Building Inclusive and Equitable Businesses for All: Join Disability:IN in Celebrating Disability Employment Awareness Month (#DEAM)

Multiple activities celebrating disability employment as the future of work. 

October marks Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), a time when we recognize the critical contributions people with disabilities bring to the workplace. In August 2023, the employment rate for people with disabilities over 16 years of age in the U.S. was about 22.9% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), reaching an all-time high. However, this rate is not reflected globally and this year’s Disability Equality Index Report (DEI) revealed that there is still much work to be done. 

As we look to the future, Disability:IN has identified the following critical impact areas that we believe have the potential to create meaningful change for people with disabilities in business:

We must look beyond simply employing people with disabilities and work towards full inclusion and equity in Business worldwide. Each of us has a role to play in driving this work forward. #AreYouIN? 

Green and white text, DEAM Disability Employment Awareness Month, in front of a dark blue background with a darker blue dashed circle and white disability icons.

Join the Conversation on Social Media

Download this toolkit of sample posts and social media graphics to spark meaningful conversations about disability employment and the future of work.

Participate in the #DEAM Social Contest

Throughout October, Disability:IN will host an interactive social media contest on LinkedIn and Instagram to explore the importance of building inclusive & equitable businesses for all. As we look to the future of disability employment and the future of work, we are asking the public to share a social post responding to the following prompt: What does Disability Employment mean to you?  

Get creative with your response! Create a video, an image, a graphic, a drawing, or a text-based post – the possibilities are endless! Be sure to tag @Disability:IN and use the hashtag #IN4DEAM so we can see your post! 

The top three responses will be selected by Disability:IN and spotlighted across our socials during the final week of October. 

Please make sure your post is accessible by reviewing these resources: Creating Accessible Social Media Content and The Accessible Social Checklist  

Register for the 2024 Disability Equality Index

Registration for the 2024 Disability Equality Index (DEI) will open on October, 11th. The 2024 edition of the DEI will mark the 10th anniversary of the U.S. benchmark and will serve as the official launch of scored benchmarks for seven International countries in addition to the United States:

  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Germany
  • India
  • Japan
  • The Philippines
  • The United Kingdom

An all-new registration application will allow for seamless registration for any or all of the eight DEI countries. Stay tuned for additional details on DEI registration coming in early October!

For questions on the Disability Equality Index, please email [email protected].

Disability:IN’s Fall 2023 Supplier Matchmaking

On October 17th, Disability:IN will host a Supplier Matchmaking event to connect certified Disability Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs) to opportunities for business connections and relationships with Disability:IN Corporate Partners. Learn more about Disability:IN’s Supplier Diversity program here.

CEOs are Joining IN for #DEAM

On October 18th, we’ll announce the newest group of leaders who’ve signed the CEO Letter on Disability Inclusion. View the full list of signatories here. 

The History of #DEAM

  • The history of Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” 
  • In 1962, the word “physically” was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. 
  • In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month”.  
  • In 2000, President Clinton signed an Executive Order, requesting for the federal government to hire 100,000 people with disabilities over the next five years.
  • In 2001 Congress created the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the Department of Labor. ( U.S. Dept. of Labor)
  • In recent years, the month has been referred to as “DEAM,” reflecting that disability employment and inclusion continue to gain global momentum.

About Disability:IN

Disability:IN is the global organization driving disability inclusion and equality in business. More than 500 corporations trust Disability:IN to activate and achieve disability inclusion across their enterprise and in the broader corporate mainstream. Through the world’s most comprehensive disability inclusion benchmarking; best-in-class conferences and programs; and expert counsel and engagement, Disability:IN works with leading businesses to create long-term business and societal impact. #AreYouIN.