October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities. This year’s theme, “Access to Good Jobs for All,” highlights the importance of ensuring equitable opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
In celebration of NDEAM and our DSPS students, the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) Disability Support Programs and Services (DSPS) is offering a series of events and resources aimed at providing our community with tools to create accessible and inclusive spaces, while helping to develop pathways to meaningful employment for students with disabilities.
John Loewenberg is a former DSPS student who is now an Instructional Laboratory Technician at Miramar College.
All-Access Pass (monthly)
Developed by Accessibility and DSPS Systems Manager Devika Chhabra, the All-Access Pass is a monthly email designed to guide SDCCD faculty and staff in creating inclusive and accessible online content for our diverse community. Check out October’s All-Access Pass for engaging content, fun trivia (with prizes!), and a calendar full of online accessibility workshops geared toward work-related applications like Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Canvas, and more!
Disability Aware (Monday, October 14)
This dynamic workshop, led by Miramar DSPS’s Kandice Brandt, Catrina Gillus, and Rebecca Nipp, will expand your general disability IQ and provide simple techniques for communicating with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. Fun fact: Departments can request custom Disability Aware training sessions tailored to their specific needs!
- Audience: Open to all SDCCD employees
- Modality: Zoom - Register for Disability Aware
- Time: 12 to 3 p.m. (Pacific)
- Accessibility Requests: Contact [email protected] at least 3 days prior to the event.
Mary Mendoza is a DSPS student with culinary aspirations who found vocational support through SDCCD's College 2 Career program.
Career Connections (Wednesday, October 16)
This virtual information session, hosted by City College DSPS in partnership with the Department of Rehabilitation, is an opportunity for DSPS students and their support networks to explore District and campus resources that support academic and employment goals for students with disabilities.
- Audience: DSPS Students from any SDCCD college (and their support networks)
- Modality: Zoom - Register for Career Connections
- Time: 5 to 6:30pm
- Accommodation Requests: Contact [email protected] at least 3 days prior to the event
Disability Advocacy in Action (Wednesday, October 23)
Join a Q&A with disability rights advocate Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson (she | her), facilitated by Career Support Pathways (CSP) Program Coordinator Shawn Fiala. This session, open to the SDCCD community and its partners, will highlight how Brittanie’s work intersects with California’s mandate to eliminate subminimum wage for employees with disabilities as well as CSP’s mission to support participants as they transition into competitive integrated employment.
- Audience: Open to SDCCD students, faculty, and staff and public
- Modality: Zoom – Register for Disability Advocacy in Action
- Time: 1 p.m.
- Accommodation Requests: Contact [email protected] at least 3 days prior to the event.