October 2025
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
In October 2025, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual recognition of the positive impact of people with disabilities in the American workforce. This yearly event began in 1945 as a weeklong national observance of the contributions of people with physical disabilities. In 1988, Congress designated the commemoration as NDEAM, which then evolved to acknowledge the importance of increasing opportunities for people with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions and other nonobvious disabilities, in the workforce. In 2001, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) was created and entrusted to administer NDEAM, including the selection and promotion of its annual theme.
Leading up to the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, this year’s NDEAM theme and graphics will also honor the national milestone. NDEAM 2025 will recognize the value and talent American workers with disabilities add to our workplaces and economy and highlight their achievements both past and present. That’s the spirit behind this year’s official theme: “Celebrating Value and Talent.”
New Modules
Attention: Educators, professionals, families, caregivers
Created by experts and based on proven strategies, our free, online What Works for Work modules help anyone teach key skills to youth and adults with disabilities for successful employment and increased independence. Modules include templates, handouts, and other takeaway resources to help implement these effective practices. Start these self-paced modules today!
A Statewide Pre-ETS Curriculum is Here!
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) are designed for students with disabilities, as early as age 14, who could benefit from an early start exploring career interests, building advocacy skills, and understanding postsecondary opportunities. The free curriculum is tailored to meet the diverse needs of all students with disabilities and includes activities, worksheets, interactive opportunities, and more. Explore now!
New Take 5 Lessons!
The Take 5 Webinar gallery is hugely popular helping families, professionals, and youth understand transition-related topics, services, and much more. Now, you can use our Take 5 Lessons to facilitate student learning using the Take 5 webinar and its resources. Our latest Lesson Plan on Health Care Transition Readiness for Youth, Young Adults, and Families.
OCALICONLINE is Only a Few Months Away
With over 200 sessions on timely and important topics across the lifespan, there’s something for EVERYONE this November at OCALICONLINE 2025. Use the online Session Sorter to see who's presenting what, when. Search by topic, presenter, targeted ages, and more. Use "My Schedule" to save selected sessions to create your own personal schedule. See you in November!
Free Virtual Professional Development Series: AT Decision-Making Tool (ATDMT)
The Assistive Technology and Accessible Educational Materials Center (AT&AEM Center) at OCALI is pleased to host AT Consideration Series: Beyond the Checkbox, which takes a deep dive into the AT consideration process framed around the six steps of the AT Decision-Making Tool (ATDMT). Sessions begin September 17, 2025 and continue through March 11, 2025.
This series will guide participants through the AT Consideration process, including the six steps of the ATDMT, to build confidence in decision-making and clarify the next steps. Whether or not you're currently using the tool, each session offers valuable insights into the core components of AT consideration, with opportunities to engage with hosts and fellow participants, plus a dedicated Q&A segment at the end of each session.
All sessions are Wednesdays from 3:30pm - 4:15pm
- October 8, 2025 – Technology Everywhere: When Universal Tools become AT
- December 10, 2025 – Deep Dive: AT Assessment Essentials
- January 14, 2026 – Unpacking Accessible Educational Materials
- February 18, 2026 – Deep Dive: Identifying Accessible Formats
- March 11, 2026 – Making it Count: Documenting in the IEP
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