The month of October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month. To celebrate, the Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center will host a specialized resource fair on Oct. 5 for citizens with disabilities, along with a variety of hiring events throughout the month.

These activities are intended to shine a spotlight on the employability of disabled workers, who have a much harder time finding work than their counterparts in the American labor force. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate for people with disabilities in August was 16.1 percent, compared to 8.8 percent for those without disabilities. However, by hiring workers with disabilities, businesses gain dedicated, productive employees who have faced adversity and exhibit higher retention rates.

The (dis)ABILITY Resource Fair will be held 1-3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 5 at Arapahoe/Douglas Works! (6974 S. Lima Street, Centennial). There is no fee or registration requirement to attend. Representatives will be on-hand from local disability and non-profit organizations, including Arapahoe Community College Disability Services, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, Arapahoe County Volunteer Connections, Arapahoe County Veterans Service Office, Cherry Creek Public Schools, Colorado AIDS Project, Colorado Center for the Blind, Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Denver Metro Association for Retarded Citizens, Denver Options, Denver Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Goodwill Industries, Rocky Mountain ADA Center and Shalom Denver. Special seminars during the resource fair will highlight a few of these programs.

Sign language interpretation will be available. Special accommodations are available upon request. Please contact 303-636-1160 at least three business days prior to event to request accommodations.

The Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center also will host several hiring events in October, featuring employers with a strong history of hiring people with disabilities. Hiring employers include AeroTech, UPS, FedEx, ARC Thrift Stores, Goodwill Industries and Charles Schwab. Job-seekers must register to attend the hiring events at www.adworks.org or by calling 303-636-1160.

In addition to these special events, Arapahoe/Douglas Works! offers a variety of year-round employment services to disabled job-seekers. This includes use of the Resource Center with assistive technology, customized workshops, one-on-one employment assistance from a Disability Program Navigator, and individualized support from a certified planner regarding Social Security Disability Income.

For more information on the services that Arapahoe/Douglas Works! offers to job-seekers and businesses, please call 303-636-1160 or visit www.adworks.org.