HISTORY OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR
DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS
In 1945, decades before the
passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Congress passed Resolution 176
designating the first week of each October as "National Employ the Physically
Handicapped Week". President Harry S. Truman designated the President's
Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities to carry out this law. In
1962, the word "physically" was removed from the week's name to recognize the
employment needs of all persons with disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded
the week to a month and changed its name to "National Disability Employment
Awareness Month".
The President's Committee on
Employment of People with Disabilities which now is known as the Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP - named changed in 2001) was given
responsibility for leading this nationwide recognition, and contacted agencies
in each state with a request that they encourage activities commemorating this
designated month. In Virginia, the agency was the Virginia Employment Commission
(VEC).
Locally, activities were
spearheaded by the Department of Rehabilitative Services Regional Office and the
Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center. Shortly thereafter, the local office of
the VEC and the Regional Office of the Department for the Blind and Vision
Impaired began to participate.
Today the Shenandoah Valley
Regional Committee for Disability/Employment Awareness (SVRCDEA) is a voluntary
group which meets monthly from April to November. Members include
representatives from the above agencies, the Disability and Community Service
Boards, local businesses and other interested individuals.
SVRCDEA's goal is to increase
public awareness of the potential of persons with disabilities in the employment
arena. To accomplish this, yearly recognition is given to exemplary employers of
persons with disabilities and to employees with disabilities at our annual
Awards luncheon. Also, the committee sponsors school contests in the Art,
Literary, and Assistive Technology areas each fall. The AT contest is held at
the Staunton Colonial Mall each October with a display of devices and the
winners of the Art & Literary competition. Awards are presented to winners of
art, literary and assistive technology competitions. This event is held at
Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center and is sponsored by the WWRC students.
SVRCDEA's October
activities have included, in addition to the annual Awards event and various
competitions, training in the Americans with Disabilities Act, ShenanArts
productions on disability, exhibits and presentations in public schools.
