Every October, Adelante joins other nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies across the country to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) organizes NDEAM and its theme. NDEAM is an opportunity to highlight the value of employees with disabilities and to celebrate the progress made in disability employment.
NDEAM 2024 and What “Access to Good Jobs for All” Means at Adelante
The official theme for NDEAM 2024 is “Access to Good Jobs for All.” That is a vision Adelante continues to support. First, Adelante feels it is important to hire people with disabilities as part of our mission. As a result, there are currently nearly 100 people with disabilities on Adelante’s payroll. However, Adelante’s preference and priority is to help people find and maintain competitive integrated employment with businesses throughout the community. Several Adelante programs help people with disabilities thrive in community workplaces.
Adelante provides job development and job coaching for people with disabilities through the Employment Services program. The service is also known as Adelante EmployAbility®. This includes helping people with disabilities write resumes, look for jobs, and interview for positions. If the client needs additional support to maintain employment, Adelante can also provide job coaching. Job coaches help clients improve work skills, stay safe on the job, and better communicate with employers.
Project SEARCH, a national effort where people learn marketable job skills, is also an option for people with disabilities age 18-22. Adelante works on Project SEARCH at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, in collaboration with Rio Rancho Public Schools, the New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the UNM Center on Development & Disability, and the New Mexico Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Support Division. The Adelante team serves as job coaches and job developers for the interns. The organization also lends staff to the Business Advisory Council which teaches trainees the soft skills employers expect.
Adelante is also an employment network provider for the Social Security Ticket to Work program. Ticket to Work helps people who receive Social Security Disability benefits to return to work. This service is available nationwide.
NDEAM 2024 – What Disability Employment Means to Our Community
Including people with disabilities at work benefits the employees and employers alike. First, employment improves the lives of people with disabilities. Individuals benefit from earned income as well as building confidence and self-esteem. Earning money helps all of us achieve independence and pursue our goals. Adelante clients, for example, pay rent, support themselves and their families, and even purchase vehicles and homes with their earnings. Each person gets to develop new skills and have the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. Making friends, building new relationships, and having a wider social life are more possible for people with disabilities who have employment.
Employing people with disabilities is good business, too. According to the Department of Labor, companies identified as leaders in disability inclusion had on average 1.6 times more revenue, 2.6 times more net income, and 2 times more economic profit than other companies. In short, companies who actively include people with disabilities in the workplace are more profitable. Furthermore, there are tax benefits for businesses that hire and accommodate employees with disabilities. Most accommodation measures do not cost a lot of money. In fact, almost half are free. And, according to the IRS, businesses that make accommodations may be eligible for tax credits.
NDEAM Remains Important
NDEAM is celebrated to recognize the contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace and promote inclusive work environments. Of course, NDEAM also highlights the barriers that people with disabilities often face in obtaining and maintaining employment. The work being done by organizations like Adelante remain important. That is because employment numbers for people with disabilities continue to lag behind the overall population.
According to the CDC, 28% of the people in the United States have some kind of disability. Yet, despite a tight labor market during the last few years, with more jobs than workers, disabled individuals remain about twice as likely to be unemployed as nondisabled people.
Progress is being made. In 2023, 22.5% of people with a disability were employed. That is the highest recorded ratio since comparable data was first collected in 2008.
You can make a difference during NDEAM, and beyond!
Together, we can all build a more inclusive and empathetic workforce that includes people with disabilities. There are lots of ways to help. If you own or manage a business, actively recruiting and hiring people with disabilities is a solid way to make a difference. If you are not in a position to hire someone you can still talk with your manager or human resources department and encourage inclusive hiring.
Want to work with Adelante specifically? Please reach out to our EmployAbility supported employment program by calling (505) 341-2000 and asking for information on how you can hire people with disabilities. You can also support disability employment by working with Adelante’s Enterprises division to get your documents scanned or stored. Adelante Document Destruction offers shredding for businesses and individuals alike. In addition, you can shop at Adelante Bargain Square thrift store or get your computer training or repairs done by DiverseIT. All of these Adelante businesses employ people with disabilities. Each effort to support our work makes a difference.
If you know someone who has a disability who is looking for work, reach out to Adelante. Email ExplorePrograms@GoAdelante.org to get started.