October is Disability Employment Awareness Month

WHEREAS, October is nationally designated as Disability Employment Awareness Month by the US Department of Labor;

WHEREAS, the national theme of this year’s Disability Employment Awareness Month, Disability: Part of the Equity Equation, recognizes the important role people with disabilities play in making our nation’s workforce diverse and inclusive;

WHEREAS, 17% of Virginia residents with disabilities have income below the poverty level;

WHEREAS, 10% of Fairfax County residents with disabilities have income below the poverty level;

WHEREAS, people with disabilities make up 7% of the labor force in Virginia;

WHEREAS, people with disabilities make up 4% of the labor force in Fairfax County;

WHEREAS, 8,247 Fairfax County residents with disabilities have income below the poverty level;

WHEREAS, a workplace that is inclusive of people with disabilities is an enriching environment that spurs creativity, ingenuity, and productivity for everyone;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors declares October 2022 as

Disability Employment Awareness Month

in Fairfax County. We recommit to doubling our efforts to promote employment of people with disabilities, including a goal of making Fairfax County government a model employer of people with disabilities.

Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors 
Saturday, October 1, 2022

Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022

Talking Points:

• October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. 
• We recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) each October to commemorate the many contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy.
• The theme for NDEAM 2022, “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation,” recognizes the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce.
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19.1 percent of persons with a disability were employed in 2021*.
• A larger share of workers with a disability were self-employed in 2021 than were those with no disability (9.6 percent versus 6.4 percent)*.
• The unemployment rate for persons with a disability, at 10.1 percent in 2021, decreased by 2.5 percentage points from the previous year*.
• While disability employment is celebrated in October, it is imperative that advocacy take place year-round to ensure that persons with disabilities are employed at a rate equal to persons without disabilities.

*_{Statistics obtained from the Department of Labor and the American Community Survey.}

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