October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and all staff members of the Iowa Department for the Blind are encouraged to participate. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities.

Held annually, National Disability Employment Awareness Month is led by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, but its true spirit lies in the many observances held at the grassroots level across the nation every year. Employers of all sizes and in all industries are encouraged to participate in NDEAM. The Iowa Department for the Blind is holding a related event on October 15, 2014. The White Cane Safety Day 2014 Open House [1] not only celebrates the 50th anniversary of the observance, it also takes a look at employment of the blind in a program titled “The White Cane Goes to Work.”

For specific ideas about how Iowa Department for the Blind staff can support National Disability Employment Awareness Month, visit the ODEP website at www.dol.gov/odep/ [2]. Suggestions range from simple, such as putting up a poster [3], to comprehensive, such as implementing a disability education program. Regardless, all play an important part in fostering a more inclusive workforce, one where every person is recognized for his or her abilities — every day of every month.