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.