HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --

During the month of October, the nation celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the contributions of employees with disabilities to American society.

Sept. 26, 2023, marked the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Rehab Act was a civil rights law that prohibited discrimination against federal employees with disabilities. The Rehab Act created employment opportunities for qualified individuals with disabilities to join the federal sector until 1990, when the Rehab Act evolved into the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA not only prohibited discrimination based on disability for federal employees, the ADA also prohibited discrimination based on disability within the private sector as well.

According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “a person has a disability if the person:

• Has a physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity (such as walking, talking, seeing, hearing, or learning, or operation of a major bodily function, such as brain, musculoskeletal, respiratory, circulatory, or endocrine function).
• Has a history of a disability.
• Is subject to an adverse employment action because of a physical or mental impairment the individual has or is perceived to have, except if it is transitory (lasting or expected to last six months or less) and minor.

A medical condition does not need to be long-term, permanent, or severe to be substantially...

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