National Disability Employment Awareness Month

"Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity includes Workers With Disabilities" is the theme of this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Each year, October is designated as the month to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of people with disabilities.

On October 1, 2010, the President signed a proclamation in which he stated, "During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we renew our focus on improving employment opportunities and career pathways that lead to good jobs and sound economic futures for people with disabilities."

Educating the public about employment issues and people with disabilities began in 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week of October as a week to raise awareness about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Many years later, Congress expanded the week to a month.

For more information:

• Library of Congress - National Disability Employment Awareness Month
• Presidential Proclamation--National Disability Employment Awareness Month
• U.S. Department of Labor - National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2010