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This year marks the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) ,which is a time for us to reflect on how far we’ve come in advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and to recommit to the work still ahead. For me, this year’s celebration felt especially meaningful, because last week, I had the honor of visiting the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion for the very first time – and it was also the first-ever NDEAM event hosted there!
Standing in that historic space, next to my wife Nicole, and surrounded by state leaders, advocates, and members of the disability community, I couldn’t help but feel both proud and hopeful! It was a moment that represented progress, not just symbolic, but actually tangible.
The fact that NDEAM was being recognized from our state’s highest office, showed our community that disability inclusion and employment equity matters! And it also reminded me of what can happen when people come together around a shared purpose.
That’s what happened 5-years ago, when I met Mike Iannelli, and we launched Ablr!
This October, in addition to NDEAM, we are also celebrating Ablr’s 5th anniversary! This milestone aligns beautifully with the spirit of NDEAM! From the moment we started, our mission was simple, to remove the barriers for people with disabilities in all aspects of life, that includes employment. And over the past 5-years, that mission has guided us to:
- Launch a Workforce Development program that has helped dozens of adults who are blind or visually impaired gain the skills and confidence to gain meaningful careers!
- Partnered with employers across the country to roll out our disability inclusion trainings to thousands of people, and help put untapped talent to work!
- Delivered digital accessibility services to hundreds of clients and brands that not only to make their digital content accessible and usable for all people, but also create career pathways for those doing the work!
Every person who completes our training, every company that chooses to be more inclusive, and every product that becomes more accessible moves us closer to our vision!
As we celebrate both 80 years of NDEAM and five years of Ablr, I’m filled with gratitude, for our incredible team, our partners, and the many individuals who continue to trust us to walk alongside them on their journey.
But more than anything, I’m filled with determination. There’s still so much work to do! Together, let’s keep building a future where disability inclusion isn’t the exception , but rather the expectation!
Thank you , for joining us on this journey!