Sent to All Students, Faculty & Staff - September 2, 2025
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
80 Years of Recognizing the Contributions of Individuals with Disabilities
Celebrating Value and Talent
NDEAM annually honors the positive impact of people with disabilities on our economy and showcases accessible workplace best practices that benefit employees and employers alike. This October will mark the 80th anniversary of the annual recognition of the contribution of Americans with disabilities.
This annual event began in 1945 when Congress designated the first week of October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week” as a weeklong national observance of the contributions of people with physical disabilities. In the period between 1945 and 1988, the observance was expanded to include those with mental health conditions and other nonobvious disabilities, in the workforce. In 1988, Congress designated the entire month of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
For more information about NDEAM, visit www.dol.gov/ndeam.
Each year, the Disability Employee Resource Group hosts events during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) to celebrate the contributions of disabled individuals to our campus community, raise awareness of disability rights, highlight available campus services, and strengthen faculty and staff understanding of accessibility and accommodations.
NDEAM Events
Sponsored by the Disability Employment Resource Group
Cosponsors: The Office of Equity & Access (OEA), the Student Accessibility Support Center (SASC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Healthier U, Marketing & Communications (MarComm) and the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT).
Keynote Speaker - Ken Kunken, Author, “I Dream Of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story” and Former Assistant District Attorney
Thursday, Oct. 2 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Paralyzed while playing college football in 1970, Ken Kunken battled back from the depths of depression and despair, earned four college degrees and became a well-respected assistant district attorney. Ken believes that everyone has the inner strength to tackle what, to many, would seem to be almost insurmountable odds so that even the most difficult obstacles can be the springboard to the most satisfying success.
Course Content Accessibility: Creating Inclusive Learning Experiences
Tuesday, Oct. 7 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitator: Lindsay Bryde, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)
Ensuring that course materials are accessible is essential to providing an equitable learning environment for all students, whether they have a disability or not. This session will provide practical strategies for making digital materials usable by everyone. We will cover key accessibility principles, strategies for getting your content organized and assessed, along with campus resources to support you.
Understanding Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace
Thursday, October 9 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Alexis Rodgers, EAP
Not all disabilities are visible; most, from neurological disorders to mental health issues to non-apparent physical disabilities, are hidden. This session will highlight how awareness of hidden disabilities can help supervisors and coworkers build a more inclusive work environment.
Silktide, Other Tools, and Accessibility Success
Tuesday, October 14 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Todd Hayes, Marketing & Communications
To achieve success in attaining greater accessibility for your websites and web applications, the right set of tools are a necessity. In this talk, we will present how Silktide, combined with other accessibility tools, can help you succeed in creating and fixing your sites and apps so they are usable for all people.
Inclusive Teaching in Action: A Case Study on Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning
Thursday, October 16 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Kelly Dugan
This talk presents a faculty perspective on integrating accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into an undergraduate course at Stony Brook University. Participants will learn about laws and policies while exploring practical ways to design inclusive syllabi, assignments, and web-enhanced structures that support diverse learners. Strategies include flexible deadlines, varied engagement and assessment, and accessible digital materials on Brightspace. Attendees will reflect on common challenges, identify practical next steps, and learn how to access structural support for embedding UDL in their own teaching.
Healthier U. Mindfulness
Tuesday, October 21 @ 11 am
Location: via Zoom
Facilitator: Cathrine Duffy
People of all ages and walks of life have discovered the life-changing benefits of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Research shows that individuals who regularly practice mindfulness have decreased anxiety and depression, improved cognitive function, improved immune system function, decreased blood pressure and migraine frequency, reduced systemic inflammation, and improved coping with pain and illness. This session will provide an introduction to the practice.
Inclusive Event Planning: Making Campus Events Accessible
This session will provide an overview of accessible event planning. Participants will be provided with the tools and resources needed to ensure events are accessible for students with disabilities. An overview of the Student Accessibility Support Center (SASC) will be provided for staff and faculty to learn more about the resources available to students with disabilities on campus.
Accommodation Requests: A Primer
Tuesday, Oct. 28 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Karin Martinsen, Natalie Mertens & Jeannet LLave, OEA
The when, why and how of accommodation requests. Participants will learn the legal foundations of accommodations under the ADA, how Stony Brook University handles requests, manages ongoing accommodations and best practices for supervisors.
Healthier U. Chair Yoga
Chair yoga is a form of yoga done while sitting or standing and using a chair for support. Chair yoga can improve flexibility, concentration, strength and mood. This one hour session will be a guided chair yoga flow.