#national disability employment awareness month

[richardnixonlibrary]

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

In May 1969, members of the President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped visited President Nixon at the White House. William Passmore, Handicapped American of the Year, pinned a "Hire the Handicapped" button to President Nixon’s lapel. Also attending the event were Laura Passmore (mother of William), musical performer Stevie Wonder, Lula Mae Hardaway (Wonder's mother), other committee members, and essay-winning teens. (Image: PAR.53.4.4)

[missmitchieg]

So, fun fact! October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month!

Less fun fact! A February 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics report confirms that across all age groups, persons with a disability were much less likely to be employed than those with no disability and almost twice as likely to be employed only part time.

A second less fun fact! Businessess that recieve a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Devision are authorized to pay disabled workers whose "earning or productive capacity is impaired" less than the minimum wage.

[michaelgabrill]

National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Addressing Misconceptions of Depression

The month of October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The NDEAM observance was declared in 1988 by the United States Congress in efforts to raise awareness of disability employment needs and to celebrate the many and varied contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. This year’s NDEAM theme, chosen by the Office […] from NASA https://ift.tt/tNpOdv8

[unsolicited-opinions]

Please reblog this post? North American Jewish media hasn't started talking about this issue.

The Trump administration is using both Israel and US Jews as a political wedge. Today's examples are about how he's using US Jews.

Y'know how Trump/Hegseth's Department of Defense canceled "identity" (heritage) months?

Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.

Ask yourself why Jewish American Heritage Month was not similarly canceled.

I checked, and the US armed services generally do observe Jewish American Heritage Month. Here's the article from the US Army on that topic from May of 2024.

At the same time the Trump/Hegseth's DOD is delegitimizing all these heritage months, they're leaving Jewish America Heritage month alone. So...why was Jewish American Heritage Month left out of this list?

How do you think this will impact the way Jewish US military service members are viewed by their colleagues whose heritage has been erased as a part of the US military?

Trump is trying to kill all DEI programs, attack LGBTQ+ folks, and end meaningful education about the history of race in the US at the same time he's trying to aggressively punish antisemitism in post-secondary education institutions.

What effect do you think this will have on the perception of what Jews believe about other marginalized groups? What conclusions might members of these groups draw about the political alignment of Jews, regardless of the fact that at least 70% of Jewish voters voted against Trump?

US Jews are being used as a political wedge.

If we're going to mitigate the inevitable backlash against US Jews, we need to:

- Start grasping the danger of what Trump is doing by using US Jews as a political wedge

- Start denouncing it loudly, not just among ourselves, but with US gentiles who will listen.

- Loudly opposing every undemocratic/unconstitutional thing Trump does, especially when he's abusing his power to attack those who attack us.

Abuse of power, even leveraged against those we don't like, endangers us.

Please reblog this. Please write to the liberal Jewish newsrooms you value.

[nasa]

For the Benefit of All: Assistive Tech Developed from NASA Tech

What do modern cochlear implants and robotic gloves have in common? They were derived from NASA technology. We’ve made it easier to find and use our patented inventions that could help create products that enhance life for people with disabilities.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which highlights the contributions of American workers with disabilities – many of whom use assistive technology on the job. Take a look at these assistive technologies that are NASA spinoffs.

Low-Vision Headsets

The Joint Optical Reflective Display (JORDY) device is a headset that uses NASA image processing and head-mounted display technology to enable people with low vision to read and write. JORDY enhances individuals’ remaining sight by magnifying objects up to 50 times and allowing them to change contrast, brightness, and display modes. JORDY's name was inspired by Geordi La Forge, a blind character from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” whose futuristic visor enabled him to see.

Cochlear Implants

Work that led to the modern cochlear implant was patented by a NASA engineer in the 1970s. Following three failed corrective surgeries, Adam Kissiah combined his NASA electronics know-how with research in the Kennedy Space Center technical library to build his own solution for people with severe-to-profound hearing loss who receive little or no benefit from hearing aids. Several companies now make the devices, which have been implanted in hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Robotic Gloves

Ironhand, from Swedish company Bioservo Technologies, is the world’s first industrial-strength robotic glove for factory workers and others who perform repetitive manual tasks. It helps prevent stress injuries but has been especially warmly received by workers with preexisting hand injuries and conditions. The glove is based on a suite of patents for the technology developed by NASA and General Motors to build the hands of the Robonaut 2 humanoid robotic astronaut.

Smart Glasses

Neurofeedback technology NASA originally developed to improve pilots’ attention has been the basis for products aimed at helping people manage attention disorders without medication. The devices measure brainwave output to gauge attention levels according to the “engagement index” a NASA engineer created. Then, they show the results to users, helping them learn to voluntarily control their degree of concentration. One such device is a pair of smart glasses from Narbis, whose lenses darken as attention wanes.

Anti-Gravity Treadmills

A NASA scientist who developed ways to use air pressure to simulate gravity for astronauts exercising in space had the idea to apply the concept for the opposite effect on Earth. After licensing his technology, Alter-G Inc. developed its anti-gravity G-Trainer treadmill, which lets users offload some or all of their weight while exercising. The treadmills can help people recover from athletic or brain injuries, and they allow a safe exercise regimen for others with long-term conditions such as arthritis.

Wireless Muscle Sensors

Some of the most exciting assistive technologies to spin off may be yet to come. Delsys Inc. developed electromyographic technology to help NASA understand the effects of long-term weightlessness on astronauts’ muscles and movements. Electromyography detects and analyzes electrical signals emitted when motor nerves trigger movement. Among the company’s customers are physical therapists developing exercise routines to help patients recover from injuries. But some researchers are using the technology to attempt recoveries that once seemed impossible, such as helping paralyzed patients regain movement, letting laryngectomy patients speak, and outfitting amputees with artificial limbs that work like the real thing.  

To further enhance the lives of people with disabilities, NASA has identified a selection of patented technologies created for space missions that could spur the next generation of assistive technology here on Earth.

Want to learn more about assistive technologies already in action? Check out NASA Spinoff to find products and services that wouldn’t exist without space exploration.   

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[metalheadsagainstfascism]

DIA will pause all activities and events related to...

MLK Day

Black History Month

Women's History Month

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Pride Month

Juneteenth

Women's Equality Day

National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National American Indian Heritage Month

Leal to source of leaked memo

-fae

[greater-than-the-sword]

As I just replied on LinkedIn, what did Women's Equality Day or Women's History Month or National Disability Employment Awareness Month ever do for me as a disabled woman? Did they stop my employers from discriminating based on my disability? I think not.

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

maybe im just not cool like the trendy disabled bloggers constantly posting exaggerated violent threats on here or w/e but i just don't see problems with people joking about july as queer wrath month. most months are multiple things. april is autism acceptance month and child abuse prevention month and national poetry month. hell, if you want this specific overlap, october is lgbt history month and disability employment awareness month (it's also the uk's black history month). it's not ~stealing valor~ for queer wrath and disability pride to be the same month, and if it was then we'd have to also have a conversation about how irish-americans and colon cancer patients are stealing valor from women in march, or something. don't be a dick.

[magpiemagica]

Disability in the US: A Masterpost

DISABLED AMERICANS CAN’T EVER CATCH A F*CKING BREAK?!

Sorry for yelling; just very scared and upset at the state of my nation right now. And the fact that the only people I see standing up for the disabled community right now is teachers, doctors, and adults of disabled children! I will be using this post to document and educate on disabled issues.

Note from March 25, 2025: Some stuff near the top might be out of date, specifically regarding the state of The Department of Education. I will still keep those (pre-closure) links up as they are still relevant. Just be aware of the timeline while reading; I started dating my updates around Early March.

(Note: In this post, I will be going over a bunch of stuff concerning the disabled community. I am an adult diagnosed with autism (and some other stuff) who although being Lv1, needs support. These issues will obviously affect more than just Americans with developmental disabilities (autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, etc.) and I will try to be as inclusive as I can to ALL disabilities in this post. This is just the personal experience I am bringing in.)

RFK JR. (he is a whole pile of worms, no pun intended)

17 states are in a lawsuit to eliminate section 504 of of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, this would allow public schools to discriminate education against disabled students. This includes removable of disability accommodations. 504 applies to other government assisted services as well such as hospitals and doctor's offices. This possible removable is a big civil rights issue.

Below are Section 504 itself and the lawsuit.

Speaking of disability and education, the dismantlement of the Department of Education. Just like stated in GOP plan Project 2025, Donald Trump plans to eliminate the Department of Education. This is a horrible idea for so many reasons but especially for disabled students and their parents. The DOE funds special education or "SPED" programs in schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, (in 2022-23) 7.5 million students in America receive special education or related services.

Obviously, the pulling back and demonization of DEI will be a big negative for the disabled community, one that already struggles with finding employment, belonging, and support. But most people are already aware of it.

Problem Presidential Actions/Executive Orders. There are many; some linked below. These are specifically ones that impact disabled Americans; lots of ones not mentioned are just as if not more concerning for other reasons.

KEEPING EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE AND ENDING COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATES IN SCHOOLS: will endanger communal health, especially that of the immunocompromised

AMERICAN HEART MONTH, 2025: Magpie, wanting to raise awareness for heart disease is obviously a good thing! Why put this in here? "And we will fulfill our pledge to investigate what has caused the decades-long increase in health problems and childhood diseases — including obesity, autoimmune disorders, infertility, and autism." Yes and, my main concern is their inclusion of "autism". Ignoring the fact that they referred to it as a heath problem or childhood disease, I am autistic adult who has lived on this earth for around 20 years now. For me, this screams Autism Speaks. Autism is a genetic disorder and there have been many studies about its potential causes. This administration has rejected and censored the medical world; this will only result in misinformation being spread.

WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: This one should be self explanatory.

There is more.

There's more concerns I have but I'm tired :/. So tired. Just wanted to raise awareness. I'll post something fun next.

UPDATE: MARCH 11, 2024

Soo...it gets worse, like it always seems to do nowadays.

CDC is planning on doing a nation wide study, studying "the link" between autism and vaccines. The link that seems from the debunked and medically controversial 1998 Wakefield study. Anyone who has a valid medical degree, did basic research on the topic, or is educated on autism can tell you that you cannot "get" autism from vaccines. It is important to note that developmental, neurological, and mental delays due to things like lead poisoning, injuries to the brain, and medical issues like diseases or strokes. However, this is not the case for autism. Autism is a condition you are born with, similar to other developmental disabilities. It seems to be only really questioned because unlike other disorders like down syndrome and fragile X syndrome, autism does not display any physical deformities or traits. You cannot tell if a baby is autistic at birth, only later on as it goes through stages of development. Autism is a genetic disorder with some suspected environmental risks.

So, why is the CDC spending this amount of energy on a theory from a disgraced man who got his medical license revoked and has been fact checked by the medical community multiple times? Short answer, money. I talked on this weeks ago in the American Heart Month section. This is plan to transfer money away from important services and spend it on something meaningless. I don't want to call it embezzlement but that is what it is currently looking like to me :/.

I would be incredibly upset if this happened anytime but now?? The worst time. Antivaxx has been gaining more and more popularity over the years and I have seen a sharp increase of medical misinformation since the confirmation of RJK Jr. The United States government themselves pursuing this theory only validates medical denialism. And with the very real threat of a nationwide Measles outbreak; people need to be vaccinated against MMR more than ever. No more kids need to die because their parents didn't give them the proper vaccines. We are at 2 deaths rn, the first confirmed to be an unvaccinated school child :(.

Oh and also big Medicaid cuts.

Ugh. Signing out for now <3

UPDATE: MARCH 21, 2024

So, it’s happened. The Department of Education I mean. Not surprised, I’m one of the few who sat down and read Project 2025 (Section 11 linked). But God.. it doesn’t feel real. I’m scared, especially for disabled kids, especially in poorer areas. These families. I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know what to do. God bless the teachers of America.

UPDATE: MARCH 25, 2024

Back to bullshit. Sorry if that's too harsh; I'm just not really in the mood for pleasant formalities. Due to the Department of Education being destroyed (including OSERS), as mentioned above, the responsibility of Special Education will be transferred to Robert F. Kennedy in The Department of Health and Human Services. He and his department not qualified to handle SPED at all. In fact, looking back at when I originally wrote this post, he was one of the leading threats I identified in this administration relating to disability justice.

[1americanconservative]

@MilaLovesJoe

BREAKING:

SECDEF Pete Hegseth has officially CANCELED National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.

Americans are now going to just celebrate the Fourth of July.

One country. One celebration.

[mindfulmuse88]

Unbiased: The DOD says no federal resources will no longer be used for "special observances" (Women's History Month, Pride Month, and more)

Disclaimer: I am neither Republican nor Democrat. Everything is unbiased and factual.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has announced that it will no longer allocate official resources, including man-hours, to host cultural awareness month celebrations. Their statement reads in part:

"Going forward, DOD components and military departments will not use official resources—including man-hours—to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months. This includes National African American/Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. *Service members and civilians may still attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours. However, installations, units, and offices are instead encouraged to honor the valor and achievements of military heroes from all backgrounds while focusing on the *character of their service rather than immutable characteristics."

Additionally, a memo from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)—a division within the DOD—has been circulating online, indicating that the agency will also pause its involvement in these observances in line with executive orders banning DEI initiatives. The memo states:

"Effective immediately and until further notice, the Defense Intelligence Agency will pause all activities and events related to agency special emphasis programs. Additionally, special observances hosted throughout the year by the command elect and special observances committee are also paused."

The memo further lists the affected observances, including Black History Month, Women's History Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pride Month, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month. However, it clarifies that this does not apply to federal holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Juneteenth.

Why is the DOD taking this action?

This decision ties back to two executive orders signed by former President Trump:

"Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing"

"Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions"

These orders put a hold on government spending for all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, giving the administration time to reassess what, if anything, should receive funding in this area. Since hosting celebrations or observances could be classified as DEI-related spending, they must be paused to comply with these orders. Whether this pause will become permanent remains unclear.

What about Black History Month?

Many have asked whether Black History Month will still be officially recognized. On February 1, 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation acknowledging Black History Month, continuing the tradition upheld by every president since 1996. The proclamation reads:

"Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2025 as National Black History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities."

However, the use of government funds for Black History Month observances remains a gray area. The executive order on DEI spending states:

"Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great."

What qualifies as "making America great" is subject to interpretation by the administration. This is one of the key justifications the Defense Intelligence Agency cited when deciding to pause non-federal observances, including Black History Month.

What happens next?

At this point, the long-term impact remains uncertain. As with many policy shifts, time will tell how this decision will play out across different government agencies. For now, the DOD has made it clear that government resources will not be used to fund these observances, but individuals can still participate on their own time.

[dertaglichedan]

Pentagon agency pauses celebrations for MLK Jr. Day, Black History Month, Pride Month, and more

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department’s intelligence agency has paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and other cultural or historical annual events in response to President Donald Trump’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal workplace.

The instructions were published Tuesday in a Defense Intelligence Agency memo obtained by The Associated Press and affect 11 annual events, including Black History Month, which begins Saturday.

Here is a list of the events that the agency is pausing celebrations for:

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Black History Month

Women’s History Month

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

LGBTQ Pride Month

Juneteenth

Women’s Equality Day

National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National American Indian Heritage Month

The memo’s authenticity was confirmed by a U.S. official who said the pause was initiated by the DIA and appears not to be policy across the Defense Department. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

“We are receiving questions across the workforce on the way forward,” the memo said. “DIA will pause all activities and events related to Agency Special Emphasis Programs effective immediately and until further notice.”

It also noted a pause on “special observances” hosted throughout the year. While Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth were included, the memo said the change would not affect those national holidays.

The contents of the memo were first reported by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein and posted to X.

Federal agencies have struggled to interpret Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order ending DEI programs across the government and have taken a broad approach due to lack of clearer guidance from the White House on how to comply.

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed staff to create a DEI task force to ensure no DEI programs remain in the Pentagon.

“We’re not joking around,” Hegseth said in an interview Wednesday with Fox News. “There’s no changing of names or softly manipulating something. DEI is gone.”

In response to a query from the AP about the memo, the DIA said late Wednesday it “is working with the Department of Defense to fully implement all executive orders and administration guidance in a timely manner. As we receive additional guidance, we will continue to update our internal guidance.”

The other annual events listed in the DIA memo are Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National American Indian Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Women’s Equality Day and Women’s History Month.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked at a briefing Tuesday whether Black History Month would cease to be celebrated.

“As far as I know, this White House certainly still intends to celebrate, and we will continue to celebrate American history and the contributions that all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed, have made to our great country,” she said.

[missmitchieg]

What is a "reasonable accommodation" anyway??

[yerawitchbitch]

This is the news release from the Department of Defense stopping official activities for "identity months." including

National African American/Black History Month (February)

Women’s History Month (March)

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)

Pride Month (June)

National Hispanic Heritage Month(Sept. 15 - Oct. 15)

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October)

National American Indian Heritage Month (November)

Guess I know what identity months I'll be making sure to celebrate. 😆

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4050331/identity-months-dead-at-dod/

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alix Breeden at Daily Kos:

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are shoving forward on their mission to whitewash and man-ify the U.S. military.  The department’s top public affairs official sent out a memo Wednesday instructing offices to comb through their websites and front-facing social media accounts for any hint of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” In the memo, obtained by the Associated Press, the departments are given a March 5 deadline. If they can’t oblige, then they must “temporarily remove from public display” all content published under former President Joe Biden’s administration.  “Given the intense focus on recent changes within the department, maintaining the public trust is more important than ever,” read the memo, which was signed by Darin Selnick, the temporary undersecretary for personnel. Speaking to AP under the condition of anonymity, officials said they were given a matter of days to review and scrub online material “on gains in the military by women and minorities or stories celebrating cultural heritage,” the outlet wrote. Due to the mounting pressure and lack of time, they were instructed at times to delete every single post from Biden’s term. In addition to wiping websites, Trump and Hegseth have already let go of top military officials who they deemed as “woke.” Some of those officials include Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. In his past as a Fox News host, Hegseth once questioned if Brown got his job only because he is Black. "Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill?” Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book, “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free."

[...] In another move to whitewash the military, Hegseth announced it would no longer use federal resources to celebrate things such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National American Indian Heritage Month, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month. “We are proud of our warriors and their history, but we will focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics,” the guidance says.  In addition to the military’s attack on diversity and any form of identity, the Pentagon is moving to push out current and future transgender military people within 30 days.

The Pentagon’s order to scrub websites and social media of diversity-related content reeks of White male privilege.

[salvia-plathitudes]

Pentagon intelligence agency pauses events related to MLK Day, Black History Month

In response to President Donald Trump's executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, the Pentagon's intelligence agency has paused special event programs and related events, including for Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and Pride Month, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.

Despite being on the list of the Defense Intelligence Agency's paused events and activities, the memo clarified that Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth will remain federal holidays.

A copy of the memo began circulating on social media Wednesday morning.

The affected events, per the memo, which is dated Jan. 28, 2025, include: Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday, Black History Month, Women's History Month, Holocaust Day and Days of Remembrance, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride, Juneteenth, Women's Equality Day, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month and National American Indian Heritage Month.

Trump has targeted DEI initiatives in a series of executive orders in his first week in office, with the White House saying that "DEI creates and then amplifies prejudicial hostility and exacerbates interpersonal conflict."

The memo also noted that the DIA would "pause Agency Resource Groups, Affinity Groups, and Employee Networking Groups, effective immediately and until further notice."