NDEAM 2025, Celebrating Value And Talent

Happy 80th Birthday NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month). What began as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week” in 1945 has expanded to the entire month of October with the mission of “Celebrating the value and talent that workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy.”

A lot has changed for the better for those of us with disabilities in 80 years. Think about it. In 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt was President and he did his best to hide his polio from the world. At the FDR Memorial in Washington, DC, which I visited during my internship at the Department of Labor, he is depicted sitting in his wheelchair, but it is covered by a long, flowing cloak. You have to look hard to see the chair. There is also a statue of Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier Fala sitting next to him. If I ever become President and have a statue built, Gabe won’t be sitting next to me, but instead leaping up to wash my face and ears.

Those of us with disabilities no longer have to hide that fact like FDR and thanks to the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, we (in theory) have access to the same benefits of society as everyone else. One of those benefits is participating in the workforce. That’s why NDEAM is so important, to shine a light on the contributions of disabled workers and to highlight how far we have to go to reach equality with the able-bodied worker.

 There is still a long way to go. According to the stats from the Department of Labor I could find in the midst of the current government shutdown, the average salary for a worker with a disability in North Carolina is approximately 30,000 dollars, whereas the average salary for the able-bodied worker is 42,000 dollars. Nationally, 42 percent of people aged 16 to 64 with a disability have employment. That’s up from 40 percent in 2024. The bad news is that’s almost 40 percent lower than the percentage of the able-bodied population with employment (77.9). Those gaps in both employment and earnings need to continue to shrink.

To help shrink that gap, the theme for NDEAM 2025 is “Celebrating Value And Talent”. I love this slogan because it is equally applicable for disabled people inside and out of the workforce. You have value and talent whether you have a job or not and that should be celebrated.

Even with the strides we have made, this is often not the case. Preconceived notions and stereotypes that were prevalent 80 years ago die hard. Even after working as a journalist for over 20 years, some people think my mom or whoever takes me to the event I am covering is the one writing the story. If I am at a restaurant, the wait staff will ask my dining companion, “And what will he have?” To which I reply, “A good laugh at your expense on the way home”.

Even when people meet Gabe for the first time, they assume he belongs to my parents. They can’t fathom that I worked hard and saved money for two years to buy a purebred  Chesapeake Bay Retriever or that I continue to work multiple jobs to pay for his, and my other pets’, food and vet bills.

That’s why NDEAM and organizations like Arin’s Good Girl Dog Treats are so important. NDEAM highlights the need for disability employment and Arin’s Good Girl Dog Treats does just that. They see the value in all of their employees and put them in positions best suited to let their talents and abilities shine. I’m glad I can be a part of it, amid my other commitments.

I encourage you to support Arin’s Good Girl Dog Treats and other similar organizations. The more business they have, the more people they can employ and the gap between people with disabilities and able-bodied workers will continue to shrink. What a beautiful cycle. Not to mention, your dog receives World Class Treats. It’s a win-win for everyone.