Brooke Carbo
The HR AWARE Disability Management Program designates October each year as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrating the contributions of employees with disabilities and highlighting supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices that benefit employers and employees. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the first federal law to address access and equity for people with disabilities and the foundation for the more comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
“Celebrating and showcasing what employees with disabilities bring to UAB is our goal for the month of October,” said Dina Jones, AWARE program coordinator and HR ADA specialist. “People with disabilities are incredibly creative and bring a stronger sense of inclusion and diversity to UAB. The more we learn from them, the more we can shatter common misconceptions about what people with disabilities can do.”
What is AWARE?
UAB’s AWARE program provides disability management services when an employee’s job duties are affected by a physical, mental, or emotional disability. As part of employee retention efforts, the AWARE program processes requests for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, coordinates workplace evaluations, and allocates employees’ access to BlazeRide, UAB’s paratransit service. For more information, visit uab.edu/aware.
This year, Jones is encouraging UAB employees to take advantage of several upcoming opportunities to recognize and learn how to engage with people with disabilities at UAB.
Upcoming events
Update: Unfortunately, this event will have to be rescheduled. We will update this article once the new date is confirmed. On October 17 at noon, Bobbi Stephenson and Cassie Shropshire from the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services will host a virtual training session for UAB employees. The disability etiquette training will be delivered via Zoom and will discuss desirable ways to interact with people with disabilities as well as an overview of different types of disabilities. Due to the interactive nature of these presentations, participants should be prepared to participate with both audio and visual capabilities.
AWARE will also partner with the Inclusive Well-Being Translational Sciences Collaborative to present the “Normal Isn’t Real” Disability Fall Fest on the Campus Green from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4. The event will spotlight the personal stories of students and community members living with disabilities and bring organizations and community members together on-site to promote disability wellness and share resources.
Visit uab.edu/aware throughout the month of October to download a shareable handout with tips on hiring, managing and engaging employees with disabilities.