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September 30, 2025
Access Our New NDEAM Resources—and Celebrate!
Join us in kicking off National Disability Employment Awareness Month, one of our favorite times of the year. You can start by visiting ODEP’s updated NDEAM page where you’ll find the revamped “31 Days of NDEAM” section—easy activities for employers to show support for NDEAM each day of the month—and a new “Key Messages” section with a bounty of graphics, posters, stickers, and sample language for social media, press releases, and articles. Also, watch and share our new “Celebrating Value and Talent” video, which brings our 2025 NDEAM theme to life. Happy NDEAM!
What Is JAN? Watch Our New Video
Tune in to the Deputy Secretary of Labor’s video about the nation’s top source of expert, confidential guidance on workplace accommodations. Every day, JAN helps talented people with disabilities navigate the accommodations process and succeed in every work environment. Employers and employees: If you haven’t used JAN before, start now at AskJAN.org.
Young Adults with Autism: Tips for Successful Employment
ODEP’s REYAAS project identifies promising practices and policies to support the employment of young adults on the autism spectrum. Recently, REYAAS (which stands for Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum) released two new briefs: One is a case study on LifeMAP, a one-on-one job-coaching program that has already served more than 3,000 people and helps autistic young adults attain and retain employment, among other goals. The other is an employer-focused brief that offers basic principles, practical tips, and strategies for hiring and retaining employees on the autism spectrum.
Webinar: Supporting Young Apprentices with Disabilities
Apprenticeship offers employers a direct pipeline to skilled talent while providing young people with disabilities valuable hands-on experience, industry-recognized credentials, and a pathway to long-term financial stability. Learn more in our webinar “Opening Doors: Empowering the Disability Talent Pipeline through Apprenticeships” on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. ET. The session, hosted by the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth, will also highlight partnerships that can help employers engage with this untapped talent pool and address critical workforce needs.
Workplace Accommodations: A High-Impact, Low-Cost Solution
Workplace accommodations are at the heart of every accessible work environment. The right accommodations—whether a modified work schedule or screen-reading software—can help talented people with disabilities perform their best on the job. Often, effective accommodations are easy to implement and cost less than employers think. In a JAN survey of employers, 61% of participants who provided cost information for an accommodation they implemented said it cost nothing. Another 33% reported that their accommodation incurred only a one-time expense, with a median cost of $300. Lastly, 6% said their accommodations resulted in ongoing costs, with a median annual cost of $2,400. Read JAN’s updated annual “Low Cost, High Impact” report for more key findings.
Benefit Your Business through Disability Employment
If you are a business owner who wants to expand your customer base, enhance talent in your workforce, and improve employees’ productivity and performance, check out the new resource from EARN, “Benefit Your Business through Disability Employment.” Learn the many business advantages of hiring and retaining people with disabilities, including opportunities for tax and other financial incentives and increased job satisfaction.
Expanding Opportunity: City Workforce Strategies for People with Disabilities
While progress has been steady, there is more work to be done to increase employment for people in the United States, including those with disabilities. ODEP’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) has a practical framework to help city leaders boost employment opportunities in their communities. Released in partnership with The National League of Cities, the framework offers actionable steps for cities of all sizes; it also outlines key strategies that municipal leaders can adopt to promote citywide support and improve the city economy.
Customized Employment in Practice: Simon’s Story
Customized employment (CE) is an individualized, specially tailored process of matching employees and employers to meet the needs of both. It is a universal strategy that results in employment success for many people, including those with significant disabilities. Simon Ho, who is autistic, used CE to find his job as an administrative assistant at a downtown San Francisco law firm. Simon handles the firm’s mail and filing and responds to requests from attorneys—tasks that play to his many strengths. Watch a video from ODEP’s National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network initiative that highlights Simon’s day-to-day work and shows CE in practice.