Didlake, a nonprofit rehabilitative services organization headquartered in Manassas, enriches the lives of people with disabilities by providing services that connect them to employment, education and the community. Founded in 1965, Didlake serves more than 2,000 people with disabilities annually throughout the Washington, D.C. and Hampton Roads, Va. metropolitan areas.

NDEAM is led by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). NDEAM traces its roots to 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. Congress later expanded the week to a month and changed the name. ODEP selected “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion” as this year’s NDEAM theme, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“While we always strive to foster a more disability-inclusive community, NDEAM is an opportune time to amplify our voices,” said Erika Spalding, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Marketing, Didlake. “Throughout the month, we engaged in a variety of activities to raise awareness of disability employment issues and cultivate community-wide support of our mission. The pandemic has disproportionately affected people with disabilities and this year’s NDEAM theme underscores the importance of including people with disabilities in recovery efforts in the coming months.”

Employers and employees in all industries can learn more about how to advance disability inclusion throughout the year by visiting https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/ndeam/year-round. For information about Didlake’s programs and services, visit www.didlake.org or contact me at 703-361-4195 x 1364.