Adobe published a blog post in which they detail how they are commemorating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) on October 1.
The purpose of NDEAM is to educate people about disability employment issues and recognize the many contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. Dating back to 1945, Congress declared the first week of October each year as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week” – in 1962 this was altered to remove the word “physically” to be more inclusive of all types of disabilities. Now, extended to the full month of October, NDEAM focuses on cultivating an inclusive work culture that continues to hire and accommodate Americans with disabilities.
Honoring this year’s theme of “Increasing Access and Opportunity,” Adobe is celebrating the occasion by elevating diverse voices across our community of employees with disabilities. We are encouraging all employees to get involved in various ways, including:
- Hosting an internal panel discussion among employees with visible and invisible disabilities to elevate their unique voices and learn more about the challenges and opportunities they’ve faced in school, work, and the world.
- Showcasing an Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Viewing Party , where employees will have the opportunity to learn more about this inclusive film challenge, view some of the winning entries, and discuss the impact these films can have.
- Participating in Disability United’s Community Mixer aimed at connecting members of the tech disability community.
- Our employee networks, Access at Adobe and Hispanic/Latinx at Adobe (HOLA), are co-sponsoring keynote speaker Enedina Stanger. Stanger is a mother, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) patient, community leader, advocate for total wellness, and American Ninja Warrior. Stanger will share her story of pushing past limitations and living her dreams.
We will also be spotlighting various employee stories throughout the month, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives and people who show resilience and courage in the face of adversity. Additionally, we will be encouraging employees to participate in Adobe’s Accessibility Awareness and engineering trainings to continue to build Adobe products that address the diverse needs of users.
