National Disability Employment Awareness Month – How Does it Apply to Me?

By Lakshmi Mahadevan, Ph.D.

This month we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) to mark the important roles employees with disabilities and employers play in maintaining a productive, diverse and inclusive workforce. According to the Department of Labor, the theme for this year’s NDEAM is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.”

Employers

If you are an employer providing employment for individuals with disabilities, what should you do to mark employment awareness month?

1. Learn about ways to participate in NDEAM. Resource: Department of Labor
2. Plan for supported employment. Resource: SAMHSA Supported Employment
3. Provide job and disability-appropriate accommodations. Resource: Job Accommodation Network – Information by Role

Employees

If you are an individual with a disability seeking potential employment, what should you do to mark employment awareness month? Check out these basic tips and resources below.

1. Research “job search tips and skills” on the internet and make note of what might work for you. Resource: How to Build Your Professional Skills
2. Build your resume – recall, record, and list chronologically starting with the most recent – all work and education-related experiences. Resource: Best Resume Skills
3. Identify former teachers and employers who could serve as your references. Resource: How to Build Your Reference List
4. Watch videos of job interviews and learn what your best interviewing style might look like. Resource: Interview Warmup
5. Look up jobs and related technical knowledge on helpful sites. Resource: O*NET OnLine
6. Seek out sources for independent living support. Resource: Centers for Independent Living
7. Practice requesting accommodations you might need as an employee. Resource: Job Accommodation Network
8. Look for jobs on sites that specialize in hiring individuals with disabilities. Resource: ability JOBS
9. Evaluate your person-centered plan with a focus on job seeking. Resource: A Guide to Person-Centered Planning for Job Seekers
10. Work on your social and emotional resilience. Resource: Resilience: Build Skills to Endure Hardshipand Building Resilience as an Employability Skill