October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Department of Services for the Blind supports community events state-wide

(Seattle, WA) — September 30, 2015 — The Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) is joining in commemoration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme is "My disability is one part of who I am."

The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Reflecting this year's theme, throughout the month, DSB will be engaging in activities to educate the community on disability employment issues and its commitment to an inclusive work culture. These efforts include hosting Open Houses in Lacey, Seattle, Tacoma, and Vancouver; promoting White Cane Safety Day proclamations at city council meetings; and participating in the Spokane Tribe of Indians Disability Access and Employment Fair, the Access Tri-Cities: 2nd Annual "Building Bridges and Breaking Down Barriers" Job Fair, and the Access Spokane Expo. More information and event times can be found at www.dsb.wa.gov.

"This year's theme encapsulates the important message that people with disabilities are just that — people," said Jennifer Sheehy, acting assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "And like all people, we are the sum of many parts, including our work experiences. Disability is an important perspective we bring to the table, but, of course, it's not the only one."

Employers and employees in all industries can learn more about National Disability Employment Awareness Month by visiting the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind at www.dsb.wa.gov or the U.S. Department of Labor at www.dol.gov/ndeam.

Opportunity for blind and visually impaired youth to share their stories

Through the Light: Profiles in Blindness

Jack Straw Cultural Center is this year’s recipient of the newly created Washington Stories Fund, which supports projects that record and share with the broader community the little-known stories of people or groups whose contributions add to the cultural richness and health of Washington state communities.  

Through the Light: Profiles in Blindness will provide opportunities for blind and visually impaired youth and adults to collect, record, and distribute their rarely heard stories to the broader public.

In this project, visually impaired youth will interview visually impaired adults about their professions, the hurdles they faced, and the successes they have achieved. Blind adults, in turn, will talk with youth about issues that concern them, including assumptions about blindness, and the resulting behaviors of blind and sighted people towards each other.  Project participants will also have opportunities to interact with the general public through a series of conversations at Seattle Public libraries.  Stories will be shared via a webpage with content recorded and produced during the project.

Jack Straw Cultural Center is currently seeking interested blind and visually impaired youth to participate in this project. If interested, please contact Daniel Guenther, engineer, at danielguenther1@hotmail.com, or call Jack Straw Cultural Center at 206-634-0919.

For more information on the Jack Straw Cultural Center, visit www.jackstraw.org.

DSB Issues RFQQ Announcement

The Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) is initiating a Request for Qualifications and Quotation (RFQQ) to solicit proposals from firms interested in entering into a two-year Lease Agreement to lease student housing for the Youth Employment Solutions (YES) II Program. The Consultant will serve as the Landlord and provide the housing to accommodate the students enrolled in the YES II Program. The Agency will serve as the Tenant.

Proposals are due February 2, 2015. Interested vendors should download the complete RFQQ or get more information about working with the State of Washington.

President Proclaims October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2014

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a nation-wide campaign raising awareness about disability employment issues and celebrating the contributions of America's workers with disabilities. The theme for 2014 is "Expect. Employ. Empower."

Read the full Presidential Proclamation

State Representative speaks to students

One of the highlights of the summer was a talk by WashingtonState Representative Cyrus Habib who spoke with more than 40 blind and visually-impaired high school students. The students were participating in the Department of Services for the Blind’s Youth Employment Services (YES) program in Seattle.

Read more about Rep. Habib's talk.

Blind Ambition: Longview man who lost vision creates card game to learn Braille

Richard Slayton is developing two-sided game cards that combine Braille symbols and their meanings to help people learn to communicate with Braille.

The Physician Connection newsletter, The Focal Point is available online. 

RFP Announcement -

The Washington State, Department of Services for the Blind (DSB), is initiating a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from firms interested in participating on a project to develop and lead an agency-wide, structured, guided, and comprehensive strategic planning process. Interested vendors should download the complete RFP or get more information about working with the State of Washington.