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.
White House Executive Order 13163 on Increasing the Opportunity for Adults With
Disabilities is
available. For further information, contact the
program manager.
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