In October, DCBS – and the rest of the nation – celebrates the contributions of people with disabilities in our workplaces and the community.
At some point in our lifetime, we have or will most likely experience disability – short or long term – either health related or through injury or age-associated degenerative. How then can our workplace and the state promote health?
They can do that by providing resources for people to gain some level of health, some level of social functioning, and some level of independence – in the workplace, home, school, and community.
How to interact and provide services to people with disabilities in everyday life is sometimes difficult, especially in the workplace. It is important that employees with disabilities can obtain the necessary resources to be successful.
The DCBS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council is bringing awareness and resources on employment disability from the office of
Disability Employment Policy, reasonable accommodation by
Disability Rights Oregon, and accessibility to buildings by our own
Building Codes Division.
The theme for the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.” This theme reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The most important thing to remember when interacting with people with disabilities is that we need to focus on their abilities, not their disabilities. People with disabilities are unique individuals who add to our diverse workplace through their skills, talents, knowledge, interests, and experiences.