Charlotte Jewish News March 2026 | Page 24

The Charlotte Jewish News- March 2026- Page 24

March is National Disability Awareness Month: Why Mental Health Must Be Part of the Conversation

By Howard Olshansky

March is recognized as National Disability Awareness Month, a time dedicated to increasing understanding, challenging the stigmas, and celebrating the contributions of people with disabilities. While the term“ disability” is often associated with visible physical conditions, a sizable proportion around the world is rooted in mental health.

Conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder( PTSD), and other mental health challenges can be profoundly disabling; yet they are frequently overlooked or misunderstood within broader

disability conversations. National Disability Awareness Month offers an important opportunity to center mental health as an essential part of disability advocacy, inclusion, and policy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention( CDC), one in four adults in the United States lives with some form of disability, and mental health conditions are among the most common causes. Mental illness can affect how people think, feel, work, communicate, and maintain relationships. For many, these challenges are episodic or invisible, making them harder for others to recognize and, too often, easier to dismiss. The result is a double stigma: people face discrimination not only for having a disability but also for having one that others may not believe is“ real” or“ serious enough.”

National Disability Awareness Month pushes back against this narrow view of disability. It encourages a more inclusive understanding, acknowledging that disabilities can be physical, sensory, intellectual, developmental, and psychiatric. Mental health conditions can limit major life activities just as significantly as physical impairments, and they deserve the same legal protection, workplace accommodations, and social support. When mental health is excluded from disability discussions, individuals are left without validation or access to the resources they need to thrive.

The relationship between disability and mental health is also deeply interconnected. People with physical or developmental disabilities experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and trauma, often due to social isolation, discrimination, inaccessible environments, and chronic stress. At the same time, individuals with mental health conditions frequently encounter barriers in education, employment, housing, and health care, all of which can intensify their symptoms. Disability awareness must therefore address mental health not as a separate issue, but as a vital component of wellbeing.

Workplaces are a critical

setting where this connection becomes clear. Mental health disabilities are one of the leading reasons employees request accommodations, yet many workers hesitate to disclose their needs out of fear of judgment or retaliation. National Disability Awareness Month invites employers to rethink what inclusion truly means. Flexible schedules, remote work options, clear communication, mental health days, and access to employee assistance programs are not“ special treatment,” they are reasonable accommodations that allow people with mental health disabilities to perform at their best. Creating psychologically safe workplaces benefits everyone, not just those with diagnosed conditions.

Education is another area where disability awareness and mental health intersect powerfully. Students with mental health disabilities often struggle silently, particularly when schools lack adequate counseling resources or fail to recognize emotional and psychological challenges as legitimate barriers to learning. When educators understand mental health as a disability issue, they are better equipped to provide accommodations, early intervention, and supportive environments that promote long-term success. National Disability Awareness Month serves as a reminder that inclusion in schools must address emotional well-being alongside academic achievement.

Equity is also central to this conversation. Marginalized communities, including people of color, LGBTQ + individuals, immigrants, and those living below the poverty line, are more likely to experience both disability and mental health challenges while also facing greater obstacles to care. Cultural stigma, lack of insurance, language barriers, and systemic discrimination can prevent people from seeking help or receiving a diagnosis that would qualify them for disability protection. Disability awareness that ignores these disparities risks reinforcing existing inequities. An inclusive approach to mental health must be intersectional and grounded in social justice.

Most importantly, National Disability Awareness Month offers a chance to shift the narrative from limitation to respectability. Disability, including mental health disability, is not a personal failure, it’ s a natural part of human diversity. People with mental health conditions are leaders, parents, employees, artists, and community members whose perspectives enrich society. Awareness efforts that highlight lived experience, resilience, and advocacy help replace fear and misunderstanding with empathy and respect.

As March draws attention to disability awareness, we are called to expand our understanding of what disability looks like and who it affects. Including mental health in this conversation is not optional; it is essential. By recognizing mental health as a disability issue, we can reduce stigma, strengthen protections, and build more inclusive communities where everyone can live with dignity, support, and hope.

Engaging • Connecting • Healing

JFS Tributes- Jan. 2026

For a Speedy Recovery

Stephen Bernholz Stanley Greenspon

Happy Anniversary

Sam and Nancy Bernstein Paul and Lynn Edelstein

Happy Birthday

Gloria Lerner Paul and Lynn Edelstein

Kathy Ochs Paul and Claire Putterman

In Memory of

Olivia Cohen Steven Cohen

Alan Davis Stanley Greenspon

Morton H. Ershler Stanley Greenspon

Volunteers:

Brian Ablitz, Jessica Alfandary, Marcia Arnholt, Mike Arnholt, Daniel Benjamin, Andrew Bernstein, Dan Coblenz, Jonathan Collman, Judy Conly, Andrea Cronson, Erica Davison, Julie Dermack, Elayne DeMaria, Joni Deutsch, Sheryl Effren, Rachel Friedman, Meredith Gartner, Marty Goldfarb, Blair Goldsmith, Richard Goldsmith, Joann Goldstein, Leon Golynsky, Daryl Greenberg, Gail Halverson, Lane Henkin, Rebecca Hockfield, Bob Jacobson, Jennifer Koss, Stephanie Kreitman, Glenn Kunkes, Eric Lerner, Kim Levy, Adina Loewensteiner, Terry Meyers, Frada Mozenter, Barbara Rein, Nina Rose, Cindy Siesel, Stuart Singer, Louis Sinkoe, Lisa Somerson, Harry Sparks, Lauren Stark, Lorin Stiefel, Nancy Wielunski, Amanda Zaidman

Food Drives:

Temple Kol Tikvah Kadoor Aff class, Roth Family in honor of Mark and Sashas wedding

Mitzvah Baskets:

The Braun Family in honor of Dylan Brauns Bat Mitzvah, The

Nadine Fox Marla Brodsky

Gerre Goldenberg Mark and Harriet Perlin

Barbara Levin Stanley Greenspon Myron and Lynn Slutsky

Sam Levy Bob and Mary Rothkopf

David Pliner Stanley Greenspon

Gilbert L. Rothstein Stanley Greenspon

Mazel Tov

Stephanie Starr Craig Rubin and Robin Husney

JFS Acknowledgements- Jan. 2026

Muns Family in honor of Lincoln Muns Bar Mitzvah

Live Laugh Give Volunteers:

Annie Brackis, Meredith Baumstein, Andrew Bernstein, Andrea Cronson, Rachel Friedman, Blair Goldsmith, Tamar Goldblatt, Kevine Levine, Rachel Peterson, Andrew Rosen, Karen Silver, Louis SInkoe, Alyssa Wilen

Hadassah Meal Preppies:

Denise Abadi, Geneva Boxer, Lee Diamond, Sara Friedman, June and Paul Hirschmann, Johnson and Wales, Penny Krieger, Aileen Greenberg-Krineri

Food Pantry Donations:

To our generous community: Thank you for continuing to donate to the food pantry. We continue to collect donations every other Wednesday at the portico entrance to the Blumenthal Center for Jewish Education Building on Shalom Park. Also please look for our donation box in the new security entrance in front of JCC.