October 2025 is the 80th Anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) an annual recognition of the positive impact of people with disabilities in the American workforce. The yearly event began in 1945 to celebrate the contributions of people with physical disabilities and was designated by Congress as NDEAM in 1988. Today we acknowledge the importance of increasing opportunities for all those with disabilities including mental health conditions and other “invisible” or nonobvious disabilities. This year’s official theme is “Celebrating Value and Talent.”
“Celebrating America means celebrating the value and talent that all Americans – including people with disabilities – add to our nation’s workplaces and communities,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “As we approach the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Department of Labor remains committed to ensuring all people have the opportunity to find meaningful work.”
Click the button below to watch the NDEAM Animated Video to learn more!
Washington HB 1201 was passed in April and went into effect on July 31, 2025. It ensures that local emergency and extreme weather response plans include accommodations for pets, recognizing their role as family members. Many individuals delay or refuse evacuation if they cannot bring their pets. Emergency shelters must identify and plan for pet accommodations, including designated areas, supplies and protocols. The bill calls for interagency collaboration between emergency managers, animal control, public health, and nonprofits. Coordination with animal welfare organizations will support sheltering, transportation and reunification efforts. Information on companion animal emergency preparedness must be available online and must include whether an emergency shelter accommodates companion animals. Click to see the Final Bill Report House Bill 1201 Final Bill Report
 The Regional Alliance for Resilient and Equitable Transportation (RARET), RARET webpage, a coalition from Redmond-based Hopelink Mobility Management, hosts an annual tabletop exercise in western Washington focused on life-sustaining transportation coordination during emergency events. This year, the event took place at three in-person locations simultaneously with the capacity for participants to also join each venue virtually. These venues were Snohomish County Emergency Management in Everett, Hopelink’s Headquarters in Redmond, and the Pierce County Emergency Operations Center in Tacoma. This hybrid tabletop event allows partners from around the Central Puget Sound and beyond to tackle scenario-based transportation challenges in a no-fault collaborative environment. The aim is to identify gaps and build relationships which can help create a more resilient transportation response effort for future emergencies. To achieve this, the event seeks out participants from transportation providers, emergency management, community organizations and facilities, public health, and accessibility subject matter experts.
In this 2025 event, the scenario had a wildfire focus. Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties each saw a hypothetical regional wildfire threatening a rural community in their county during Red Flag Warning conditions. Extreme heat, high winds, and regional poor air quality compounded hazards to the fires. Each county was presented with non-drivers in need of evacuation, those same clients later needing transportation support at temporary shelters, and secondary impacts from facilities in the region experiencing transportation challenges stemming from client exposure to extreme heat and poor air quality.
For more information on RARET, click the button below
This year’s International ShakeOut Day is October 16, when millions of people worldwide will participate in earthquake drills at work, school or home! At 10:16 am (local time) on 10/16, you can join millions of people across Washington practicing earthquake safety. Click the button below to register.
If you live or work in a coastal area, ShakeOut day is a good time to practice your tsunami evacuation routes. You can find tsunami information at TsunamiZone
There will be an accessible emergency preparedness workshop for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community in Spokane on Saturday, November 8th, 10 am - 3 pm. Presentations will include experiences of a Deaf couple affected by wildfire and preparedness information. There will be an interactive session on how to register for alert notifications and develop an emergency plan. For more information, please contact Simone Ramel-McKay at sramelmckay@spokanecounty.gov.
Do you use a service animal?
- Prepare an emergency kit with water, food, medication, first aid supplies, poop bags, leashes.
- Microchip your service animal. This can help you reunite if you get separated.
- Practice evacuating with your service animal so they know what to do in an emergency.
- Keep important information like vaccines and vet records in a waterproof container and in the cloud.
- Know your rights! Be able to explain to first responders, shelter staff, etc., that you have a service animal and have the right to be evacuated/sheltered with them.
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