Each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is recognized as a time to honor the contributions and talents that workers with disabilities bring to the nation's workforce and economy. The Department of Labor has made this year's theme: "Access to Good Jobs for All." 

Alison Barkoff, Administration for Community Living (ACL) Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging, recently announced that she will be leaving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in early October. Since joining ACL on the first day of the Biden-Harris Administration, Barkoff has led the agency with a strong commitment to disability and aging advocacy, working closely with advocates and federal partners to enhance civil rights protections and improve access to essential services and supports to people with disabilities.

At the Center for Learning and Leadership | UCEDD, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Alison Barkoff for her leadership of the federal organization that plays such a crucial role in funding our work in Oklahoma through the UCEDD grant. Her dedication to advancing the rights and well-being of individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities has made a profound impact, and we are thankful for her support.