Public invited to NDEAM proclamation signing today
Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider will sign today, Oct. 3, 2014, a proclamation proclaiming the month as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or NDEAM.
The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, together with the State Rehabilitation Council, Statewide Independent Living Council, and its other key partners, are inviting the public to witness the signing of the proclamation, which will be held at 10am at the Office of the Governor.
“Please come and show your support as OVR and its partners kick off a monthlong celebration aimed at educating our community about disability employment issues and the benefits of hiring qualified people with disabilities,” said Thomas Thornburgh, NDEAM committee chairperson.
The celebration of NDEAM goes back to 1945, when Congress declared the first week of October each year as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was deleted to acknowledge the needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and adopted its current name. Upon its establishment in 2001, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy assumed responsibility for NDEAM, including the selection of its annual theme. This year’s official theme is “Expect. Employ. Empower.”
To learn more about NDEAM and how you can participate, contact Thornburgh at 235-7273/4 or Josephine Tudela/OVR at 322-6537/8. (OVR)
