Disability Employment Awareness Month
Countdown to the Days Until DEAM 2023
What is DEAM and Why is it Important?
Disability Employment Awareness Month or DEAM was first proclaimed in Canada in 2010 by the Province of Manitoba. Saskatchewan followed suit in 2011, and British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and New Brunswick also secured proclamations shortly thereafter. Since then, dedicated employment service providers and community organizations have brought DEAM to life by organizing activities to engage employers, job seekers experiencing disability, and the public to promote the benefits of inclusive hiring.
Despite the considerable efforts that have been made to diversify the Canadian labour force, Statistics Canada reports that in 2017, 3.7 million working-age Canadians identified as having a disability and that only three in five (59%) were employed1. The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially intensified the situation. Currently, approximately 1 million Canadian job seekers experiencing disability are unemployed or underemployed2. Given current workforce shortages, Canadian employers coast to coast need the skills, education, and experience of this untapped talent resource.
DEAM presents an important opportunity to discuss, explore, and collaborate to solve this critical issue. Every day in October, CASE, our members, and our community partners will celebrate the tremendous contributions people with disabilities make to our workplaces and communities. We invite you to connect with us, create awareness, and help us to eliminate the barriers that prevent Canadians with disability from participating fully in work and society.
31 Days of DEAM - Month of October
In recognition of Disability Employment Awareness Month, CASE will share DEAM highlights for each day throughout the month of October. We invite submissions of stories and/or events from your community! To get involved or learn more contact: deam@supportedemployment.ca today!
Please use #31DaysofDEAM so we can share your DEAM stories.
Ways to Get Involved
1. Call on Your Provincial Government to Proclaim DEAM
An important part of celebrating Disability Employment Awareness Month is garnering government support and recognition… which is why we’ve created the DEAM Proclamation Toolkit to help you! The toolkit is available to download right now in both French and English.
2. Get Social with Dare to DrEAM
Dare to DrEAM leverages social media to raise awareness about inclusive employment across Canada. Every day in October, CASE will share stories about service providers and employers from across the country who are championing inclusive hiring, so make sure you are following us on socials to get all the inspiring DEAM news!
We encourage you to post DEAM stories and/or events from your community! Please use these hashtags so we can follow and share your DEAM 2022 journey.
Submit Your Stories:
3. Celebrate Canada’s Inclusive Employers with MentorAbility’s Cheers to Inclusion! Initiative
Each October, MentorAbility Canada organizes events across the country to bring employers and employment service providers together in celebration of the incredible disability-inclusive workplaces they create. DEAM is an ideal opportunity for employers to showcase their commitment to inclusive employment while helping to break down the barriers that exist for people experiencing disabilities.
Ways for Inclusive Employers to Participate in DEAM:
- Add the DEAM logo to your products and the DEAM banner to your website for the month of October to declare your commitment to inclusive employment
- Print the DEAM Posters, Postcards, and Bookmarks from the toolkit below for distribution in your workplace
- Get in touch with an employment service provider to assist you with your inclusive hiring goals
- Connect with your local MentorAbility Provincial Coordinator to recognize a fellow inclusive employer in your community, organize an event, or to create a DEAM-specific professional development opportunity for your team!
- Tell us your inclusive employment story by sharing the ways you have made your workplace more inclusive of and accessible for employees experiencing disabilities.
Facebook frames and cover photos
To add a frame to your profile picture (personal profile):
- Go to www.facebook.com/profilepicframes.
- Search for “DEAM 2022” and select your preferred version of the frame.
- Click Use as Profile Picture to save.
To add a frame to your profile picture (business page):
- Go to your business page and select “Update Profile Picture”.
- In the new window that opens, select the option “Add Frame”.
- Search for “DEAM 2022” and select your preferred version of the frame.
CASE will soon be publishing a monthly newsletter for inclusive employers which will provide information on hiring practices that recognize and embrace diversity.
Let's get started today!
If you would like to promote your event through CASE, please fill out and submit the form linked below.
Cheers to Inclusion 2022 Toolkit
DEAM Banners
DEAM Email Signature
Looking to access editable (i.e., .EPS) versions of the logos and toolkit? Please contact your nearest MentorAbility Canada Hub coordinator for additional information or support or email us at DEAM@supportedemployment.ca with your request. A member of our team will respond within 1-2 business days.
4. Light your Workplace up for LightItUp! for NDEAM
CASE and MentorAbility Canada are collaborating again with the Ontario Disability Employment Network on their National coordinated lighting event – LightItUp! for NDEAM™, and are thrilled to welcome JobsAbility Canada as a new partner this year! Let’s try to beat our incredible 2021 campaign results where 300+ locations nationwide in 113 communities were lit up in purple and blue to recognize the importance of disability inclusion in the future of work.
Here’s how to join us:
Contact your MentorAbility Canada Provincial Coordinator and fill out the form to ensure your locations are added to the growing list of those that will be lit up in purple and blue.
Mark your calendars! We look forward to participating with you in this exciting initiative on October 20th, 2022.
Fill up this form to add to the list of locations that will be lit up in celebration of NDEAM.
Submit a Photo
Submit your photo – Disability Employment Awareness Month
Ways to Get Involved
Follow the activities planned in your province!
There is no Event
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