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DOD conducts reserve workplace, gender relations survey

WASHINGTON -- Air Force reservists and
members of the other reserve components are be-
ing asked to participate in the 2015 Workplace
and Gender Relations Survey of Reserve Compo-
nent Members.

The 2015 WGRR is voluntary and confidential.
Completion deadline is close of business today.

Results from the 2015 WGRR will provide in-
formation to leaders of Congress and in the De-
partment of Defense components about members’
experiences of unwanted, gender-related behavior.
The final report is due to the DOD Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response Office in March 2016.

About 487,300 reserve component members
– 150,300 women and 337,000 men – will take
part in the largest survey fielded on this topic for
reservists. Members can see if they are included
in the survey by logging onto the Defense Man-
power Data Center website – www.dodsurveys.
mil – and providing the requested information.

National Disability Employment Awareness
Month celebrates disabled American workers

prepared by Dawn W. Smith
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDE- for women’s suffrage.
AM), a nationwide campaign that raises awareness about disability em- In 1920, she helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union.
ployment issues and celebrates the contributions of America’s workers During her lifetime, Keller received many honors in recognition of her accom-
with disabilities—past and present.
plishments, including the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal in
The theme for this year—which marks 70 years since the first obser- 1936, the highest civilian award in the United States—the Presidential Medal of
vance—is “My Disability is One Part of Who I Am.” Freedom in 1964, and election to the Women’s Hall of Fame in 1965.

This month-long observation dates back to the return of service
members with disabilities from World War II, sparking public interest in
the contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman approved a Congressional reso-
lution declaring the first week in October “National Employ the Physi-
cally Handicapped Week.” The word “physically” was removed in 1962
to include individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress
expanded the week to a month and changed the name to “National Dis-
ability Employment Awareness Month.”

Upon its establishment in 2001, the Labor Department’s Office of
Disability Employment Policy assumed responsibility for NDEAM and
has worked to expand its reach and scope ever since.

People with disabilities are a mixed group that includes people with
sensory, physical, and mental conditions.

People with disabilities cross lines of age, ethnicity, gender, race,
sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

It is a group anyone can become a member of at any time. Almost all
of us will encounter a disability at some point in our lives. By increas-
ing awareness for all members of the workforce, we build a culture that
embraces diversity and inclusivity.

The Defense Department (DOD) recognizes its vital role in advanc-
ing disability awareness in the workplace with an ongoing commitment
to an inclusive Total Force, where qualified men and women of all walks
of life can pursue their full potential.

Helen Keller
Helen Keller overcame the adversity of a childhood illness that left her blind
and deaf, to become one of the 20th century’s leading humanitarians.
In 1915, she and George Kessler founded the Keller International organization,
devoted to research in vision, health and nutrition. She was also a tireless advocate