BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:Title
Adopt a Resolution Declaring October, 2022, as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Recognizing the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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RECOMMENDATION:Recommendation
Adopt the RESOLUTION DECLARING OCTOBER, 2022, AS NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH, AND RECOGNIZING THE 32ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
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SUMMARY:
Ability Awareness, a Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) Employee Resource Group (ERG), in collaboration with staff from the Office of Racial Equity Diversity and Inclusion, recommends the Board formally acknowledge and declare October 2022, as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and recognize the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The history of NDEAM dates 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 NDEAM. The NDEAM theme for 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.”
The ADA, a comprehensive piece of civil rights legislation in America that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else in all areas of public life, was signed into law in 1990. It is modeled after and affords similar protections as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Distinct from the Civil Rights Act, however, the ADA also requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations. Valley Water’s Reasonable Accommodation program is available for staff with qualified disabilities and complies with the ADA law.
This year the Ability Awareness ERG plans to host an event in celebration. This year’s event will showcase talents of youth from Friends of Children with Special Needs. The event is intended to educate employees on the many and varied contributions of America's with disabilities, as well as raise awareness of critical challenges in employment of workers with disabilities to foster collaboration, equity, inclusion and belongingness. The event will take place on Thursday, October 20th at noon, on Valley Water’s headquarter campus.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There are no Environmental Justice impacts associated with this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:Manager
Greg Williams, 408-630-2867