BSC Announces
“National Disability Employment Awareness Month”
Activities/Schedule

( Bluefield)—The Bluefield State College Office of Multicultural Affairs has just announced a series of programs and events that will be presented locally in observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October. “We are excited about this opportunity to work with national sponsors to heighten the public’s awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities,” noted Dedriell Taylor, Interim Director/BSC Office of Multicultural Affairs.

At BSC, the following activities and programs will enhance the observance of NDEAM:

October 4-5, 2006 (11 a.m.-1 p.m. both days) – People First, a student organization will sponsor an informational booth during the Homecoming Week activities in the Student Center.

October 18, 2006 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) – The Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Multicultural Advisory Committee will sponsor a booth at the Disability Mentoring Day in at the Mary Alice Kaufman Student Live Center/adjacent to Mercer School, Princeton, WV.

October 24, 2006 (8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) – Disability Awareness Fair at The Place at the United Methodist Temple in Beckley, WV. Contact Ms. Janie Flanagan (304-255-2121, ext. 4225) for additional information

October 31, 2006 (4 p.m.-10 p.m.) – The Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Multicultural Advisory Committee, and People First will sponsor an informational booth at the Student Government Associations Halloween Party.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month, designed to recognize the contributions of workers with disabilities, began in 1988 with the Presidential Proclamation of Public Law 100-630. This law replaced the “National Employ the Handicapped Week,” which had been celebrated annually since 1945 during the first week of October.

Each annual awareness month celebration provides a time for reflection on past accomplishments and presents a foundation for facing the challenges of the year ahead. Although several regulations exist to protect the rights of Americans with Disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is perhaps the most well known legislation regarding disabilities. When this Act was passed, it represented a promise that the Nation would no longer underestimate the abilities of disabled Americans. The ADA contains employment provisions to protect workers with disabilities from discrimination and mandates that all businesses employing more than 15 workers make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.

On a national level the Office of Disability Employment Policy has the lead in planning NDEAM activities and preparing materials to increase the public’s awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities.

Individuals/organizations seeking more information about disability issues are encouraged to contact Dedriell Taylor (304-327-4512) and/or attend the BSC “People First” meetings on the second Tuesday of each month in the Private Dining Room, Harris-Jefferson Student Center, Bluefield State College.

September 29, 2006

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