October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to recognize the contributions people with disabilities make in workplaces and communities across the country.
Goodwill North Central Texas celebrates NDEAM by highlighting the skills, talents and potential of people with disabilities and the many ways they contribute to our workforce and our community. This year’s NDEAM theme, “Celebrating Value and Talent,” recognizes the skills and contributions Americans with disabilities bring to the nation’s workplaces, communities and economy. The theme continues through 2026 as part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
Building Opportunities Through Work
For more than 75 years, Goodwill North Central Texas has helped people with disabilities and others facing barriers to employment build skills, find opportunities and work toward greater independence. Today, Goodwill serves 18 counties throughout North Central Texas through education, training, job placement and other support services. Our programs are designed around the individual, recognizing that everyone’s path to employment and independence looks different.
For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, S.T.A.R.S. (Skills Training Achieves Results) provides a supportive environment where participants can develop daily living skills, participate in community activities and practice workplace skills. The program also partners with Goodwill retail stores to provide hands-on work experience in a real retail environment.
Goodwill North Central Texas also provides employment-focused services for students and young adults with disabilities. Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) help students ages 14 to 22 explore careers, develop workplace readiness and self-advocacy skills and gain work-based learning experience.
These programs are about more than preparing someone for a job. They are about helping people build confidence, develop independence and find opportunities to contribute their talents in meaningful ways.
There Is Still Work to Do
While people with disabilities continue to make important contributions to the workforce, barriers to employment remain. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22.8% of people with disabilities were employed in 2025. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 8.3%, compared with 4.1% for people without disabilities.
Those numbers highlight why access to training, work experience, career services and supportive employers continues to matter. At Goodwill North Central Texas, we believe employment can be an important part of building a life of independence. Our role is to help people develop the skills and confidence they need while connecting them with opportunities in their communities.
Celebrating Talent All Year Long
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities, but creating inclusive workplaces is something that matters throughout the year.
For employers, that can mean looking beyond traditional hiring practices, recognizing the abilities of each candidate and creating opportunities for people with disabilities to succeed. For community members, it can mean supporting organizations that provide employment services, shopping and donating at Goodwill stores or simply recognizing the contributions people with disabilities make every day.
NDEAM dates back to 1945, when the observance began as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1988, Congress expanded it to a month-long observance and renamed it National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
This October, Goodwill North Central Texas is proud to celebrate the value and talent of people with disabilities across our community. Because when people have the opportunity to work, learn and contribute, our entire community benefits.