WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2020 – The American Bar Association joins the country this October in observing National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year marks the nation’s 75th observance of NDEAM and the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This month provides us with an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and to educate others about the value of a diverse workforce.
This year’s theme, “Increasing Access and Opportunity,” emphasizes the importance of expanding the role that people with disabilities play in America's economic success and ensuring that workplaces continue to include and accommodate their needs through technology, best practices and awareness.
One of the ABA’s core goals is to eliminate bias and enhance diversity. The legal profession benefits from the skills, talents and perspectives of persons with a wide range of abilities, yet lawyers with disabilities are often overlooked when bias, diversity and inclusion are discussed. The profession must reflect the clients we serve and that includes persons with disabilities. All lawyers, law schools, judiciaries and legal employers must do everything possible to make the profession accessible, inclusive and welcoming and to make disability diversity and inclusion a priority.
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews