The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Turns 50!
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October 2, 2023
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). An initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), NDEAM celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and highlights supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices that benefit employers and employees.
This year also marks 50 years since the passing of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (The Rehabilitation Act), prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, programs receiving federal financial assistance, federal employment, and employment practices of federal contractors. Modeled after other federal civil rights laws banning discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and gender, The Rehabilitation Act was the first federal legislation that recognized that excluding or segregating people because of their disabilities is discriminatory.
Before The Rehabilitation Act, people with disabilities faced many difficulties in finding employment. The new law recognized that many of the hurdles that disabled persons faced were caused by a society that failed to acknowledge their capabilities and openly denied them opportunities.
As groundbreaking as The Rehabilitation Act was, it applied to only recipients of federal funds. However, it laid the groundwork for the later Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prevents discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications.
The ODEP has launched a Rehabilitation Act 50 webpage that contains videos and a blog series about the anniversary of The Rehabilitation Act.
Regardless of whether you are covered by The Rehabilitation Act, we encourage employers to review the ODEP’s materials and use them to educate your workforce and ensure an inclusive workplace.
*Special thanks to Ava Petrellese, our Paralegal, and to Brooke Palma, our Office Administrator, for their contributions to this article.
