Arizona is Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month

By Gina Griffiths

On October 8, 2025, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs issued a proclamation for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or NDEAM. This year is distinguished for being the 80th anniversary of NDEAM. Honoring this year’s theme of Celebrating Value and Talent, the proclamation states “individuals with disabilities contribute talent, unique perspectives, creativity, and innovative problem-solving skills that enhance the success and competitiveness of Arizona’s robust economy and forward-thinking businesses and industries…” 

NDEAM is a time to honor the skills, contributions, and value that people with disabilities bring to America’s workplaces. This celebration highlights both the progress achieved and the work that lies ahead in creating truly inclusive employment opportunities for all. NDEAM invites employers, policymakers, educators, and communities to look beyond stereotypes and focus on ability, talent, and potential.

Why It Matters

Employment offers more than a paycheck to workers. Employment offers purpose, independence, and belonging. For people with disabilities, access to meaningful work is the gateway to community inclusion and self-determination. When employers welcome employees with disabilities, everyone benefits. Research shows that inclusive teams are more creative, productive, and resilient. (McKinsey & Company 2020) 

Despite progress, employment gaps persist. In 2022, Arizona’s employment rate for adults with a disability was 42.9%, compared to 76.4%  for those without a disability (del Campo Carmona, B. 2024). National Disability Employment Awareness Month shines a light on these inequities and encourages action toward systemic change.

Celebration and Forward Motion

NDEAM isn’t just about awareness; it’s a celebration of how far we’ve come. Across Arizona, individuals with disabilities are thriving as professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Employers are discovering the benefits of inclusive hiring. Communities are growing stronger. Progress is illustrated in the stories of success. 

NDEAM events offer the opportunity to celebrate our successes, and to continue the forward momentum. Progress grows through partnership and collaboration. When stakeholders and systems come together, they communicate, grow stronger, and meaningful change escalates. The disability employment landscape in Arizona is shifting towards system alignment, best practice implementation, and professionalization. Disability employment services in Arizona are moving forward with systems working together, services improving based on research, and increased training opportunities for professionals.

NDEAM & the AZ Employment First Initiative 

The vision of NDEAM aligns closely with Employment First principles: the conviction that competitive integrated employment must be the first and preferred option for all people with disabilities. When job seekers, their families, employers, educators, and service providers work together, we create systems where every individual can pursue meaningful work.

As we observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month, let’s honor the achievements of people with disabilities not only this month, but every day. Let’s commit to removing barriers, challenging assumptions, and ensuring that everyone has access to opportunity, dignity, and respect at work.

Together, we can move from awareness to action, from inclusion to equity, and from employment as an aspiration to employment as a reality for all.

References

McKinsey & Company. 2020. Diversity wins: How inclusion matters. McKinsey & Company.

del Campo Carmona, B. (2024, May 6). Individuals with disabilities in Tucson, Arizona MSA: Education, employment, and earnings in 2022. MAP AZ Dashboard. University of Arizona.