National Disability Employment Awareness
Month: Fact Sheet
October 5, 2022
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R47272
National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Fact Sheet
Introduction
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is observed annually in October. It celebrates
the contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and the economy, and
“reaffirms the commitment to ensure equal opportunity for all citizens.” Each year, the month is
celebrated with a theme chosen by the U.S. Department of Labor. For 2022, the theme is
“Disability: Part of the Equity Equation,” which recognizes the vital role people with disabilities
play in making the nation’s workforce diverse and inclusive.
History and Legislation
As a precursor to National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), in 1945,
Congress established “the first week in October of each year as National Employ the Physically
Handicapped Week” (Public Law 176, 79th Congress). In 1962, to bring more attention to those
with all types of disabilities, Congress dropped the word “Physically” through the adoption of
P.L. 91-442, resulting in the condensed National Employ the Handicapped Week. More recently,
in 1988, P.L. 100-630 expanded the commemoration to a month and altered its name to the
current National Disability Employment Awareness Month. National Disability Employment
Awareness Month is codified at 36 U.S.C. §121.
Related CRS Reports
CRS has prepared reports that explain or address working with a disability. Some of these include
the following:
CRS In Focus IF10506, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), by William
R. Morton
CRS Report R43255, The Mental Health Workforce: A Primer, by Elayne J.
Heisler
CRS Report R43468, Special Minimum Wages for Workers with Disabilities:
Frequently Asked Questions, by Benjamin Collins
CRS also has a report on the process of observing commemorative days, weeks, and months:
CRS Report R44431, Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months: Background
and Current Practice, by Jacob R. Straus and Jared C. Nagel
Sample Congressional Speeches and Recognitions
Members of Congress can make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of
Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The
following are some recent examples that may be of assistance in preparing such statements.
Senator Richard Burr, “National Disability Employment Awareness Month,” Senate,
Congressional Record, vol. 167 (October 26, 2021), pp. S7365-S7366.
Representative Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, “National Disability Employment Awareness Month,”
House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 165 (October 22, 2019), p. H8304.
Representative Andy Levin, “Recognizing National Disability Employment Awareness Month,”
House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 165 (October 21, 2019), p. H8283.
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National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Fact Sheet
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, “Raising Awareness of National Disability Employment
Awareness Month,” House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 164 (October 23,
2018), p. E1443.
Presidential Proclamations
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call
attention to certain issues or events. The law requests that the President issue a proclamation each
year. Some recent NDEAM proclamations, from the Compilation of Presidential Documents,
include the following:
Presidential Proclamations—Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (2021-)
Presidential Proclamations—Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)
Presidential Proclamations—Barack H. Obama (2009-2017)
Presidential Proclamations—George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Presidential proclamations and remarks from 1993 to the present are available through
the GovInfo service on the Government Publishing Office website. Earlier remarks are available
through The American Presidency Project, established by the University of California, Santa
Barbara.
Statistics
U.S. Census Bureau, “National Disability Employment Awareness Month: October 2022.”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics—2021.”
U.S. Census Bureau, “Disability Data.”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Persons with a Disability: Barriers to Employment, Types of
Assistance, and Other Labor-Related Issues—July 2021.”
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy, “Disability Employment
Statistics.”
Educational, Cultural, and Advocacy Organizations and Resources
Numerous government agencies and nongovernmental organizations provide information on and
promote advocacy for the disabled. Some of these organizations include the following:
U.S. Department of Labor, “National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022.” Official
webpage for NDEAM. Provides general information on the annual commemorative month,
highlighting promotional materials.
Library of Congress, “National Disability Employment Month, About.” Provides general
information on the annual commemorative month, highlighting access to Library of Congress
resources.
Library of Congress, “National Disability Employment Month: A Commemorative Observances
Legal Research Guide.” Provides links to legislative branch and executive branch primary
resource historical documents. These documents formulated and impacted the current
commemorative month, as well as preceding observances for the working disabled.
U.S. Department of Labor, “Office of Disability Employment Policy.” Agency within the U.S.
Department of Labor presiding over NDEAM.
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National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Fact Sheet
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Spotlight on Statistics: Labor Market Characteristics of People
with a Disability.” Visual display of data promoting the importance of NDEAM.
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), “NDRN Celebrates National Disability
Employment Awareness Month.” Advocacy group supporting the effort to employ the disabled.
Social Security Administration, “Working While Disabled—Social Security Can Help.”
Information on the exploration of working while receiving disability benefits.
Author Information
Gary Sidor
Senior Technical Information Specialist
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
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