October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Observed each October, the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month was declared in 1988 by the United States Congress for October to raise awareness the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities.

The 2019 NDEAM theme is “The Right Talent, Right Now.” NDEAM is led by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, but its true spirit lies in the many observances held at the grassroots level across the nation every year.

This year, Johnson Space Center sponsored NASA Engineer Tracy Minish as their keynote speaker: “A Vision for Space,” while Stennis Space Center hosted an NDEAM event celebrating the contributions of workers with disabilities, including keynote speaker Dwight Owens (pictured below). Mr. Owens is a disability advocate and has spoken to many different types of organizations to tell his story.