The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy announced that this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme will be “Celebrating Value and Talent,” carrying the spirit of last year’s celebration forward through 2026 in honor of America’s 250th birthday.
Observed each October, NDEAM highlights the skills and contributions Americans with disabilities add to the nation’s workplaces, communities, and economy. This year’s observance will play an important role in the department’s year-long celebration of the American worker in support of the nationwide Freedom 250 initiative.
“Americans with disabilities have been a part of our nation’s success from the very start. Beginning with our founding fathers, there are examples of how Americans with disabilities shaped our nation,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Julie Hocker. “This year’s theme honors the value and talent of disabled Americans, past and present. Most importantly, though, it affirms our commitment to the future and full participation in the President’s Golden Age of America. At the U.S. Department of Labor under the leadership of Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling, we believe every worker should have the chance to work in skilled, high-demand jobs that lead to independence, economic self-sufficiency, and the American dream.”
NDEAM’s history traces back to 1945, when Congress designated a national week to recognize the contributions of Americans with physical disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the commemoration to a month and designated it NDEAM to acknowledge the importance of advancing opportunities for Americans with disabilities both apparent and nonapparent. Upon its establishment by Congress in 2001, ODEP was charged with leading NDEAM, including selection of an annual theme that reflects this spirit and unites observances nationwide.
For more information about NDEAM, visit dol.gov/ndeam.
