NORFOLK, Va. (October 23, 2023)—Civilian teammates and service members attached to Military Sealift Command gathered for a virtual special observance in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Oct. 23.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a nationwide campaign that celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. The observance also emphasizes the importance of guaranteeing that all Americans have access to the services necessary to enable them to work.
“October is NDEAM,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christina Flores, MSC’s mistress of ceremonies for the special observance. “It is an opportunity to reaffirm the Department of Defense’s (DoD) commitment to recruit, retain, and advance individuals with disabilities throughout our workforce and to recognize the important contributions American workers with disabilities make each and every day.”
“NDEAM has its origin on Aug. 11, 1945, with the signing of Presidential Proclamation 2664 stating, ‘Whereas the people of this Nation are determined to foster an environment in which those of their fellow citizens who have become physically handicapped can continue to make their rightful contribution to the work of the world and can continue to enjoy the opportunities and rewards of that work’,” Flores stated.
This year’s theme, ‘Advancing Access and Equity: Then, Now and Next,’ was selected to recognize the importance of ensuring people with disabilities have equal opportunities to succeed in employment.
“Although I believe we certainly understand the importance of advancing access and providing equity for all of our workforce members, it's incredibly important for us to take pause and to understand where we can do better to make sure that it's meaningful each and every day for each and every member of our team,” stated Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, Commander, Military Sealift Command. “We need to make sure that we don't create any environment that would dissuade the best out of everyone and instead, we empower all those who want to work for this great command in every which way possible.”
The national observance dates to the end of World War II. In 1945, with the return of many injured service members, the U.S. government pushed to educate the public about issues relating to disabilities and employment.
“What I would say is that everyone deserves fundamental dignity and respect, and that everyone who part of our team has something to offer, has something to give,” said U.S. Army Col. Greg Gadson, a Combat Veteran injured in support of the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq and the keynote speaker for MSC’s special observance. “We have to make sure that we are enabling everyone with an environment where we're willing to listen and learn and be inspired by our differences of experience and challenges, so that we can learn and overcome and make our team stronger.”
“We have come a long way, but there's always room for prompt improvement,” Gadson concluded. “We have to acknowledge that we can be better and let this be the beginning of us living up to our best selves. Let this be the beginning of us taking on the challenge of making our team stronger by embracing our differences.”
MSC remains diligent in providing every teammate the opportunity for a meaningful career in a culture that embraces diversity and inclusivity.
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2023 11:04 |
| Story ID: | 456403 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Military Sealift Command Honors National Disability Employment Awareness Month, by Bill Mesta, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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