CelebrateNational Disability Employment Awareness Month in October

This October, the U of A's National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrations open with a wheelchair basketball game on Oct 3, and as the month proceeds, will feature free webinars, a Disability Resource Fair and the fifth annual Disability Awareness Awards ceremony on Oct. 29 to close out the month's events.

Each October, the university celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This annual observance started in 1945 as a federal week of recognition that encouraged employers to hire people with disabilities and has evolved over time to become a larger celebration of the contributions of individuals with disabilities to our workplaces, communities and our shared culture.

The National Disability Employment Awareness Month will be observed at the university with a series of events aimed at educating our community and celebrating people in our community who have worked to promote respect, accommodation and accessibility.

This year's NDEAM theme is once again "Celebrating Value and Talent," and several units on campus will host events to engage the campus in a variety of disability-related activities to educate and entertain the campus community and to reinforce our shared commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.

Events will include a series of accessibility and disability-related webinars hosted by OEOC staff and the College of Education and Health Profession's Partners program. Additionally, the CEA and community partners will host the Disability Awareness Fair on Oct. 8. The National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebration at the university will conclude with a Disability Awareness Awards ceremony on Oct. 29. Some events require registration. See below for registration information and links to those events.

To nominate someone for a Disability Awareness Award, please submit your nomination online by Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.

Schedule of Events

Oct. 3: Wheelchair Basketball Game between our UREC team and the Ozark Adaptive Sports Association (OZASA) team. Location is the HPER Gym 4 at 2 p.m. Hosted by UREC. No registration required - spectators are always welcome!

Oct. 8: Disability Awareness Month Community Resource Fair — Center for Educational Access (CEA), in collaboration with SOURCES for Community Independent Living, event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the ARKU International Connections Lounge.

Oct. 15: Webinar — presented by Department of Equal Opportunity, Compliance & Title IX staff — From Barriers to Solutions: Understanding the Employment Accommodations process at the U of A. 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Central). Information and registration link.

Oct. 21: Webinar — presented by the U of A Partners program — Introduction to MS PowerPoint Accessibility. 10-11:30 a.m. (Central). Information and registration link.

Oct. 22: Webinar — presented by Department of Equal Opportunity, Compliance & Title IX staff — A Practical Guide to Disability Etiquette. Noon to 1 p.m. Information and registration link.

Oct. 25: EMPOWER Co-Ed Basketball series - First game — EMPOWER and UREC; games start at 5:30 p.m. in HPER Gym 3. No registration required - spectators are always welcome! (Note: This is the kickoff game for a series of basketball games occurring each Sunday from Oct. 25 through Nov. 15.)

Oct. 29: The 2026 U of A Disability Awareness Awards — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The awards ceremony will open at 11:30 a.m. with remarks from Dr. Danielle Williams, associate vice chancellor and executive director for Equal Opportunity, Compliance and Title IX. Please email OEOC-Accommodation and Accessibility Services if you would like to attend this awards event: access@uark.edu. Refreshments will be provided.