Technology Fair marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month with events

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy announced this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme is "Access to Jobs for All."

The Fort Cavazos Equal Employment Opportunity office held the National Disability Employment Awareness Month Technology Fair Sept. 10 in support of the initiative.

"The purpose of this fair today is to bring out and host a lot of the local entities that assist persons with disabilities, assist with the technology, the availability, as well as educating the workforce," explained Joyce Arbaugh, disability program manager, Fort Cavazos Equal Employment Opportunity office. "There's so much assistive technology out today that people just don't know is available to them, and we realize that in the workforce there are so many missed opportunities for people with disabilities."

Thirty-one organizations were on hand to provide information and transition assistance to service members and civilians, including the Fort Cavazos Army Community Service, Employee Assistance Program, Soldier Recovery Unit, the Texas Workforce Commission, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Arbaugh said the partnership between The Great Place and community organizations sends a clear message of support to persons with disabilities.

"Oftentimes, a person with a disability, whether it be mental, physical, seen or unseen, they already are dealing with some type of inadequacies," she explained. "But if we have programs available, if we have assistive technology, if we have education available, it helps them.

"We're telling Central Texas that (persons with disabilities) are important, that they are valuable," Arbaugh expressed.

She noted the importance of assisting disabled Soldiers well before they begin transitioning from service.

"If we start now, while they are green suiters, while they are still serving, when it's time to hang it up and put that uniform in the closet, they know there are programs available to assist them and help them transition in the workforce," she said.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Daley, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, is currently at the Soldier Recovery Unit and plans to transition from military service next year.

"There are some good opportunities here, knowledge and people that can work with you when you transition out," he said of the event. "It's going to be hard to take off the uniform when you've had it for so long and you have that camaraderie, so they have programs here that will help you do that."

He added the fair would likely be more helpful for younger service members.

"A lot of the young Soldiers, they don't have a lot of life experience, so this transition event will probably help them even more," Daley said. "I'm on a retirement path, but they're on a career path. They're young so I think this is very beneficial."

Arbaugh noted many programs and resources are free to people with disabilities, and thanked installation leaders for their support in organizing the fair.

"I just am very excited and very pleased at how our (leadership) supports the EEO office in this endeavor, allowing us to be able to educate, assist and help our veterans, Soldiers, family members and civilian workforce, and allowing the EEO office to be a part of that," she said. "It doesn't get any better."

Next year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month Technology Fair is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2025.

Contact the Fort Cavazos EEO office at 254-287-3602 for more information on disability and reasonable accommodation guidelines.

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