Every October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) recognizes the impact of work on the lives of individuals with disabilities. Traditionally, we know that the barriers to employment can keep folks with cognitive, physical, mental, and developmental disabilities out of the workforce.
We also know that work is a source of purpose, inclusion, and independence that should be made available to all who seek it. Many people are involved in disability employment advocacy, and Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs) play a vital role in this effort, thanks to a unique blend of skills and services that make rehabilitation counseling essential.
NDEAM 2025 – A Mission for Disability Employment Advocacy
This year is the 80th anniversary of NDEAM, which began in 1945 as a weeklong recognition of people with physical disabilities. In 1988, when Congress formally designated the event, it evolved to incorporate all types of disabilities and to home in on strategies to highlight the need to increase opportunities for disabled Americans in the workforce.
This year’s theme is “Celebrating Value and Talent.” It’s hard to imagine celebrating value or talent before even recognizing it. Certified Rehabilitation Counselors facilitate independence and integration for people with disabilities in all aspects of life because they are trained to understand disability holistically.
Supporting Disability Employment Advocacy Starts with Understanding Disability
We know that many who don’t have firsthand experience with disability have many preconceived ideas of what disability is. Some assumptions are more harmful than others, but more often than not, we know that when people don’t understand disability, they don’t always know how to advocate for disabled people. In some cases, they even ignore that disabled people exist.
In the working world, a lack of understanding of disability can lead an employer to overlook a disabled candidate. They might fear they can’t do the job, or that the employer itself can’t support someone with a disability in the role, because they don’t know what that person needs. In all of these cases, understanding disability is the solution to the problem. CRCs are the only professionals trained in disability and counseling, making them the perfect advisors to ensure employers better understand disability.
Why Work is More Than Just Work
This also makes CRCs a valuable resource for people with disabilities in their quest for employment. Let’s say someone with a physical disability does not have access to a job that meets their professional and personal needs. A Certified Rehabilitation Counselor will view this as more than a vocational challenge.
CRCs understand that the inability to work a fulfilling job can place mental stressors on an individual, which could harm their mental health and potentially lead to the worsening of other factors of their disability. By bridging clinical mental health and vocational services, CRCs approach a person with a disability’s desire for work as a source of meaning.
Some professionals offer counseling services, and others provide vocational services. The unique blend of training and education for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors ensures that all aspects of assessment, job placement, and service coordination are considered from the start of a client-counselor relationship.
Working with a CRC Leads to Greater Employment Outcomes for All
At the heart of everything a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor brings to the table is an expertise in disability that can assist employers and people with disabilities in better understanding which accommodations ensure that all will thrive.
Because of this knowledge, job placements with a CRC lead to lower turnover among individuals with disabilities, higher job satisfaction, and the assurance that an individual with a disability has the job they want, not the first one that becomes available.
Equipped to navigate approximately 13,000 job titles in the U.S. economy, CRCs are strong advocates for disability employment because they understand how important work is to our mental health and personal fulfillment.
Wherever Individuals with Disabilities Live and Work, So Should CRCs
When we think about “Celebrating Value and Talent” this year for NDEAM 2025, let’s not forget that celebrating something means understanding it. Understanding disability and empowering individuals to achieve self-sufficiency and fulfillment is the foundation of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors’ mission.
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