October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- As October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month it marks the perfect time to celebrate the AbilityOne Program, formerly Javits-Wagner-O'Day. 

The AbilityOne Program creates employment opportunities that enable people who are blind or have other severe disabilities to fulfill their potential while providing a wide array of custom solutions at a fair market price to federal customers. 

Through the AbilityOne Program, The Moody Air Force Base Supply Center/ Individual Equipment Unit store employs eight people that serve military and federal government customers since 1999. 

The Moody AFB BSC/IEU store is operated by Alabama Industries for the Blind and is the local AbilityOne resource for blind-made and commercial general office products. 

The AbilityOne program is the largest single source of employment for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities in the United States, currently employing over 42,000 individuals at more than 600 community-based, non-profit agencies across the country. 

Although these successes are celebrated, there remains a critical need for the program as more than 68 percent of people with severe disabilities remain unemployed or underemployed. 

This month is meant to celebrate those successes, but we also need to recognize the work that is still needed to be done to help this group of people obtain the job skills and training necessary to earn equitable wages, benefits and greater independence. 

NDEAM may just be one month, but the hard work of the AbilityOne Program and all of our partners takes place all year long. 

Through your support, we can continue to build upon this program and make it an even bigger success.