Amelia Knapp, EEO Special Emphasis and Disability Program Manager.
A reasonable accommodation can be requested by an employee who has an underlying medical condition and needs assistance to perform the essential functions of their job. For more information, please call 785-239-3263 or visit https://home.army.mil/riley/index.php/about/dir-staff/equal-employment-opportunity.
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2020 12:05 |
| Story ID: | 380089 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 104 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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