News>National Disability Employment Month kicks off at Pentagon
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Adrienne Barnett speaks to Capt. Kevin Tran at an event held by the Headquarters Air Force to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month at the Pentagon on Oct. 1. The intent of the event was to educate Air Force employees and managers on various aspects of Disability Employment and Accommodations. Barnett is an Exceptional Family Member Program family support specialist and Tran is the chief of Force Support Readiness Plans with the Force Support Readiness Division. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina Barlow)
Erin Anderson demonstrates a keyboard to Ladd Ryan and David Page at an event held by the Headquarters Air Force to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month at the Pentagon on Oct. 1. The intent of the event was to educate Air Force employees and managers on various aspects of Disability Employment and Accommodations. Anderson is a Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) technical coordinator, and Ryan and Page are Office of Under Secretary for Intelligence mission assurance planners. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina Brownlow)
Erin Anderson demonstrates a product to Veronica Hayes at an event held by the Headquarters Air Force to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month at the Pentagon on Oct. 1. The intent of the event was to educate Air Force employees and managers on various aspects of Disability Employment and Accommodations. Anderson is a Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) technical coordinator and Hayes is a base supply center assistant manager at Virginia Industries for the Blind. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina Brownlow)
by Staff Sgt. Amanda Dick
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
10/1/2012 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Headquarters Air Force Disability Resource Group kicked off National Disability Employment Month with an information fair here Oct. 1 to educate Air Force members and managers about Disability Employment and Accommodations.
"The purpose of today's event is really to raise the profile here in the Pentagon of employees with disabilities, demonstrate all the different positions we're holding and demonstrate a lot of the skills we have," said Dr. Robert Rudney, first co-chair for the DRG. "So, we're here to advertise the capabilities of people with disabilities and their readiness to work. A lot of this information doesn't come out very easily, so we decided it would be great to have an information dissemination effort. Spread the word."
The event featured representatives from the DRG, Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), Air Force and Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Offices, and the Pentagon Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program Technology Evaluation Center (CAPTEC).
A main focus of the information fair centered on accommodations for disabled persons in the work place. Centrally funded through the Department of Defense, CAPTEC provides technologies for disabled employees to federal agencies and wounded service members.
"We can provide the technology free of charge to the agency. It would be the property of the agency for the individual's use," said Erin Sanderson, Pentagon CAPTEC coordinator. "So, depending on if they have vision, dexterity, hearing, cognitive or communication disabilities, we can provide the technology they would need to access the computer environment."
The event also highlighted information for Air Force families who have children with disabilities.
"I'm here today to be able to inform families who have special needs about the resources and information they can get from the EFMP family support program," said Diana Caicedo, EFMP family support specialist. "There are various programs, especially for those families who have transitioning students looking to go into the workplace. There's vocational rehabilitation and agencies that help with the transition for those with special needs to get out in the work force and be successful employees."
Originally the "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week," Congress established October as National Disability Employment Month in 1988. For more information, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/. Families can visit their local EFMP office for more information on services provided.
