National Disability Employment Awareness Month

VA proudly joins the Nation in celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month throughout October.

Public Law 176, enacted by Congress in 1945, designated the first week in October as "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1988, Congress changed the name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month."

More than 3,789 VA employees (1.93%) have targeted disabilities, many of them veterans. They are an essential part of our workforce and have demonstrated excellence in executive, administrative, managerial, and technical fields. As a Department, we are committed to hiring and promoting persons with disabilities.

Disability Employment Mentoring Day is held in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month; it's patterned after mentoring and job-shadow days associated with Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and the annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day. This observance provides  young people with disabilities an opportunity to gain insight into career options by spending time in the workplace shadowing an employee as s/he experiences a normal day on the job.

To read White House Executive Order 13163 on Increasing the Opportunity for Adults With Disabilities, go to http://www.va.gov/dmeeo/exec/13163.htm. For further information, contact David Walton, National Program Manager for People with Disabilities, at (202) 501-0215 or email him at david.walton@va.gov.

• People With Disabilities Employment Program
• DM&EEO Event planning tool
• Suggested activities for special observances
• Ability Magazine
• National Organization On Disability
• Disabled Peoples International
• Mobility International USA
• Gladnet Disability Research
• American Disability Association
• Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program
• National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research
• Business Leadership Network
• Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP)
• Organization