The theme of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022 (NDEAM 22) is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.”

In the USA, we observe NDEAM to recognize and celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities to the labor force. First recognized in 1945 as "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week" it later changed its name to "National Employ the Handicapped Week" in 1965 to be more inclusive. Later still, the name was changed to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month" to keep up with the current preferred language, as well as make the whole month be recognized instead of just a week.

First celebrated in the USA in October 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson, LGBT History Month was started as a way to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBT+ people in history. Rodney Wilson was the first openly gay teacher in Missouri. He chose October as the month to celebrate since the first and second LGBT+ Marches on Washington were in October in 1979 and 1987.

LGBTQ+ people have a long history and have been around as long as humanity, long before labels. LGBT people have been parents, teachers, doctors, farmers, police officers, firefighters, politicians, military members, shop owners, and every other job imaginable. From Alan Turing, the man considered to be the father of modern computers, to Marsha P. Johnson, considered largely to be the mother of the Gay Liberation Movement, LGBT people have more than made their mark on the world.

LGBTQIA+ stands for:

• Lesbian: women attracted to women
• Gay: men attracted to men, often used as an umbrella term
• Bisexual: people attracted to two or more genders
• Transgender: people whose gender identity doesn't align with what they were assigned at birth, often used as an umbrella term
• Queer/Questioning: people who are not cisgender or straight, or people who are still figuring out their sexuality/gender
• Asexual/Aromantic: people who differently or do not experience sexual or romantic attraction
• Pan: people attracted to others regardless of gender
• and more!

Variations of this acronym are used to be the most inclusive of various sexualities, genders, and romantic attractions.

The original Rainbow Pride Flag had 8 colors, each with its own meaning that held importance to the community and the creator, Gilbert Baker. The colors and meanings were:

• Pink: Sex
• Red: Life
• Orange: Healing
• Yellow: Sunlight
• Green: Nature
• Teal: Magic
• Blue: Serenity
• Purple: Spirit

After the assassination of Harvey Milk, demand for the flag increased significantly. The pink stripe needed to be removed during this time due to supply issues, as the pink fabric was hard to find. To continue producing flags, the Paramount Flag Company where Gilbert Baker worked began to use stock fabric that included 7 rainbow stripes. When hanging the flags vertically from light posts, however, they found that one of the stripes was hidden. To solve this problem they removed the teal stripe as well and left us with the 6-color flag we know today!

• Red: Life
• Orange: Healing
• Yellow: Sunlight
• Green: Nature
• Blue: Serenity
• Purple: Spirit

Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior, whether verbal or physical, that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying behavior is repeated over time and has lasting effects on both the bully and the victim. Bullying contains actions such as:

• Taunting
• Teasing
• Spreading Rumors
• Attacking Someone (Physically or Verbally)
• Excluding Someone On Purpose
• Embarrassing Someone On Purpose
• Making Rude Hand Gestures

Students and young people with disabilities are at an increased risk for bullying. Often, perceived differences from their peers can lead to being outcast or made fun of. Bullying behavior or continuing to be bullied can be a result of trauma as well. Creating a safe environment for all children helps to mitigate this. A space where all children know they are heard, loved, and respected goes a long way to keeping bullying to a minimum.

An environment that is intolerant of peoples' varying needs and differences is more likely to create a cycle of bullying behaviors. Likewise, students with disabilities have also been found to occasionally bully as well. Sometimes, this is because said student was bullied in the past and social difficulties led them to think that this is what friendship looks like. Other times it is for the same reason any other child bullies, commonly a need for a feeling of power, superiority, or most likely, emotional support.

• How to Prevent Bullying - StopBullying.gov
• 20 LGBT People Who Changed the World - The Advocate
• LGBT Heritage - National Park Service
• LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History - National Park Service
  
• Stonewall Foundation
• Gender Diversity & Autism
• My Sistah's House - Helping Homeless LGBT+ People
• Reflection on 2021's National Disability Employment Awareness Month - WhiteHouse.gov
• NDEAM 22 - US Dept of Labor
• NDEAM 22 - Library of Congress
• DiverseBooks.org

Email: Ev@AStepUpAcademy.org
Website: AStepUpAcademy.org
Location: 520 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-885-1075