Individuals and organizations, including employers and employment service providers, are highly encouraged to participate in the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) 30th anniversary celebration as well as the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October.
Below are a few ideas your organization can implement to celebrate. Additional ideas and resources, including a media kit, are available from ADAAnniversary.org.
- Issue a press release expressing your organization's commitment to the ADA and actions you've taken to create a disability-inclusive organization.
- Feature the anniversary in internal and external communications, including on websites and social media platforms. Such features could include profiles of employees or, in the case of service providers, customers with disabilities.
- Conduct employee training on disability inclusion, covering topics such as disability etiquette and reasonable accommodation policies and procedures. A variety of ready-to-use materials are available to assist your organization, including several from the Job Accommodation Network, Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion, and Campaign for Disability Employment.In addition, or alternatively, invite representatives from a local disability service provider or Center for Independent Living to speak. Youth service providers may also want to use Youth Service Professionals KSA initiative and related training materials.
- Review policies to ensure they convey a commitment to a disability-inclusive culture and update and disseminate as needed. Service providers may also want to use the Section 188 Disability Reference Guide to review the accessibility and inclusivity of their practices.
- Host an event, perhaps through a company's employee resource group (ERG); if no ERG exists, the anniversary presents an opportune time to establish one.
- Incorporate the anniversary into school history curricula by organizing a discussion or assembly focused on the topic of disability employment. One helpful resource is the "I Can" PSA and accompanying youth discussion guide. In addition, or alternatively, invite representatives from a local disability service provider or Center for Independent Living to speak.
- Create a display about the anniversary and disability employment history; for content ideas, see our history of the Americans with Disabilities Act timeline and Disability History: An Important Part of America's Heritage.
Additional ways to celebrate include the many ways employers and other groups choose to observe NDEAM in October, most of which can be implemented at any time of the year. See our NDEAM webpage for more ideas and inspiration-and to plan for this year's 75th anniversary of NDEAM in October.