Oct 02, 2024
By NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD
For more than three decades, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) has been celebrated during the month of October. As part of this recognition, we honor the work of individuals with disabilities and recognize their deeply meaningful contributions in the workplace.
The National Endowment for the Arts proudly conducts our work with an eye toward ensuring that all people have access to opportunities for arts participation and arts engagement. Throughout its history, the NEA has sought to provide support and advocacy for people with disabilities. In our workplace, we express this with our commitment to building and promoting inclusive processes to help advance equitable employment opportunities.
We also understand the importance of promoting best practices throughout the arts and cultural sector that help create opportunities for professional arts workers with disabilities to thrive. This includes programming designed to help educate organizations about meeting legally mandated accessibility requirements, providing assistance with developing accessible and inclusive programs for people with disabilities, and conducting field scans and listening sessions to better understand the professional needs of cultural workers with disabilities, among others.
As we highlight National Disability Employment Awareness Month and celebrate the essential contributions to the nation’s cultural vitality made by people with disabilities, we renew our commitment to equity and access.