Disability Employment Awareness: Inclusion Drives Innovation Published Oct. 17, 2017 By Air Force Equal Opportunity Office Air Force Equal Opportunity Office October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Reflecting the role that different perspectives play in workforce success, this year's NDEAM theme is "Inclusion Drives Innovation". Observed each October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates on the value of an inclusive workforce with various skills and talents. It also serves as an opportunity for each organization to reaffirm a commitment to recruit, retain, and advance people with disabilities in the workforce. When we diversify our workforce, we create opportunities for growth and improvement, not just for those with disabilities, but for everyone. During DoD's 2002 annual Disability Awards Ceremony, Ms. Judith Gilliom, the Pentagon's first department-level disability program manager, said "Inclusion and empowerment are the things that make diversity great. People with disabilities are now part of the mainstream. We belong." For specific ideas about how you can support NDEAM Month, visit the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) website at https://www.deomi.org/human-relations/special-observances.cfm or the Department of Labor Office for Disability Policy at https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/resources.htm for resources regarding employment of individuals with disabilities.