Silence is NOT an Option
October 2025
National Disability Employment Awareness Month. October is dedicated to celebrating the contributions of workers with disabilities and addressing the disparities they face in the workforce. According to Majumder & Mason (2025), “…Black and Latinx people with disabilities had even higher unemployment rates than white disabled people, at 10.7 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively. In addition, Black (22.8 percent) and Asian (20.7 percent) people with disabilities are less likely to be in the labor force than white (24.7 percent) people with disabilities…”
AIDS Awareness Month. Black and Indigenous communities of color are disproportionally impacted by HIV because of systemic inequities like racism, and a lack of access to consistent and high-quality healthcare, education, housing, and employment, among other challenges that stem from both poverty and systemic oppression. We invite you to watch Gay, Black and HIV positive: America’s hidden epidemic by The Guardian.
National Hair Day. National hair day is October 1st. We invite you to watch How hair discrimination impacts Black Americans in their personal lives and the workplace, a report by PBS.
***Call to Action***
Take time to learn about the work that the Arc of San Diego does for employees with disabilities. You can get involved with advocacy, volunteering, as well as donating by going to this website.
Being Alive San Diego is an AIDS/HIV Services organization in San Diego. You can learn about all the ways they service AIDS/HIV patients in San Diego, as well as learn about their volunteer opportunities by going to their website.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
