National Disability Employment Awareness
Month: Fact Sheet
Updated October 13, 2023
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 2023, the theme is
“Advancing Access and Equity,” which will be an opportunity to celebrate the passage of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the impacts of that legislation to address access and equity for
people with disabilities.
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, 113th to 115th Congress, by Jacob R. Straus
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 2023.”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics—2022.”
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 2023.” 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.
Social Security Administration, “Working While Disabled—Social Security Can Help.”
Information on the exploration of working while receiving disability benefits.
American Bar Association, “National Disability Employment Awareness Month.” Workplace
rights and examples of resources for disabled worker opportunities.
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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