Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) wrapped up on October 31st, but we think it’s important to keep the conversation about inclusive employment practices going all year. This is one of the reasons we’re proud to be a member of the Calgary Employment First Network (CEFN). The CEFN is a collective of local, publicly-funded organizations which serve as community partners to local employers and assist with inclusive recruitment, on-boarding, and other diversity-related employment needs.
Charmaine Wong, the DDRC’s Manager of Employment Services, is a member of the DEAM steering committee.
“We hope to bring awareness into the community; to [help people] understand the work that we do and the importance of having a diversified workforce,” Wong said.
This awareness is what the DDRC strives to raise each day. Kim McCullough, Director of Organizational Effectiveness, has seen the impact of inclusive employment practices and believes that it is important to the identities of both individuals and organizations alike.
“When an individual feels they can be themselves at work, it contributes to a positive workplace culture, and a more engaged workforce. This generates a constructive retention strategy,” McCullough said. “By enriching the lives of individuals, we make our communities stronger and we enrich the lives of all stakeholders.”
Planning for DEAM started back in May, when the steering committee would meet twice a month to prepare everything for October. This included organizing promotions and advertisement, event planning, and building relationships with a wide array of community partners.
Among the events was the DEAM Kick-off Event (featuring guests of honour such as Mayor Naheed Nenshi and singer Tom Jackson), and the creation of the DEAMcanvas.
Wong is pleased with how the events turned out, and said she feels that the best success was connecting with employers to create new employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Preparation for DEAM 2016 is scheduled to start in January.
