2009 NDEAM Message from Assistant Secretary Kathy Martinez

Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation

Disability is part of the natural diversity of human life. It touches all of us, whether through our own individual experience or that of a family member, neighbor, friend or colleague. As such, we all have a role in—and benefit to gain from—advancing equality for people with disabilities in all sectors of society, including the workplace.

Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a time to reassess these roles. To start, America’s employers must provide opportunities by fostering an inclusive work culture welcoming of the skills and talents of all qualified employees, including those with disabilities.

But the responsibility rests not only with employers. People with disabilities must understand the intrinsic value of work and the important part they play in America’s future educational and economic success. Our nation’s young people with disabilities must grow up with the expectation of work, and parents, educators, and others must echo this expectation by instilling an early love of learning and cultivating a clear vision of work and full community participation.

Today and every day, people with disabilities add significant value to America’s workplaces and economy. Their skills and talents benefit businesses of all sizes and in all industries. They are entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders. Yet, whether good economic times and bad, people with disabilities have fewer job opportunities than those without disabilities. This is unacceptable and opposes the ideals upon which our nation was founded and prides itself.

This year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month focuses on the interdependence of expectation and opportunity in advancing America’s ideal of equal opportunity for all. It’s a time to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities to our nation’s workplaces and communities and reaffirm our commitment to creating a more inclusive America, one where every person is rightly recognized for his or her abilities and accomplishments—every day of every month.