FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Two Defense Logistics Agency employees earned individual awards and the agency received component honors during the 43rd Annual Secretary of Defense Disability Awards Ceremony Oct. 26 at the Hall of Heroes in the Pentagon.
Vivian d’Alelio, a management and program analyst with DLA Installation Management at the agency’s Fort Belvoir headquarters, and Greg Ramsey, a support agreement manager for DLA Installation Management in Columbus, Ohio, each received the Outstanding Defense Department Employee with a Disability Award.
DLA was named the Best Mid-sized Component Among Employers of Individuals with Disabilities for the seventh consecutive year. The award recognizes a component’s efforts to develop a diverse and inclusive workforce through programs, policies and practices.
DLA’s win was a result of teamwork across the enterprise, said Eric Spanbauer, DLA’s program manager for the Affirmative Employment Program. DLA Human Resources supported using the Schedule A non-competitive hiring authority and converted more Workforce Recruitment Program college interns into full-time, permanent employees than most other Defense Department components, he said.
DLA Information Operations achieved Section 508 initiatives, which require electronic and information technology tools be available to people with disabilities, Spanbauer added. In addition, DLA’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Office provided consistent reasonable accommodations such as telework to employees with disabilities, he added.
Twenty-three DOD employees and four components received honors during the ceremony.
The theme for this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month is advancing access and equity.
“This theme emphasizes that each member of our workforce brings unique talents and perspectives essential to meeting the workforce and mission demands of DOD. As we celebrate this year’s theme, let’s remember that creating an inclusive workforce is not just a goal, but a shared responsibility,” said Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish Vazirani.
Award winners’ dedication and service contributes to the department’s success, he said.
“Your exceptional service highlights the diverse strengths and capabilities that all individuals bring to the table,” Vazirani added.
He also praised the components for creating a more equitable workplace for individuals with disabilities.
“We honor various DOD components for their exemplary leadership in policies, practices and targeted outreach to employ individuals with disabilities. They demonstrate a deep commitment to accessing the full potential of a diverse talent pool,” he said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which made a positive impact on the lives of millions of Americans, said Lisa Arfaa, director of DOD Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“Because of the ADA, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities and to offer essential adaptive and accessible strategies such as remote work, digital conferences and spoken descriptions,” Arfaa said.
Programs such as Wounded Warrior, Operation Warfighter and the Workforce Recruitment Program are important to help attract individuals with disabilities to work for DOD, she added.
Former NFL player Jim Warren was the event’s keynote speaker. He is a member of the North American Indigenous Athletic Hall of Fame and serves as the community engagement and diversity director at the University of South Dakota’s Center for Disabilities.
Warren spoke about his family’s Native American heritage on his mother’s side and shared memories of his father’s life before the ADA went into effect. His father, who had multiple sclerosis for 37 years and used a wheelchair, lost his job with the state of Arizona for having a disability. Additionally, Warren’s wife was left disabled after a car accident seven years ago.
“Resilience is a word I use often because those with challenges need to be resilient to overcome the barriers and the ignorance by design that is out there in society today,” he said.
It is important to leave behind prints for the next generation, whether that’s footprints, wheel prints, cane prints or prosthetic prints, he said.
“The people here we’re honoring today are examples of strength, integrity, service to others and role models. You all are role models we can follow. You have left your prints, no matter what kind of prints, for future generations,” Warren said.