October of 2022 marks the 77th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). NDEAM is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and showcase supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. This year’s theme is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.”
The State of Connecticut embraces diversity in our hiring and encourages everyone to apply to the state of Connecticut for a fulfilling and rewarding career experience.
In April 2022, the United States Department of Labor (US DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy debuted its Equity Action Plan. This plan is a result of Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities, which directed all federal departments and agencies to examine their policies and programs as of January 2021. The plan summarizes early actions the US DOL has taken to support marginalized, vulnerable, and underserved communities. Additionally, it discusses the steps the US DOL has continued to take to advance equity across the department. This year’s NDEAM theme highlights aspects of the plan relevant to disability policies and practices; as well as continues the federal effort to recognize people with disabilities which began in 1945.
The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Unit is excited to announce that we will be participating in the 10th Annual Disability Resource Fair on October 14th at the New Britain Senior Center (55 Pearl Street) from 9:00am to 12:00pm. This fair is for individuals who are:
- Unemployed or underemployed,
- Transitioning from school or higher education to work,
- Receiving Social Security Disability and are considering work,
- Relying on public transportation,
- Wanting to learn how assistive technology can help, or
- Interested in ensuring their legal rights in the workplace
The fair is sponsored by LifeBridge Community Services, the American Job Center, Connecticut Department of Labor, Capital Workforce Partners, City of New Britain, Aging and Disability Services, Department of Developmental Services, and Disability Rights Connecticut. If you are unable to attend, but are still interested in employment with the State of Connecticut, DAS encourages you to find more information or apply through our online employment center. The State of Connecticut is an Equal Opportunity Employer and, as such, embraces the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This is a federal law that makes it unlawful to discriminate against a qualified person with a disability in all aspects of the employment process and in the provision of services and benefits.
Not only does the State of Connecticut observe all federal laws, but it has implemented disability laws and regulations of their own which include more expansive disability definitions. Under the State of Connecticut’s disability laws, physically disabled refers to any individual who has any chronic physical handicap, infirmity, or impairment and mental disability refers to an individual who has a record of, or is regarded as having, one or more mental disorders.
For more information about the history of NDEAM, please reference last year’s NDEAM blog post.
PS – for those who want to learn more about they can support individuals with disabilities, we have resources to share:
- National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022 | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
- National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2021 (ct.gov)
- US Department of Labor to recognize importance of disability, equity in workforce during National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022 | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
- Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government - The White House
- Disability-Discrimination-Brochure.pdf (ct.gov)
- Email Template (ct.gov)
