By Jim Cawley
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
For more than a quarter-century, Kennedy Space Center’s Disability Awareness and Action Working Group (DAAWG) has been a determined advocate for employees with disabilities. The group has contributed significantly to the improvement of facility accommodations at the Florida spaceport, while continuing to increase awareness and education.
On Wednesday, Oct. 17, DAAWG’s sustained accomplishments were honored in a special tribute, as the group was presented with the Moving Forward Award at Brevard Achievement Center’s second annual E2A (Employ, Empower: Achieve) community awards event at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place in Melbourne, Florida. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary efforts to assist people with disabilities in gaining new skills or improving access to employment opportunities.
The announcement caught DAAWG members off guard.
“Shocked is not even the right word. When I got the email, I could not believe it,” said Nicole Delvesco, a system accountant in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Delvesco co-chairs the group along with Annie Williams, an environmental protection specialist with Spaceport Integration and Services.
“We were surprised… and super excited to be recognized,” DAAWG Executive Advisor and Kennedy Chief Financial Officer Susan Kroskey said. “We especially like the name of the award. We believe we are always moving forward and looking for new ways to understand, educate and explore disabilities.”
Brevard Achievement Center (BAC) is celebrating 50 years spent helping people with disabilities achieve personal and professional success. The nonprofit organization’s president and CEO, Amar Patel, praised DAAWG for its accomplishments in elevating the importance of inclusion and disability in the workforce.
“DAAWG is representing so many people in Brevard County,” Patel said. “It is because of their programming, their focus on disability employment awareness. It has been a real powerful message — and we want to recognize that.”
Kennedy employs about 100 people through BAC’s custodial contract, which has been active at the center since 2008. Patel believes this valuable working relationship thrives, in part, due to DAAWG’s steadfast advocacy.
“There is that conscious forward thought — I think that’s amazing,” Patel said. “It shows NASA and Kennedy Space Center want to create an inclusive environment and want to have people with disabilities as part of their vision.”
DAAWG, which is in its 26th year at Kennedy, is particularly engaged in raising awareness this time of year. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), bringing with it a new theme and new events. This year’s national theme is “America’s Workforce: Empowering All.”
In recognition of NDEAM 2018, DAAWG is sponsoring an informational fair titled “Talent Has No Boundaries.” The event features 20 vendors, showcasing resources and services available to Kennedy employees and family members. DAAWG also is sponsoring Disability Mentoring Day for area students and job seekers with disabilities in November.
Last year, DAAWG partnered with another employee resource group on center — Kennedy Networking Opportunities for Women (KNOW) — to host Dr. Temple Grandin as a keynote speaker. Grandin, an internationally famous spokesperson on autism, wowed a standing room-only crowd for the NDEAM event. Other notable past speakers include Aaron Scheidies, a visually impaired world class triathlete and U.S. Paralympian in 2016, and Marc Buoniconti, son of NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti (Marc was paralyzed in 1985 during a college football game).
Kroskey, Delvesco and Williams, who have more than 50 years combined experience with DAAWG, have been a part of planning these events and many more. Lunch and learns, creative mentoring activities and other talented speakers and events are examples of past and ongoing efforts to spread awareness of disability-related issues.
“Passion takes on a whole new definition when it comes to DAAWG, and our experience and love for working with DAAWG at Kennedy,” Kroskey said.
Delvesco has been DAAWG’s co-chair for 24 years. During that time, she witnessed firsthand the group’s core goals move from facility issues to education about the different disabilities, and the possibilities for people with disabilities. As a result, DAAWG is addressing fewer and fewer issues related to accommodations because these are now ingrained in Kennedy’s culture.
“I have seen that transition,” Delvesco said, “and that makes me very proud because I know we did our jobs.”
DAWWG currently comprises 65 people, representing organizations throughout the center. Although decision-making is limited to civil servants, contractors are important contributors to the group. Membership is open to all.
“Not everybody who is a DAAWG member has a disability,” Williams said. “There are people who are just passionate about helping others and getting the information out.”