Celebrating Value and Talent. National Disabiliy Employment Awareness Month. 7th Annual Accessibility for All Seawolves Resource Group NDEAM Event Series.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

NDEAM annually honors the positive impact of people with disabilities on our economy and showcases accessible workplace best practices that benefit employees and employers alike.

This annual event began in 1945 when Congress designated the first week of October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week” as a weeklong national observance of the contributions of people with physical disabilities. In the period between 1945 and 1988, the observance was expanded to include those with mental health conditions and other nonobvious disabilities, in the workforce. In 1988, Congress designated the entire month of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).

For more information about NDEAM, visit the US Department of Labor.

Each year, the Accessibility for All Seawolves Resource Group (SRG) hosts events during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) to celebrate the contributions of disabled individuals to our campus community, raise awareness of disability rights, highlight available campus resources and services, and strengthen faculty and staff understanding of their role in accessibility and accommodations.

NDEAM Events 2026

Introduction to Accessibility
Silktide, Other Tools, and Accessibility Success
Accommodation Requests: A Primer
Accessibility Benefits Everyone: Empowering Our Campus Through Digital Accessibility
Healthier U. Mindfulness
Inclusive Event Planning: Making Campus Events Accessible
Healthier U. Chair Yoga
Utilizing Document Accessibility Checkers

Sponsored by the Accessibility for All SRG

Cosponsors: The Office of Equity & Access (OEA), the Student Accessibility Support Center (SASC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Healthier U, Marketing & Communications (MarComm) and the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT). Events this year include:

Introduction to Accessibility

Thursday, Oct. 1 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Daniel Gutz & Jacquelyn Healy, Office of Equity and Access (OEA)

Accessibility is the foundation to creating an inclusive work environment. During this presentation we will discuss what accessibility is, the importance of accessibility to members of the campus community, and how to implement accessible practices throughout your department and worksite so that everyone can be included.

Silktide, Other Tools, and Accessibility Success

Tuesday, October 6 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Todd Hayes, Marketing & Communications, Quinlan Kimble-Brown, OEA

To achieve success in attaining greater accessibility for your websites and web applications, the right set of tools are a necessity. In this talk, we will present how Silktide, combined with other accessibility tools, can help you succeed in creating and fixing your sites and apps so they are usable for all people.

Accommodation Requests: A Primer

Thursday, October 8 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Karin Martinsen, Training Manager & Jeannett Llave, Accommodations Specialist, OEA

The when, why and how of accommodation requests. Participants will learn the legal foundations of accommodations under the ADA, how Stony Brook University handles requests, manages ongoing accommodations and best practices for supervisors.

Accessibility Benefits Everyone: Empowering Our Campus Through Digital Accessibility

Tuesday, October 13 @ 12 noon
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Lindsay Bryde, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)

When we design with accessibility in mind, everyone wins. Join CELT for an interactive overview of the tools, resources, and hands-on support available to help faculty, staff, and students create seamless, inclusive digital environments. During this session, we will explore flexible, self-paced learning paths that allow you to build your digital skills on your own schedule. We’ll also share key insights into the upcoming ADA Title II updates to help you understand what these federal changes mean for our campus and how to stay ahead of them. Beyond self-paced options, you’ll learn about our dedicated support services designed to meet your specific needs. From our PDF Remediation Pilot Program and one-on-one consultations to custom workshops tailored for your department, CELT is here to partner with you. Whether you prefer independent learning or direct collaboration, discover how we can work together to build a more connected and supportive campus community.

Healthier U. Mindfulness

Thursday, October 15 @ 11 am
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Cathrine Duffy, Healthier U.

People of all ages and walks of life have discovered the life-changing benefits of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Research shows that individuals who regularly practice mindfulness have decreased anxiety and depression, improved cognitive function, improved immune system function, decreased blood pressure and migraine frequency, reduced systemic inflammation, and improved coping with pain and illness. This session will provide an introduction to the practice.

Inclusive Event Planning: Making Campus Events Accessible

Tuesday, October 20 @ 11 am
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Rachel Riela, Student Accessibility Support Center (SASC)

Healthier U Chair Yoga

Thursday, Oct. 22 @ 11 am
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Cathrine Duffy, Healthier U

Chair yoga is a form of yoga done while sitting or standing and using a chair for support. Chair yoga can improve flexibility, concentration, strength and mood. This one hour session will be a guided chair yoga flow.

Utilizing Document Accessibility Checkers

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 @ 11 am
Location: via Zoom
Facilitators: Robert Petrik, OEA

This presentation will address how to read and utilize the document accessibility checkers built into Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat, as well as Grackle Docs for Google Docs. While automated checkers excel at flagging objective issues, they cannot replace human judgment for subjective elements. Attendees will learn a practical workflow: running initial automated scans, manually testing and identifying errors, and establishing continuous accessibility practices to ensure digital documents are inclusive for all users.