October is "National Disability Employment Awareness Month." Whew. That's a mouthful. But what does that sentence mean, exactly? And what should you do about it? Good questions, both answerable; we'll start with the first.

Perhaps the best approach is to treat our phrase as if it were a sentence in a foreign language and parse it out, word for word:

NATIONAL

This initiative began as Public Law 176, passed by Congress in 1945 in the wake of massive post-WW II workforce changes. There was, understandably, a giant gap in the supply of workers and the country needed to figure out for the first time how to employ people with disabilities on a large scale just to meet national production demands.

DISABILITY

Of course, it wasn't originally referred to as "National Disability Employment Awareness"; it went by the somewhat dodgy-by-today's-lexicon title of "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." Shifting attitudes throughout the Seventies and Eighties led eventually to expanding "National Employ the Handicapped Week" ("Physically" had been dropped in the Sixties) to the full month of October and changing its name to its current string of capitalized qualifiers.

EMPLOYMENT

In 1990, in the largest ceremony ever held on the White House lawn, President George Bush signed into law the "Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)". Title I of the ADA took effect in 1992, finally officially prohibiting employment discrimination in recruitment, interviewing, hiring and advancement on the basis of disability. People with disabilities finally received equal access to employment for the first time in the country's history.

AWARENESS

Employees with disabilities are no small part of the workforce: 30+ million working-age people with disabilities contribute to both the national economy and the bottom lines of individual corporations every day. They are not hoping to be given "special consideration" or "assignments commensurate with their abilities"; they want the chance to show their full potential on the same footing as their co-workers and to be judged on the merits of the work they do, just like anyone else.

MONTH

October has become the kick-off month for year-round programs that highlight and support the abilities, skills and fundamental equality of all persons with disabilities. It's a time not just for this particular group to feel pride in their achievements, but a time for the entire nation to recognize these accomplishments and realize that they've enhanced all aspects of our collective society. This leads us neatly to our next question: Now that you understand what "National Disability Employment Awareness Month" means, and why you should care about it, what in the world should you do with this knowledge?

SIMPLE— SHARE IT!

This month is the perfect time to honor the contributions that people with disabilities continue to make in enriching American economic, intellectual and artistic life, not to mention the day-to-day operations of your company. By choosing to take this month seriously, you're sending a strong message of inclusion to your entire organization. Here are a few suggestions:

• Use your Intranet to broadcast quizzes about the achievements of people with disabilities or highlight historical figures who exceeded the expectations of those around them and prospered despite their disability.
  
  
• Sponsor an essay contest with a local school. The prizes could include books, DVDs or other materials related to the struggles and triumphs of those with disabilities.
  
  
• Invite speakers, educators, or community leaders who can share unique insights into the reality of being disabled in today's world.
  
  
• Create a poster and photo display that honors the contributions of those with disabilities.
  
  
• In the cafeteria, find creative ways to share information about those with disabilities (e.g., placemats, table tent cards, tabletop displays, and lunch line displays.)
  
  
• Devote special attention to the contributions of those with disabilities in your organizational newsletter, but emphasize their successes without specifically mentioning their disabilities.
  
  
• Have a facilitated brown bag lunch to spend time collectively learning about achievements of people with disabilities.