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Good morning,

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This year’s theme, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the importance of ensuring that all people with disabilities have full access to employment, advancement, economic opportunities and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Most importantly, by living our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, we are creating a workplace that sees, hears and values all people with disabilities and treats them with the dignity and respect they deserve.

This year, we honor the contributions of leaders with disabilities who have made our country stronger and better for all, including Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer, President Abraham Lincoln, Representative Tammy Duckworth and many of our USDA colleagues. We also take this time each year to raise awareness of the employment challenges and other barriers faced by people with disabilities. The history of National 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. This year's theme is reflective of the unique challenges facing USDA and everyone we serve. 

Given the unprecedented situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis—new ideas, new commitments and new efforts are needed to rebuild the economy and make it more inclusive for all. Inspired by the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce and the recently announced Equity Commission, USDA is prioritizing creating a culture of inclusion, advancing equity, recruiting and hiring diverse talent, supporting our employees and leading with values. It is a shared responsibility that we take seriously, and one that I ask all of you to consider as you make hiring decisions, invest in the development of your workforce, or design programs and policies that will lift up all people and not just some. As U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said, “Our national recovery from the pandemic cannot be completed without the inclusion of all Americans, in particular people with disabilities.”  

Whether through hiring, developing stronger leadership competencies or understanding the value and importance of reasonable accommodation or personal assistance services, there is a wealth of information that can assist you and your team in these efforts. For example, the Office of Personnel Management published a number of recruiting tips to aid hiring managers. I encourage you to read their materials prior to announcing your job vacancies. Applicants may find these OPM tools useful as well because they provide resources and information about the process. USDA is fortunate to have the Target Center—where USDA employees can utilize the power of technology and provide impactful services related to improving accessibility and contributing to the complete employment experience of individuals with disabilities. USDA also updated its Reasonable Accommodation and Personal Assistance Services departmental regulation and developed and published tools to navigate this important USDA policy. 

Finally, throughout the month, USDA will be engaging in a variety of activities to educate our employees on disability employment matters and opportunities and our commitment to building an inclusive work culture. These efforts include webinars on disability etiquette, reasonable accommodations, 508 compliancy awareness and the effective use of Schedule-A hiring authority. You will find the announcements in your agency communications and on OneUSDA under “Participate.” You may also find a list of National Disability Employment Awareness Month specific events on the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights webpage.

Thank you for your time and your commitment to building an equitable and inclusive workforce.  
              
Monica Armster Rainge
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

You can also view this message at OneUSDA (internal link).