Meaningful work is a key part of life for many of us living with disabilities. National Disability Employment Awareness Month every October is a way to highlight and honor the contributions of workers with disabilities and promotes inclusive workplaces.

The observances began 81 years ago, as Congress designated the first week of October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” One focus at that time was World War II veterans returning home with disabilities and their need to find work.

In 1962, the word “physically” was removed from the week’s name, to be inclusive of all types of disabilities.

Then in 1988, Congress expanded the designation from one week to an entire month, creating National Disability Employment Awareness Month or NDEAM. The month-long celebration came from passage of the broader Handicapped Programs Technical Amendments Act of 1988.

How working, disabled Minnesotans have been supported in their workplaces has varied greatly over the years. This History Note takes readers back to October 1936, nine years before any federal commemoration of disability-focused employment.

An early champion of disability-focused employment in Minnesota was Goodwill. It was founded in St. Paul by Rev. Herbert Burgstahler and other civic leaders. Goodwill opened a retail store in the basement of the Church of the Good Shepherd at 12th and Cedar streets.

The organization followed the model of Goodwill Industries of America and accepted donations. Workers repaired donated merchandise and were paid by Goodwill store sale receipts.

“3,000 Boy Scouts Will Aid Goodwill Industries Drive” was a headline in the Sunday, Oct. 11 Minneapolis Journal. The Boy Scouts worked with Goodwill Industries to distribute 20,000 donation bags across the city.

In the annual week-long fall campaign, the scouts collected used clothing, shoes, furniture and household items for resale at Goodwill stores. Disabled men and women working at Goodwill had the tasks to repair and recondition the items as needed for resale.

In those days Goodwill stores routinely handed out bags to customers so that items could be collected and brought back year-round. People would keep the bags at home, fill them and then donate the contents.

J.H. Mitchell, president of the Minneapolis Area Council of Boy Scouts, described the drive as a “good turn” event for the Boy Scouts. Boys would gather donations and help provide work for people then described as “handicapped.”

One focus in news accounts at the time was how disabled people could take pride in being self-supporting and in contributing to society. Newspapers sometimes featured photos of Boy Scouts collecting donations. Goodwill employees were sometimes pictured as they repaired items at their work benches.

The campaigns developed a mascot of sorts, a drawing of a man in a wheelchair labeled “Good Willy” or “Good Willie.” He held a toolbox, ready to repair donated goods.

Over time, the notion of repair workshops went away. Goodwill Industries histories tell us that most were phased out in the 1980s. Instead of repairable goods, donations that were ready for resale were gathered. Different types of job training and placement services were implemented.

Goodwill Industries has faced significant criticism and protests for using special federal certificates to pay some workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. But 90 years ago, the approach of providing disabled workers with a chance instead of charity resonated with the public.

The History Note is a monthly column produced in cooperation with the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. Past History Notes and other disability history may be found at MNDDC’s “With an Eye to the Past” site.